Have you ever been startled by the glowing pair of eyes of a cat in the dark? Well, we have no idea about their precise visual acuity, but we do know that a cat is able to see well in low light. This is because of the greater number of rods in their eyes. To explain better, rods are cells in the eyes that help us and the cats to see in low light settings. Since cats have a greater number of rods in their eyes than us, their visibility setting in low light is far better than ours. When it comes to glowing eyes. It plays the most important role when it comes to seeing better in the dark.

According to researches, a thin reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum is responsible for the glowing eyes of a cat. To make you understand better, the tapetum lucidum acts like a mirror which reflects leftover light back to receptors. This emits a glow from the eye in the process. The tapetum or the mirror makes dark conditions appear brighter. The light particles that were not absorbed by rods on their way to the back of the eye are reflected. This provides the rods with a second chance of absorption.

The eyeshine of the cats vary from one breed to another. Its brightness can vary between species, eye colour and even coat colour. This is determined by the tapetum development of the particular species. For example, Siamese cats are known to have a poorly developed tapetum lucidum and there are chances that they have poor night vision, although of course we cannot say that for sure.

Tapetum lucidum is not present in humans, so our eyes do not glow in the dark. For cats it is here that the unabsorbed light bounces off the reflective layer. It then scatters toward the front of the eye for one more chance at getting soaked up by the rod. This causes the cat’s eyes to glow.

It is possible that sometimes you see only one of your cat’s eyes glows. This could be because it is possible that light enters the eyes differently at different angles. If your cat has never presented with eyeshine, it could be because either the tapetum is absent or not fully formed in one or both of your cat’s eyes.

If the change in your cat’s eyeshine is sudden, it could be an indication of some infection, cataracts, corneal changes or even cancer. Under such a situation you need to consult your vet immediately. At Waggfluence we love to make you aware of every aspect of your pets’ behavior and physical attributes. For more such stories, keep reading!