Linda Lou, Blog Dog reporting for duty! Today I’m going to do away with a common myth about four-leggers. Everybody thinks that us pets can only see in black, white and shades of gray. I am here to tell you that I do see in color, just not in the same range as you do.Let me try to explain this to you. It is a bit confusing, but fascinating at the same time.
Color is distinguished in the eye with nerve cells called cones. Dogs and cats are dichromatic (2 cones), while people are trichromatic (3 cones). This means that humans have a broader color spectrum than canines and felines. Human eyes have cones that see combinations of red, blue and green. Canine and feline eyes have cones that can only identify blue and yellow. Make sense?
This means that I see the world much like a human that is red-green color blind. The red that you see appears dark brownish-gray or black to me. Yellow, orange and green all look a bit yellowish. Dogs see your beautiful green lawn as a field of dry hay. Don’t get me wrong, we love the plush feel of a well manicured lawn, we just can’t appreciate the beauty…
I do see the color blue really well. A good many of my favorite toys are blueish. They are easy for us to see! Purple also appears blue to us, so purple toys are appreciated too!
While you humans have better color vision, dogs and cats get to see better in the dark. This is due to the fact that we have more rod cells in our eyes. Rods are responsible for detecting light and movement. This is especially important for animals that need to hunt to survive or be aware when we are out at night. Dogs and cats also have a reflective membrane in the eye called a tapetum that enhances night vision. That is what causes our eyes to glow! Super cool. Sometimes I look possessed in pictures. Heehee.
Lastly, dogs and cats can’t see as well as people at a distance; we are more near-sighted than you. In fact, cats can’t even focus on something less than 12 inches from their face. That doesn’t mean that we all need to see an eye doctor for glasses! We have been doing just fine for years without specs…
When choosing toys for your feline friend, think of the ones that move. It could be a toy that you move around during playtime, or one that is easy for Fluffy to bat around. Cats prefer movement over color any day. For dogs, try purchasing ones that they can distinguish from one another. Get a blue one, a yellow one, a purple one… Heck, buy a bunch and see what color Fido prefers. Who wouldn’t love a variety?
I think I’ll go remind my mom that my blue toy is in need of replacement!
Later,
Linda Lou, “I can see colors too” Blog Dog
Color is distinguished in the eye with nerve cells called cones. Dogs and cats are dichromatic (2 cones), while people are trichromatic (3 cones). This means that humans have a broader color spectrum than canines and felines. Human eyes have cones that see combinations of red, blue and green. Canine and feline eyes have cones that can only identify blue and yellow. Make sense?
This means that I see the world much like a human that is red-green color blind. The red that you see appears dark brownish-gray or black to me. Yellow, orange and green all look a bit yellowish. Dogs see your beautiful green lawn as a field of dry hay. Don’t get me wrong, we love the plush feel of a well manicured lawn, we just can’t appreciate the beauty…
I do see the color blue really well. A good many of my favorite toys are blueish. They are easy for us to see! Purple also appears blue to us, so purple toys are appreciated too!
While you humans have better color vision, dogs and cats get to see better in the dark. This is due to the fact that we have more rod cells in our eyes. Rods are responsible for detecting light and movement. This is especially important for animals that need to hunt to survive or be aware when we are out at night. Dogs and cats also have a reflective membrane in the eye called a tapetum that enhances night vision. That is what causes our eyes to glow! Super cool. Sometimes I look possessed in pictures. Heehee.
Lastly, dogs and cats can’t see as well as people at a distance; we are more near-sighted than you. In fact, cats can’t even focus on something less than 12 inches from their face. That doesn’t mean that we all need to see an eye doctor for glasses! We have been doing just fine for years without specs…
When choosing toys for your feline friend, think of the ones that move. It could be a toy that you move around during playtime, or one that is easy for Fluffy to bat around. Cats prefer movement over color any day. For dogs, try purchasing ones that they can distinguish from one another. Get a blue one, a yellow one, a purple one… Heck, buy a bunch and see what color Fido prefers. Who wouldn’t love a variety?
I think I’ll go remind my mom that my blue toy is in need of replacement!
Later,
Linda Lou, “I can see colors too” Blog Dog
