Do Cats see color?

Chester a orange kitty perched in a cherry tree in fall
I am writing this as the beautiful Fall colors begin to show and Halloween decorations start popping up everywhere - including plenty of spooky cats, naturally! It really makes me wonder: what do cats actually see when they look at all these fall colors? What colors do they see when looking at their toys? Do they see what we see, or just specific shapes and shades? 
    According to a blog post from VCA hospitals:

    Cats and dogs do not just see in black and white! While their perception of color is different from humans, they can still see some colors. People have three types of specialized nerve cells in their eyes, called cones. These allow people to see a wide range of colors, but cats and dogs have fewer cones, limiting the colors they see. Dogs can only see in blue and yellow, while cats are thought to see shades of blue, gray and possibly yellow, too.

    Although humans have more cones, allowing for a broader spectrum of color vision, cats and dogs have more rods in their eyes, which helps them see better in low light and detect motion more effectively. 

    So how do Cats see color?Tucker a orange kitty playing with a red sparkle ball wand
    • Hard to see: Reds, oranges, and browns look dull, faded, or like shades of gray.
    • The laser toy myth: When a cat chases a red laser pointer, they see the fast movement of the light rather than the red color. Never point it into their eyes!
    • Cats have a visual acuity of roughly 20/100 to 20/200.
    • Comparison: What a human can see clearly from 100 to 200 feet away, a cat must be within 20 feet to see with the same level of detail.
    • Blurring: Anything past 20 feet starts to look blurry and out of focus to a feline.
    • Up close: Cats also struggle to focus on objects closer than about 10 to 12 inches from their face, relying on their whiskers for those tight ranges. Purina.com
    Why Their Eyes Are Built This Way:
    • Hunting focus: According to Cats.com, this range is ideal for stalking and pouncing on small prey.
    • Motion detection: While they miss fine details at a distance, their eyes are exceptional at tracking quick movements, even in dim light

    So if you notice your cat choosing one specific sparkle ball color over another, they might not just be being finicky! It could simply be that they love that particular color, or they're captivated by how it catches the light.

    Buddy a orange and white cat sitting on carpeted stairs with colorful pom pom cat toys
    We actually have some firsthand experience with feline color preferences thanks to an industrious "staffer" named Buddy. Buddy somehow managed to break into our stash of colored fuzzball pom-poms. For an entire month, he left us weekly presents: a perfectly curated line of a single color stretched down the hallway. His favorite palette? Pink, purple, and yellow. Whether those specific shades sparkled perfectly in the light or he just enjoyed the challenge of the heist, we’ll never entirely know!
    It makes you wonder what they are actually seeing when they play.
    Drop a comment below and tell us: what is your cat's favorite toy?

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