Does Your Kitty Need a Nightlight? Here's How Much Cats Can Really See in the Dark

If you've suddenly awakened to find your companion kitty playfully zooming around the house at night — or staring at you from the foot of your bed — you might wonder how much they can actually see in the dark. But what does science say?

Because cats are crepuscular, it's common for your kitty to roam during the darkest hours when our eyesight is weak.

We also know that a cat's eyesight is inherently different from that of humans, as the spectrum of colors both humans and cat can see are very much different.

All of that said, let's explore how well cats can see in the dark and why.

As pet food brand Purina explains, cats are near-sighted, and while they can see in low levels of light, they cannot see very well in a room nearly completely devoid of light.

The vertically split nature of a cat's pupils aids their night vision, and their corneas and pupils allow them to receive much more light than humans, according to Hill's Pet Nutrition.

In short, yes, you should leave a light on for your cat. This is especially true if your companion cat is a certain age.

As the veterinary company Lap of Love explains, older cats are more susceptible to a variety of eye problems that may affect their ability to see as clearly as they did in their younger years. Likewise, the remarkable development of a kitten's eyesight in their first few weeks and months of life means that navigating a home in darkness is quite unsafe.

For example, while our senior rescue cats have healthy eyesight, for example, they display anxious behavior when the lights are off at night, appearing much more comfortable with night lights illuminating the hallways throughout our home.

Cats have been shown to recognize their human companions. According to Discover Magazine, studies have shown that cats respond to their human companion's voice more strongly when compared to the voice of a stranger.

Other studies, per Discover Magazine, have shown that cats are much more responsive to their human's pleas to play or communicate, displaying a willingness to investigate the sound of their human's voice.

"We can’t ask cats directly whether they recognize or remember us, so we have to infer the answer from their physiology and behavior,” Mikel Delgado, a feline behaviorist, tells Discover Magazine.

Cats have an incredibly strong sense of smell, so when your companion kitty gives you attention and gentle headbutts, you can bet that they recognize you and want to be in your presence.

If at some point your companion cat fails to recognize you as they normally would, and if they display other uncommon behaviors, seek a veterinarian's support.