Ask A Scientist© Veterinary Topics Archive

name        eliot
status       student
age          14

Question -   Do cats see better with the light on
or in the dark?
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Hi Eliot!
To see one needs light, any one even the cats. But 
the felines have generally nocturnal habits, so the
commom belief that they see better at night. The
retina of the catīs eye is made extra sensitive to 
light by a layer of the purine base guanine, that
causes the eyes to shine at night when reached  by a
strong light. The eyes are quite large and have pupils
that expand or contract (as slits) according to the
density of light and do not distinguish colours
clearly.
Thanks for asking  NEWTON!

Mabel
(Dr. Mabel Rodrigues)
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Better in the light... but they do see much better than we do in the dark.

Phillip Raclyn, DVM CVA
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