It’s not unusual to hear that cats and dogs are color blind, but did you know that they actually can see color? That’s right, they may not be able to see color as vividly as humans do, or even as many colors as we can, but they aren’t completely color blind!
Cats’ eyes adapt well to both light and darkness, so they don’t rely on their ability to see color much. However, according to research compiled by Melissa Early for The University of the South, they don’t see the world in just black and white, but in muted shades of blue, green, and yellow. Studies suggest that cats don’t pay much attention to color because it’s not essential to their survival–their eye for quick movement and field of vision (they see best between 6 and 18 feet) is far more useful.
If you’re looking for cat toys, color isn’t very important, although you may want to stay away from shades of red (they look gray to cats). A toy that dangles or makes noises will be much more appealing to your feline friend!
Dogs, on the other hand, are nearsighted and have blurry vision. A study conducted by Jay Neitz at the University of California, Santa Barbara shows that they see in shades of blue, yellow, and gray. Green and orange also appear yellowish to dogs, and purple is seen as blue.
Interestingly enough, the most popular color for dog toys is red, which they can’t see! Like cats, shades of red appear as gray to dogs. So if you’re wondering why your canine companion never catches his ball or always runs past it, consider buying him something in blue, yellow, or green. He’ll have much more fun when his toys don’t blend in with the scenery!
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