Can Cats See Color?

8. Why do cat’s eyes light up in the dark?

Cats have a unique structure behind their retina called the tapetum which is believed to improve their night vision. When light is shined directly into a cat’s eyes in the dark, the cells within the tapetum act like a mirror. They reflect the light passing between the rods and cones, giving the photoreceptors another chance to detect the tiny amount of available light in the darkness. Creepy as it looks, this bouncing around of light makes cats’ eyes look like they are glowing in the darkness.