How does cat color vision differ from human color vision?

Color perception is not highly developed in domestic cats, as it is not essential for their survival; for cats, detecting the movement of prey is far more important than distinguishing colors.1

While humans possess trichromatic vision—enabled by three types of cones in the retina that respond to blue, green, and red wavelengths—most mammals, including cats, have only two types of cones. This results in dichromatic vision, meaning cats are essentially red-green color-blind.2

In contrast, human color vision is highly refined, with the brain interpreting most perceived colors based on the ratio of excitation across the three cone types. This system allows humans to distinguish specific environmental elements, such as the ripeness of fruit, a capability that evolved in primates. Because cats are crepuscular hunters active at dawn and dusk, their visual system is instead highly adapted for efficiency in low-light conditions, requiring only one-sixth of the illumination levels that humans need to see well.21