A commonly asked question is: why do cats see so well at night? Cats have excellent night vision and they have far superior eyesight to humans and other animals. This gives them a great advantage when it comes to hunting and being able to see prey in the dark. Cats can’t see fine detail or colour as well as we do but they do have the ability to see well in the dark due to the high number of rods in their retina. Rods are responsible for peripheral and night vision and they detect shades of grey and brightness. As a result, cats are able to see using one-sixth the amount of light than what we as humans need to see. They also have a structure behind their retina called a tapetum which is thought to give them improved night vision. The cells in the tapetum act like a mirror, reflecting light between the rods which gives them a chance to pick up on small amounts of light. This is also the reason why cat eyes glow in the dark when lights are shone on them.
