How do cats and dogs see the world around them in terms of color? - briefly
Cats and dogs have fewer cone cells in their eyes compared to humans, which limits their ability to distinguish certain colors. While they can see blues and yellows, they struggle with greens and reds, perceiving them as shades of gray or yellow.
How do cats and dogs see the world around them in terms of color? - in detail
Cats and dogs, like humans, perceive color through photoreceptor cells called cones located in their retinas. However, their visual systems differ significantly from ours, resulting in distinct color perception experiences.
Cats are primarily crepuscular animals, meaning they are most active during twilight hours. As a result, their eyes have evolved to be more sensitive to low-light conditions than those of dogs or humans. Cats possess only two types of cone cells: those that detect blue and green light. This dichromatic color vision allows cats to perceive shades of blue and green effectively but struggle with distinguishing reds, oranges, and yellows. Essentially, cats see a more muted, less vibrant world compared to humans. Their ability to detect motion and changes in their environment is far superior to their color perception capabilities.
In contrast, dogs are diurnal animals, adapted for daytime activities. Their eyes contain two types of cone cells as well: those that detect blue and yellow light. This also gives dogs dichromatic color vision, similar to cats, but with a different spectrum of perceived colors. Dogs can see shades of blue and yellow more vividly than other colors. They have difficulty distinguishing between reds, oranges, greens, and browns, which appear as various shades of gray or yellow. This color perception is likely influenced by the evolutionary need to spot game animals against foliage in natural environments.
In summary, both cats and dogs possess dichromatic vision, with cats seeing a world dominated by blues and greens, while dogs perceive yellows and blues more distinctly. Their color perception capabilities are significantly different from those of humans, who have trichromatic color vision with three types of cone cells detecting red, green, and blue light. Understanding these differences in color perception can help us better appreciate the unique visual experiences of our feline and canine companions.