How cats really perceive world

Eyes

Cats, like humans, use their vision to navigate and hunt. However, their vision has distinct features shaped by millions of years of evolution. Their large, dome-shaped corneas gather more light, allowing them to see well in low-light conditions. Cats’ pupils are vertical and can dilate up to 300 times in the dark, compared to humans’ pupils which expand only 15 times.

At the back of a cat’s eye is a special layer that reflects light onto the retina, enhancing their vision in dim light and creating the characteristic eye shine in the dark. Cats also have superior peripheral vision compared to humans.

However, cats have fewer cone cells, which are responsible for color vision, so they perceive the world in fewer colors and less vibrantly than humans. What a cat can see at 6 meters, a human would need to be at 30 meters to see.

Ears

Cats’ triangular ears function like small, fluffy satellite dishes. Their ear flaps can rotate in all directions - forward, backward, and sideways - allowing cats to precisely locate the source of a sound.

This 180-degree rotation enables cats to pinpoint the origin of a sound with accuracy to within a few centimeters in just six-hundredths of a second, faster than a blink of an eye. Additionally, cats can detect very subtle differences in sounds, even one-tenth of a tone.

Smell

A cat's sense of smell develops while they are still in the womb. Newborn kittens use their noses immediately to find the nipple and get their first sip of colostrum. Experts believe that cats’ sense of smell is about 14 times more sensitive than humans, thanks to their large number of olfactory cells - up to 200 million compared to our 5 million.

Additionally, cats have a specialized organ called the Jacobson's organ located above the roof of the mouth. This organ contains receptors linked to parts of the brain, enhancing their ability to recognize smells. When cats encounter an intriguing scent, they partially open their mouths and curl back their upper lip. This behavior allows scent molecules to reach the Jacobson's organ, helping cats more accurately identify the odor.

Whiskers

Cats' whiskers, or vibrissae, are a crucial part of their sensory system. They are longer and thicker than regular fur and have follicles filled with nerves and blood vessels, making them highly sensitive, similar to the tips of human fingers.

These whiskers help cats compensate for their less precise close-up vision. They detect the slightest changes in air movement, allowing cats to sense prey or avoid obstacles, playing a critical role in their navigation and hunting.

Also, learn about 8 signs that your cat hates you.

Sources used for this article include: National Geographic, Catster.