Why Do Cats Eyes Shine At Night ?

Cat's eye are more sensitive to light than ours are, which means they can see a lot better in low light than we can - which is what you'd except from a nocturnal animal.

Even cats' can't see in total darkness but they can get pretty close. And one of the most visible (pardon the pun) ways they've adapted to low light conditions is revealed in those glow-in-the-dark eyes.

The glow is actually light reflected back from a layer of special cells behind the retina, called the tapetum lucidum, which is Latin for 'Luminescent tapestry'.

The retina is the light sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. Its job is to convert light into electrical impulses that are sent to the brain. The job of the tapetum lucidum is to catch all the light that doesn't enter the retina directly and reflect it back in so every tiny bit of light can be processed.

Add in the fact that a cat's pupils can dilate to three times the size of ours and they also have a larger cornea (the eye's outermost lens) and you can see why a cat has no need for night vision goggles.

The bottom line a cat can see in conditions that are more than five times less bright than what we require Perhaps this ability to hunt by night has contributed to the alley cat claiming the award for one of the most successful predators in the animal kingdom.