Month: September 2020

Culture

Maneki Neko: The Meaning of Lucky Cat Statues

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Meredith Hemphill

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Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Gold cat statue
Image by Tania Van den Berghen from Pixabay

If it wasn’t obvious yet, I live in the United States. If you have ever been to a Japanese, Chinese, or Thai restaurant here, you have probably seen a Maneki Neko, usually called a Lucky Cat in the States. I picture a little gold cat statue on a counter, red collar painted around its neck, one paw raised and waving rhythmically forward and back while the other paw grasps a coin. However, Maneki Neko are not just shiny tchotchkes. They have a rich history and folkloric tradition.

The Dawn of Maneki Neko

Maneki Neko, Japanese for “beckoning cat(s),” originated in Japan during the Edo period (17th to mid-19th century) (1, 2, 3). They didn’t begin to appear widely in publications and business until the Meji period (1868-1912), possibly as an indirect consequence of the opening of Japan to the West (1). Before Japan opened, Japanese brothels included good-luck shelves that displayed phallic luck charms (1). The Meji government wanted to modernize Japan and give a positive image to the primarily Christian West, so one of their measures was to outlaw these phallic luck charms (1). When those charms were forced to disappear, they were replaced with Maneki Neko (1). Other businesses began to take up the practice of setting out Maneki Neko as luck charms, and they continue to do so today (1).

The question still remains, who first created the Maneki Neko, and why? It may be impossible to know for certain. Several legends attempt to explain the origins of these adorable good luck charms. In one story, there was once a very poor old woman who lived with her cat in Imado, which is now eastern Tokyo (1, 3). Her poverty forced her to either sell or abandon her cat, depending upon the version of the story (1, 3). But her cat must not have held that against her, because soon thereafter the cat appeared to her in a dream and told her to make a clay statue in its image (1, 3). When she did, people began to ask if they could buy the statue (1). The old woman was lifted from her poverty by making and selling statues of her former pet (1, 3).

Another legend also involves a loyal and beloved pet, but is rather more gruesome. During the Edo period, there was a Tokyo courtesan who had a pet cat that she treasured (1). One day, the cat began clawing at her kimono, preventing the courtesan from taking another step (1, 2, 3). The owner of the brothel believed the cat must be possessed, and cut off the cat’s head with his sword (1, 2, 3). The head flew through the air and struck a snake that was poised to bite the courtesan (1, 2, 3). The cat’s fangs pierced and killed the snake, saving the courtesan (2). As might be expected, the courtesan was distraught at the death of her cat, so one of her customers carved her a statue of the cat to cheer her up (1, 2, 3).

The most popular tale about Maneki Neko, if true, could explain their name and basic design. In the Setagaya District of Tokyo, there is a temple called Gotokuji (4, 5). In the 17th century, it wasn’t much, and it was overseen by a poor monk with barely enough money to feed himself and kind of manage the temple (1, 5). Even so, he had a temple cat he loved so much that he shared what little food he had with it (1, 5). One day, there came up a rain storm, and a man came into the temple for shelter (1-5). He introduced himself as Lord Ii Naotaka of Hikone District, near Kyoto, and explained that he had seen a cat near the temple beckoning him inside (1, 4, 5).

White cat statues
Maneki Neko at Gotokuji – Photo by Alain Pham on Unsplash

In some versions of the story, Naotaka had been sheltering under a tree at first, and after he followed the cat the tree was struck by lightening, so he is grateful to the cat for saving his life (1, 2, 3). In others, he is simply glad to be out of the storm and sees it all as the will of Buddha (5). Whatever his reasons, Naotaka became the temple’s patron and made it prosper (1-5). The temple was renamed Gotokuji in 1697 (1) in honor of Naotaka’s posthumous Buddhist name (4). As for the cat, it remained at the temple for the rest of its days and was buried in the cemetery when it died, with the first Maneki Neko made to honor its memory (1). The cat was deified as Shobyo Kannon, Goddess of Mercy (4, 5).

Gotokuji still stands today as both a Buddhist temple and a tourist attraction. It is absolutely covered with Maneki Neko. The Maneki Neko made and sold there are white, with the right paw raised, wearing a red collar with a gold bell (4, 5). The idea is to buy a Maneki Neko at the temple, say a wish or a prayer over it–or even write one on it–and then leave it at the temple (4). The result is a tremendous number of Maneki Neko covering every available surface in a certain part of the temple. This is a place where I hope to one day take many pictures.

The Design of Maneki Neko

Maneki Neko all share a basic shape, but their color, accessories, and which paw they’re raising all determine exactly what that particular charm means. If the right paw is lifted, the charm attracts money and good fortune (1, 2, 3). If the left paw is up, then it attracts customers or people (1, 2, 3). Occasionally you will see a Maneki Neko with both paws raised, which is said to protect the home or business (2, 3). Higher paws are supposed to extend the reach of the lucky magic and make the charms luckier (1, 3). That’s why Maneki Neko sometimes have an improbably long foreleg.

Assorted maneki neko
Maneki Neko come in many shapes, sizes, and colors – Image by Emanuel Golabiewski from Pixabay

The most common color of Maneki Neko is a mostly-white calico, which is considered the luckiest color (1, 2, 3). I read that this is because calico toms are so incredibly rare (1), but tortoiseshell and calico she-cats are quite common, so does this mean that Maneki Neko are supposed to be toms? There was no further explanation. White Maneki Neko may represent purity, happiness, and positivity (1, 2, 3). Black may ward off evil and/or disease (1, 2, 3). Gold, the color I am most used to seeing in the United States, brings wealth (1, 2, 3). There are many less common colors with more specific purposes as well:

  • Red: combat illness or bring luck in love (1, 2, 3, 5)
  • Pink: luck in love (1, 5)
  • Green: good health or academic success (2, 3, 5)
  • Yellow: good health (3)
  • Purple: prosperity and opportunity (3)

What the cat is wearing or holding can also affect its meaning. Most Maneki Neko wear a red collar with a bell, a throw-back to the Edo period when cats were a very expensive pet exclusive to the wealthy (1). Cat people would put collars made from the red hichirimen flower, strung with small bells, onto their cats so that they could keep track of them (1). Maneki Neko typically hold a gold coin in their free paw to attract wealth (1, 2, 3). However, they may hold something different, or even nothing at all in the case of the Gotokuji cats. Sometimes they hold a little hammer, or money mallet, which is supposed to attract wealth when shaken (2). They might hold a fish, usually a carp, because it is a symbol of abundance and good luck (2). Other symbols of wealth and good luck found in their paws include marbles or gems, gourds, daikon radishes, prayer tablets, and ingots (2).

If you want to check out all the different designs of Maneki Neko with your own eyes and you happen to live in Ohio, USA, not Japan, then you’re in luck! The Lucky Cat Museum is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Visit their website for hours and location if you would like to pay them a visit.

Works Cited

  1. Schumacher, M. (2011, April). Maneki neko 招き猫 or 招猫: Lucky beckoning cat or inviting cat. Japanese Buddhist Statuary. https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/maneki-neko.shtml
  2. Tse, H. (2020, January 2) 5 interesting facts about maneki neko cats aka lucky cats. Catster. https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/maneki-neko-fortune-cat-5-interesting-facts
  3. Greg. (2017, February 27). Feline folklore: Decoding the lucky cat. Japan Craft. https://japancraft.co.uk/blog/decoding-the-lucky-cat/
  4. Japan Inside. (n.d.). The “lucky cat” temple: Gotokuji. https://japaninsides.com/the-lucky-cat-temple-gotokuji/
  5. Mellin, J. (2018, July 19). Inside the Tokyo temple where the ‘waving cat’ was born. CNN Travel. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/maneki-neko-temple-tokyo/index.html

Published September 27th, 2020

Updated October 3rd, 2020

Breed Profiles

Exotic Shorthair: The Lazy Human’s Persian

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Persians are one of the most recognizable and popular breeds of cat, but they are also one of highest-maintenance. That luxurious coat comes at a price. Since their debut in the 1960s, a breed has been gaining in popularity that compromises between the appearance and personality of a Persian and the ease of grooming a short coat. The Exotic Shorthair, sometimes called simply the Exotic, now regularly takes a spot as one of the Cat Fanciers’ Associations’s (CFA) most popular breeds (1). There was a time when the cat fancy community was not a fan of this cute and cuddly cat, however.

History

Brown tabby cat on chair
Image by Robyn Randell from Pixabay

The idea of breeding a shorthaired Persian had been around for a while, and at least one breeder was working on just that in the 1950s when another breeding plan accidentally arrived at that goal (2). American Shorthair breeders wanted to introduce the coloration of the silver, green-eyed Persian into their breed. However, when they crossed their American Shorthairs to the silver Persians, the beautiful silver kittens looked more like shorthaired Persians than American Shorthairs. They forged ahead anyway, but other American Shorthair breeders were not pleased at how the hybridization changed the breed (3). They wanted any American Shorthairs with evidence of hybridization to be barred from the cat fancy, but a CFA judged named Jane Martinke had another idea (3). In 1966, she petitioned the CFA to induct the hybrid cats as a new breed (2).

Originally, the idea was the call the breed “Sterling” and only accept the silver coloration. After all, that was what the breeders had been going for. However, the CFA chose to allow all colors and patterns, and the name Exotic was chosen instead. At first, breeders of these new cats needed to make crosses between Persians and shorthairs regularly to get the shorthaired trait into their stock, but because the trait for short hair is dominant, once they had shorthaired cats, they would breed to Persians or other Exotics. At first, American Shorthairs, Russian Blues, and Burmese were a big part of the background, as all were used to bring in short hair. That, and many established Persian breeders refused to let their cats be used in this new breed in the beginning (2).

As Exotics grew in popularity, Persian breeders warmed to them, and with the short hair trait established, most outcrosses were made to Persians (2). Over time, Exotics came to resemble Persians more and more strongly. Now, the breed standard for Exotics is the same as that for Persians, except for the coat. This causes some cat fancy controversy about how to classify Exotics, and they have been shuffled around a bit over the years.

Breed Characteristics

Exotics are a brachycephalic breed. Brachycephaly means “short head.” Brachycephalic animals have a shorter skull than normal, resulting in the characteristic smushed-face appearance we associated with Pugs and Persians, for example, although the condition can occur in other animals, including humans.

Kittens. You’re welcome.

The Exotic breed is a medium-sized cat, but its fur and its build make it look larger. It has a stocky body and round face with small ears. The legs are short and thick. Combined with their flat face, this gives Exotics a somewhat teddy bear-like appearance. Their plush coat only adds to the illusion. Like Persians, Exotics have a double coat. This means that their undercoat is unusually thick, making them very fluffy (3). However, because their fur is short, it’s a very different kind of fluff than the incredible mane of a Persian. The coat on an Exotic is dense and soft, standing out from their body.

If these cats look so cute you just want to pick them up and squeeze them, well, maybe don’t do that, but they actually might let you give them a hug. Exotics are very affectionate, especially toward their person or people. These are very much lap cats, mellow and snuggly. They tend to be pretty laidback and friendly, so they often do well with children and other pets. This is not an athletic breed, but they are known for being playful. So Fluffy probably won’t run up and down your stairs for two straight hours, but they would love to bat around a crinkle ball or hunt a wand toy. Despite being quite social, Exotics are not very vocal at all, and when they do speak they have a quiet voice.

Some people say that Exotics are more active than Persians, and some say that the typical breed personality is really the same. Regardless, due to their affectionate nature, Exotics can be prone to separation anxiety (4). Making sure they have an animal companion they get along with might help prevent that. If not, separation anxiety can be managed, although the approach differs depending upon the cat (4).

Exotic Life

Part of the popularity of the breed is that Exotics are fairly low-maintenance as purebred cats go. In fact, they’ve gained the nickname “the lazy man’s Persian.” They’re calm, they’re adaptable, and they don’t require a lot of grooming. That plush coat isn’t prone to mats and tangles, but weekly brushing is still recommended to remove any dead hair. Compared to the daily grooming routine needed by a Persian, it’s much less of a commitment. Like all brachycephalic breeds, Exotics need to have their faces wiped clean every day to prevent tear stains and infections in their wrinkles.

Black cat on rug
Photo by Dan Wayman on Unsplash

Cats are usually concerned with being warm, but because of that extra-thick coat and flat face, Exotics are actually more likely to overheat. They need to have places where they can cool down and may even appreciate ice cubes in their water. Any surface that tends to stay cool can serve as a chill-out spot.

As with all breeds, there are some known health concerns to be aware of. Brachycephaly can cause problems all by itself. The cats have the same amount of tissue but less space to put it, resulting in narrowed airways that may lead to a variety of respiratory problems (4). Cats that have serious complications may need surgery to remove excess tissue that is causing them problems (4). Brachycephalic cats also have a higher risk of eye disease and jaw deformities (5).

There are a few diseases that appear with greater frequency specifically in Exotics (and sometimes also in Persians). They have an increased risk of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the most common form of heart disease in cats. The breed also has an increased incidence of hip dysplasia, which leads to early arthritis in the hip joints (4). Exotics may have polycystic kidney disease (PKD). PKD was first discovered in Persians, so it’s no surprise that the disease found its way into Exotics.

Kittens with PKD are born with tiny cysts in their kidneys and sometimes liver (4). The cysts grow over time until they destroy the organs (4). Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure, but the progress of the disease can be slowed, especially if it’s caught early (4). There is also a genetic test available for PKD now, so responsible breeders are testing their cats and trying to prevent the disease from being passed to new kittens.

It makes sense that the Exotic has become so popular, even though it is a fairly new breed that was barely given a chance. It’s appearance carries the elegance and class people associate with Persians, but with a much lower degree of grooming more suited to busy people in the modern world. Not only that, but the Exotic has a winning personality and fits into a lot of different homes with ease. Just be prepared for lots of lap time.

Fun Facts

  • It’s said that male Exotics are more affectionate than females (1, 6).
  • Famous parents of Exotic Shorthairs include Blasko, Justin Bieber, and Rich Juzwiak (7).
  • Famous Exotic Shorthairs include Pudge the Cat and Snoopybabe.

Works Cited

  1. PetFirst Pet Insurance. (2019). Breed spotlight: The exotic shorthair. PetFirst. https://www.petfirst.com/breed-spotlights/breed-spotlight-the-exotic-shorthair/
  2. Sims, B. (n.d.). Breed article: Exotic. Cat Fanciers’ Association. https://cfa.org/exotic/exotic-article/
  3. Petfinder. (n.d.). Exotic shorthair. https://www.petfinder.com/cat-breeds/exotic-shorthair/
  4. Johnson Animal Clinic. (n.d.). A mixed bag of a mixed breed. https://www.johnsonanimalclinic.com/services/cats/breeds/exotic-shorthair
  5. International Cat Care. (2018, September 18). Exotic shorthair. https://icatcare.org/advice/exotic-shorthair/
  6. Cat Fanciers’ Association. (n.d.). About the exotic. https://cfa.org/exotic/
  7. Trupanion. (n.d.). Exotic shorthair. https://trupanion.com/breeds/cat/exotic-shorthair
  8. The International Cat Association. (2018, August 13). Exotic shorthair breed. https://tica.org/breeds/browse-all-breeds?view=article&id=841:exotic-shorthair-breed&catid=79

Published September 20th, 2020

Updated December 7th, 2020

Culture

Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary: Bringing New Life to Roman Ruins

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Meredith Hemphill

mehshadoweye

Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Roman ruins
Image by vikgr from Pixabay

In ancient cities, it isn’t unusual for the new to be continually built on top of the old. Rome, one of the most important cities in world history, is no exception. Important archaeological finds are often hiding right under the feet of modern Romans. In 1929, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini unearthed a major archaeological site as part of a campaign to link his regime with the glory and strength of the ancient Roman empire (1). The ruins of the Roman buildings were found twenty feet (6 m) below the current street level. Known as Largo di Torre Argentina, the complex contain four temples and part of the Theatre of Pompey. If the Theatre of Pompey rings a vague bell from your history or Latin classes, that’s probably because Julius Ceasar was assassinated on its steps on the Ides of March (March 15th), 44 BCE.

You might be wondering why I’m giving you a lesson in Italian history on a cat blog. It’s not just because it makes me feel like six years of Latin weren’t a total waste of time. As soon as Largo di Torre Argentina was uncovered, the many stray cats of Rome moved in to the newly unused space. The cats were soon followed by the gattare, or “cat ladies.” Gattare are an Italian tradition (2). The typical gattara is an older woman who sets out food for neighborhood cats (2). In some cities, the gattare are very organized, using volunteer programs to train new gattare and networking with each other to make sure the entire city is covered (2). The gattare who began feeding the cats at Largo di Torre Argentina, and eventually sterilizing and vaccinating them, got so organized that they started a cat sanctuary in 1994 right there in the ruins (3, 4).

Okay, this is actually the ruins of a Greek temple, but there are only so many royalty-free pictures out there – Image by Dimitri Houtteman from Pixabay

Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary officially began with about 90 cats (3). It was common for locals to abandon their pets even if they were just going on vacation, and a pervasive sentiment that sterilization is cruel and unnatural meant a lot of unwanted kittens were put on on the street as well (3). So the number of cats was on the rise, but the resources at hand to care for them were not keeping pace. There was little money to pay for food and medications, as the gattare were paying for everything themselves (3). The only work and storage space was a small, low-ceilinged sort of cave accidentally created under the street by construction (3).

Circumstances have changed significantly for the sanctuary since other organizations and individual donors have made it possible for regular food and veterinary care to be the norm (3). However, tensions have arisen over the presence of a cat sanctuary in such an important historical site. Archaeologists have voiced concerns about the cats negatively affecting the conservation of the site and being and affront to the dignity of the ancient holy space (3, 4). Personally, I find the latter ridiculous and the former irrelevant. Removing the sanctuary would not get rid of the cats. Cats are going to go wherever they see fit. However, the National Archeological Department didn’t see it that way when they launched a campaign to evict the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary in 2012 (2, 3, 4). Petitions in favor of the sanctuary collected over 30,000 signatures, and no eviction took place (3, 4).

Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary has always struggled to exist inside an archaeological site, but they do so because they believe that the cats there need them. There can be no doubt that the organization has done incredible things for the cats of Largo di Torre Argentina. They take in cats of all ages and even take on the veterinary care of cats with chronic conditions, disabilities, and injuries (3, 5). The sanctuary now has a foster program for kittens and an adoption program for local and international adoptions. Cats can also be sponsored as a fun way to help the sanctuary out.

Cats live both in the now much-improved indoor space and outside in the ruins. There is a gift shop inside. The sanctuary is open daily from noon to 6 pm. The ruins are mostly off-limits to visitors, visible only from above. Rome’s mayor announced plans in 2019 to restore the ruins and make them visitor-friendly in time to open by 2021, thanks to $1.1 million in funding from the fashion house Bulgari (1). Given how 2020 has gone, though, who knows what will happen with that project. The ruins may remain the haunt of cats and cat ladies.

Largo di Torre Argentina is at the corner of Via Florida & Via di Torre Argentina in Rome, Italy. To learn more about Torre Argentina Roman Cat Sanctuary, visit http://www.romancats.com/torreargentina/en/ and click on the icon for Largo di Torre Argentina. Please consider supporting the sanctuary if you are able. They also have a YouTube channel where you can meet some of the cats.

Works Cited

  1. Daley, J. (2019, March 5). Site where Julius Caesar was stabbed will finally open to the public. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/site-where-julius-caesar-was-stabbed-will-finally-open-public-180971613/
  2. Spiegel, J. (2017). Italy roundtable: Caesar’s cats. Italy Explained. https://italyexplained.com/italy-roundtable-caesars-cats/
  3. Torre Argentina Roman Cat Sanctuary. (n.d.). http://www.romancats.com/torreargentina/en/introduction.php
  4. Pasquale, M. (2018, May 9). This cat sanctuary in old Roman ruins is a must-visit. The Culture Trip. https://theculturetrip.com/europe/italy/articles/this-cat-sanctuary-in-old-roman-ruins-is-a-must-visit/
  5. Black, A. (n.d.). Torre Argentina (Roman cat sanctuary). Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/torre-argentina-roman-cat-sanctuary

Published September 13th, 2020

Updated October 3rd, 2020

Science

Through Glowing Eyes: What Do Cats See?

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Meredith Hemphill

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Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Joon has a strange habit. Well, a lot of strange habits, actually, but I’m thinking of one in particular. She will stare up at the ceiling at night and yowl. At first, I thought she was hearing our upstairs neighbors. Then I remembered that we lived on the top floor. Is my cat insane, or are there demons in the walls? There’s no way to know. I now live in a detached, single-family home, and she still does the same thing. I’ve never known any other cat to do that, but cats are infamous for looking off into space intently and kind of spookily. Obviously, cats and humans see the world very differently. If you have ever wondered what on Earth your cat is looking at, or just how the world appears to them, then you have come to the right place.

Eyeball diagram
Image from Cat-World.com

Let’s start with the basics: eyeballs. The fundamental structure of the cat eye is pretty similar to that of a human, but there are some important differences that affect how they perceive what’s in front of them. If you haven’t taken an anatomy class since high school and need a refresher on what the parts of the eye in the diagram at left do, the National Eye Institute has a short video that goes over the highlights.

Although it doesn’t so much affect the way they see, while we’re on the subject of eyes it bears mentioning that cats, like many other mammals, have a nictitating membrane inside of their eyelids. This membrane, often called the “third eyelid,” is a semi-transparent, whitish color, and cats close it when they need to protect their eyes from scratches, like if they’re squeezing through a bush [1]. The nictitating membrane should not be visible normally; this could be a sign of inflammation or disease and is a reason to visit the vet [1, 2].

As with most things about the cat body, their eyes are exquisitely adapted to the life of a crepuscular hunter. “Crepuscular” means most active at dawn and dusk, when they are able to maximize the proportion of prey animals they have access to. Both cats and humans have forward-facing eyes, but the position of cat eyes gives them a somewhat wider field of view, about 200 degrees to our 180 degrees [3-5]. Cats also have much larger eyes than humans relative to the size of their heads, allowing them to take in more light in the dimmer hours of the early morning and late evening [2].

Another feature that helps cats see in dim light is a layer of reflective cells behind their retinas called the tapetum lucidum, which is Latin for bright/shining carpet. The tapetum lucidum is common in nocturnal and crepuscular mammals. The mirror-like cells reflect light that has gone through the retina back for a second pass. When you take a picture of your cat with the flash or open the door to find them in a dark room and see their eyes seeming to glow like some kind of hellspawn, that’s just their tapetum lucidum reflecting light at you.

Green cat eyes
Elliptical pupils mean more control over light – Image by Christel SAGNIEZ from Pixabay

There is research to suggest that the slit, vertical pupils of cats are also an adaptation to a crepuscular habit. It allows their pupils to change in size drastically for greater control over the amount of light that reaches their retinas [6]. The change in pupil area between the constricted and dilated states is estimated to be 135- to 300-fold, while human pupils can only change in size about 15-fold [6]. Think about how much the amount of sunlight can change around dawn and dusk, versus during the daylight hours when humans are meant to be most active. The ability to significantly adjust the amount of light let into the eye has likely served cats well.

All this means that cats can see much, much better than we can in low light. However, everything in biology involves trade-offs. For one, cats are rather near-sighted. They can only see clearly up to about 20 ft (6 m) away, while humans can resolve details at 100-200 ft (30-60 m) [3-5]. Cats have also prioritized one type of retinal cell, or photoreceptor, over another.

Cone cells help see details and colors. Rod cells are excellent at absorbing dim light and catching quick movements. Humans have lots of cones, including three types that specialize in picking up the colors red, green, and blue. Cats have lots of rods instead, six to eight times as many as humans [1, 4]. This assists in seeing in low light and in picking up the small, rapid movements of prey [3].

This heightened awareness of tiny movements may also explain the way cats seem to look at nothing. They may just have noticed something too small to register with you. Or your house is haunted. Who knows? Although the abundance of rod cells has great advantages for cats, it causes them to have less visual acuity and poorer color vision than humans. Obviously, they have done quite well for themselves even so. After all, did you see that ghost zip through your kitchen? I don’t think so.

There remains some debate as to the color vision of cats. They definitely see some color. According to some scientists, they may see the world in shades of blue, gray, and yellow [4]. A 2014 study found that cats may actually be able to see some colors in the ultraviolet spectrum, so while they can’t see all the colors we can, it’s possible that they can see colors we can’t [7]. This is because the lenses of their eyes don’t remove all the ultraviolet rays before light reaches their retina, unlike ours, which absorb UV [7]. The study found that the lenses of cats allowed 58.9% of UVA radiation through [7]. Whether there is an evolutionary advantage to this remains unknown.

Brown tabby cat face
The feline cornea allows UVA rays through – Photo from Pixabay at Pexels

Perhaps the greatest question of all is, how do our cats see us? A lot of research has been conducted to assess whether animals recognize faces, and a wide variety of species, including wasps and fish, have been demonstrated to recognize the faces of their own species. Recognizing the faces of other species is a much more difficult task, however. I personally couldn’t recognize the face of a wasp, in all fairness, although I do know just about every stripe and speck on my Joon-bug. Then again, it helps that she’s got so many of those. Well, it turns out that to cats, all human people look alike. Fair enough, honestly.

Lomber and Cornwell trained dogs and cats to choose one of two images presented for a treat, regardless of which image they chose [8]. The image pairs were 1) their handler and an unfamiliar human face, 2) an animal they lived with and an unfamiliar animal’s face, 3) a natural scene they’d learned before and a new one, or 4) two unfamiliar natural scenes [8]. Dogs and cats both showed a strong preference for the face of a familiar animal and a familiar natural scene, choosing that which they knew at least 85% of the time [8]. Dogs kept up the preference for the face of their handler, but cats only chose the familiar human face 54.5% of the time, equivalent to a coin flip [8].

Cats are certainly capable of recognizing their people, but they evidently do not recognize our faces, although they can recognize each other’s faces. As animals that are just barely domesticated, and only because they chose to be, perhaps this should be no surprise. What need would a cat have to recognize human faces in its wild state? Cats have met us a lot farther over than the middle. It’s the least we can do to try and see things their way.

If you want to actually see what the world would look like through a cat’s eyes, artist Nickolay Lamm took simple photographs and then manipulated them to appear as they would to a cat, then juxtaposed the two images [3]. You can see the results of the project in the Wired article linked below.

Works Cited

  1. Gelatt, K.N. (2018, August). Eye structure and function in cats. Merck Vet Manual. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/eye-disorders-of-cats/eye-structure-and-function-in-cats
  2. Farricelli, A. (2019, August 12). The anatomy of a cat’s eye. PetHelpful. https://pethelpful.com/cats/The-Anatomy-of-a-Cats-Eye
  3. Drake, N. (2013, October 16). This is how cats see the world. Wired. https://www.wired.com/2013/10/cats-eye-view/
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Published September 6th, 2020

Updated September 30th, 2023