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Are Cats Color Blind? Seeing the World Through Cat Eyes

2026-02-04 CatsLives Team 5 min read

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For a long time, scientists thought cats saw the world in black and white. We now know that's not true—but their rainbow is different from ours.

Not Black and White

Cats are not fully color blind. Their vision is similar to a human who is red-green color blind (deuteranopia). They can see colors, but in a more muted way.

The Colors They See Best

Cats perceive blues and yellows very well. Saturated colors like purple might look more like blue to them.

The Colors They Miss

Reds, oranges, and browns likely appear as shades of gray or black to a cat. That bright red laser pointer? They are probably tracking the movement and the contrast of the dot, not the red color itself.

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Conclusion

If you want to buy a toy your cat can really see clearly, opt for blue or yellow instead of red!

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