Do dogs and cats have night vision?

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All dog and cat instructors have already realized that their pets, even though it is dark, are able to perceive space and continue to do their things even in low light. But does that mean that dogs and cats have night vision?

Do dogs and cats have night vision?

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Dogs have night vision about 5 times better than humans, so it means they can see more clearly than humans in the dark. Now cats can see about 6 times better.

However, it does not mean that they can see in a totally dark environment or in very low light.

How do dogs and cats have night vision?

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The eyes of dogs and cats are designed to collect light, which is why they can see much better in the dark than humans.

Cats, for example, have a rounded cornea (the most superficial portion of the eye) that makes it easier for them to capture and focus the light.

In addition, cats and dogs have night vision due to Tapetum lucidum and retinal receptors’ composition.

Tapetum lucidum

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Tapetum lucidum is a reflective layer behind some animals’ retina that increases the amount of light for night vision.

This layer causes light to reflect off and, therefore, causes the light beams to be reflected, allowing them to pass through the retina twice, thus facilitating the animal’s vision, even in the dark.

This is the reason why in photographs with flash, or in the dark, when strong light strikes the animal, dogs and cats appear with their eyes with a green or golden reflection.

Composition of retinal receptors

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There are two types of retinal receptors: rods and cones. The first one detect the level of luminosity, and the second detects the color.

Humans’ retina has about 80% of rods, and in dogs and cats, there are about 96%, which means that their sensitivity to light is much higher.

Also, in dogs and cats, the eye center region is mostly made up of rods, while in humans, this area is made up mostly of cones, which makes dogs and cats more able to analyze low light intensity.

Other guidance methods

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Dogs and cats orient themselves in the dark also due to their whiskers, or vibrissae technical name.

Through whiskers, pets can get a sense of space and, for example, measure certain distances. This is the reason why many times our pets can even get oriented in total darkness, or even animals that cannot see due to health problems or see poorly can also orient themselves.

That is why the whiskers of dogs and cats should never be cut, at risk of the animal becoming disoriented and causing serious problems.

Pupil size

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Like other animals, dogs and cats have larger pupils than humans, giving them a greater ability to see in the dark, since larger pupils allow more light to fall on the retina.

For these reasons, dogs and cats have night vision and can see much better in the dark than humans.

If dogs and cats have night vision can they stay in total darkness?

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Dogs and cats see much better than humans in the dark. However, they can only see in environments with less light and not in total darkness.

Dogs and cats cannot see in total darkness, and what they do is amplify the light received in order to be able to see better in low light environments, for example, being on the street, in the dark, at night, they can use the light reflected on the moon to see in the dark.

So, ideally, you should not leave your pet in a totally dark environment, without any light.