SAEDNEWS: The reason cats’ eyes glow in the dark is the topic we’ll explore in this article. So, if you’ve ever wondered why cats’ eyes shine at night, this piece will explain it.
Cats are among the animals that have lived alongside humans for many years and have adapted to human behavior in various ways. Yet, despite this long history, there are still aspects of these fascinating mammals that remain mysterious. One of the most intriguing is the way a cat’s eyes seem to glow at night.
Recently, a video of a captivating cat went viral online, and what caught everyone’s attention the most was the glow in the cat’s eyes. Some viewers assumed this phenomenon was unique to that particular cat and offered strange explanations. However, the glowing of a cat’s eyes at night is entirely natural, scientific, and not exclusive to any single cat.
The glow occurs because of a tissue called the tapetum lucidum located behind the cat’s retina. In dark environments, this tissue acts like a mirror, reflecting light and helping the cat see better at night. In effect, it functions not just like a mirror, but almost like a flashlight.
Humans, on the other hand, do not have this tissue, which is why our eyes do not glow in the dark. From an evolutionary perspective, humans did not develop this feature because our eyes are adapted for daytime vision, not nighttime.
You might notice that human eyes sometimes reflect light, such as from a camera flash. However, this is not due to the structure of the human eye but rather the way the flash works. When light from a flash enters the eye and reflects back, it passes through the blood vessels in the retina, producing the familiar red-eye effect.
If you’ve ever been startled by a cat’s glowing eyes in the dark, there’s no need to worry. This glow is simply light reflecting off a specialized tissue in their eyes—nothing more, nothing frightening.
