The world through a CAT'S EYES

This is pretty cool. Some photographer went and made some pics showing how cats view the world vs. how us people see things. Its interesting that they don't focus as clearly at a distance or see colors the same as us but, their night vision is amazing!

See the world through the eyes of a cat

Ever wondered how our feline friends perceive the world around us? One man took it one step further. Nickolay Lamm has created these pictures to illustrate what a cat's vision would look like compared to our own. The upper image is what we would see, with the cat equivalent below.

The images are based on the following criteria: Cats have a 200 degree field of vision, compared with humans' 180 degrees, but worse peripheral vision (20 degrees compared to 30). Cats' range of vision is approximately five times worse than our own, and their ability to perceive color is much worse. However, their night vision is between six and eight times finer than ours.

Yahoo News

There's plenty more pics at the link.

I am owned by 8 cats.And for the life of me I just don't see this being fact. Ive watched my cats do some amazing things, things I dont feel they could have done with eyesite as dipicted. Im sure other cat folks will attest as well. I like your avatar, Cats got some Ninja skills!

reply to post by openyourmind1262


I've been owned by plenty of cats in my lifetime and it makes me doubt the blurred pics too. Cat's have predator's eyes and can spot the tinyist movement in thick grass from a good distance. I've also noticed that they like to watch things that we can't see.

My current cat likes to stare at the ceiling when I hold her. It makes me wonder if she isn't seeing ghosts or inter-dimensional beings. Whatever it is doesn't seem to bother her, she looks fascinated rather than scared or bothered.

openyourmind1262
I am owned by 8 cats.And for the life of me I just don't see this being fact. Ive watched my cats do some amazing things, things I dont feel they could have done with eyesite as dipicted. Im sure other cat folks will attest as well. I like your avatar, Cats got some Ninja skills!

edit on 16-10-2013 by openyourmind1262 because: (no reason given)

Indeed; I've seen them spot a bug on a wall 40 feet away. I'm also quite certain that they can see the color red pretty well. I'm also pretty certain that they recognize me at the gate, 30 feet and more from the house, from their posts at the windows—even without hearing my voice.

I've been casually observing cats for years (we run a cat rescue), and just that casual experience is at considerable odds with the "experts." It's one of those things I'll never understand. Did these experts ever consider actually watching cats—as opposed to "studying" them....?

I don't think that they got how a cat's vision works down pat yet. Sure, maybe the eyes are different but the area of the brain that translates the vision is also different than ours. They can see a bird fifty feet away in a tree whereas I can hardly see it at all. If these pictures were really what a cat could see, than they would be extinct.

Look what a processor in a computer can do to a blurry picture. I think a cats brain is a lot bigger than the biggest computer as far as processing ability. The thing is, you can't get a cat to do what you want them to do, they are smarter than that. They already know we are their slaves, to let us know that we can control them is counterproductive to their cause. I'm sure most cat owners know that cats are better at seeing things than these pictures show. They will watch an ant climb the wall thirty feet away. They can see very well in the dark also.

Deer are not color blind as scientists think. They can see colors very well. when you have an apple in your hand vs a potato, they get all exited. The deer that comes to our back door also knows the words apple, potato, and carrot. If you tell it you are going to give the deer an apple but throw it a spud, it smells it and looks at you like WTF. They learn new words pretty quick actually. Well, now I am getting off topic. What I am trying to say here is that science does not know everything. There is a lot more to eyesight than just the eyes.

rickymouse
I don't think that they got how a cat's vision works down pat yet. Sure, maybe the eyes are different but the area of the brain that translates the vision is also different than ours. They can see a bird fifty feet away in a tree whereas I can hardly see it at all. If these pictures were really what a cat could see, than they would be extinct.

Look what a processor in a computer can do to a blurry picture. I think a cats brain is a lot bigger than the biggest computer as far as processing ability. The thing is, you can't get a cat to do what you want them to do, they are smarter than that. They already know we are their slaves, to let us know that we can control them is counterproductive to their cause. I'm sure most cat owners know that cats are better at seeing things than these pictures show. They will watch an ant climb the wall thirty feet away. They can see very well in the dark also.

Deer are not color blind as scientists think. They can see colors very well. when you have an apple in your hand vs a potato, they get all exited. The deer that comes to our back door also knows the words apple, potato, and carrot. If you tell it you are going to give the deer an apple but throw it a spud, it smells it and looks at you like WTF. They learn new words pretty quick actually. Well, now I am getting off topic. What I am trying to say here is that science does not know everything. There is a lot more to eyesight than just the eyes.

I dunno, watching those blurry pictures, I could see it being a possibility that cats see blurry like that. Afterall, when I looked at the blurry pics above, I was thinking it might actually be EASIER to hunt like that, assuming you can focus in on your target, and the rest is sort of blurry in the background. Not to mention if everything looks more gray/less color, then light reflection would work a LOT better, and therefore be better for hunting.

While I definitely think humans have MUCH, MUCH farther to go in understanding nearly EVERYTHING about all forms of LIFE, including ourselves, I really could see cats seeing like that. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't how they see, I'm just saying I don't think it would take away from their wonderful hunting ability, and/or ability to see their owner from 50ft away, or a bug from 20ft away.

reply to post by openyourmind1262


Being a cat owner I agree. I had a cat years ago who ate cat food that was in a yellow bag. I couldn't figure out why he was always jumping up on the bar stool and meowing when I baked. I would have a big yellow bag of flour. So I think he saw the colour yellow.
They can be at the other side of the house and see what small object you're holding in your hand.
They see the tiniest bugs. They can catch them pretty fast so they must have good vision!


Their night vision might be like what's depicted. How cool

reply to post by rickymouse


I teach my cats words. I figure they understand them after awhile. Just like babies, they can't talk back to us but know simple words or sentences.

I told my male cat if he needed to pee or poop in the middle of the night to use the toilet. He used it! There's a litter box in the house and he won't use it. Goes outside except at night when he's in lockdown, it's the toilet. I can't teach him to flush. I showed him once and he just stared in awe like that is way cool.

reply to post by FortAnthem


Just had to reply to your post. I too have a cat that "sits and talks to the walls" seriously sits and looks up at the wall and talks. Some of the craziest sounds Ive ever heard coming from a cat. When we first got her about 8 years ago she was a rescue . Solid white and tiny. Came in the room, jumped in my lap and has tried to stay there forever. Same day this cat sits and starts talking to a "straw angel" we had hanging on the wall. I told my wife she just thanking them for bringing her to our house. Well the straw angel is no longer there but the talking continues, same corner, same area of wall, same spot, each & everytime. At times I too have thought she is seeing things we cant see. Wife says she's keeping the bad hokus pokus away from us. Maybe she is.

As far as the op it's cool and all, but I just doubt that's the way it is. Cats are amazing animals. I also think they can see color, certain bright colors, I got a Big and I mean big 20lb Manx. Smartest animal I have ever seen. Knows my truck, Knows which peppers in the garden are "hott" want touch em. But the ones that arent, rips em up like their cat nip. I watched him track a mole thru our yard, but he tthe cat went way ahead of the mole and waited, why? Because the cat knew the mole was getting close to the concrete sidewalk, just sat and waited. Got em, laid him on the porch.

reply to post by violet


That's funny, I got one that culls out any yellow pieces of food, want touch them. Pulls them out with paw, whole pile of lil yellow pieces all around the food bowl. Got one that want eat food from the dish, pulls it out onto the floor. None of my cats will eat people food, I mean none of them. Ive watched my cat push the water dish toward the bathroom sink, why? because it was empty and she knew that's where the water is. Smart ,smart lil critters.

Cats folks know this, so this is for everybody else, Want to lower your stress level and keep it that way? Get you a cat. Words best stress releif. Either petting them or just watching them do their cat thing. Works everytime.

violet
reply to post by rickymouse

 

I teach my cats words. I figure they understand them after awhile. Just like babies, they can't talk back to us but know simple words or sentences.

I told my male cat if he needed to pee or poop in the middle of the night to use the toilet. He used it! There's a litter box in the house and he won't use it. Goes outside except at night when he's in lockdown, it's the toilet. I can't teach him to flush. I showed him once and he just stared in awe like that is way cool.

They make cat toilets. You don't have to change litter anymore and I suppose never have to put water out anymore. The only problem is the cat may sit there flushing it all day long any you will have a hundred dollar water bill every month Would you have to teach the cat to use a plunger also

reply to post by openyourmind1262

Yes they're so smart. I had one that sat on the heat vents to warm up. If it wasn't running, he would go to the thermostat and meow and nod his head to say put the heat up. He knew that's how it operated.

He was also very picky about his drinking water. After he tasted my glass of ice water it was I see you have nice fresh cold water. I'm drinking warm crap that's sat there all day and tastes like chlorine . So I started giving him purified water with ice. He would not drink from the tap after that. I tried tricking him but he knew. People would visit and say " I think your cat is on the the end of the driveway dead". I would look and say he's not dead, watch this " teddy, want ice water?" And he would spring to life and bolt back inside.

I've known a few cats that sit in the corner and talk to the walls too. My impression of it was that they were using the echo off the walls for feedback- perhaps to hear themselves and perfect their voice. The cats I knew who did this were all very intelligent and had very wide and expressive vocal ranges.

I liked the photos, and I'm always curious about these kinds of subjects (though I hope no cats were harmed in the experiments !). I do agree with most of you all, though- I think a cat's vision is far sharper than the photos suggest, and it probably does have a lot to do with brain processing. I wonder if the blurriness is part of a selective focus ability? Perhaps cats are able to blur out the areas they have no interest in so their focus on a point of interest is sharper in contrast?