Cats Can’t See What’s Right Under Their Nose
Have you ever noticed your cat struggle to find a piece of food or toy placed right under their nose? They sniff around, looking puzzled as to where it went. Some cats even appear cross-eyed staring down at something directly below them. What gives? Why can’t cats see food sitting right in front of their face?
It turns out there’s a good reason for this funny feline quirk. Cats have a small but important blind spot directly in front of their nose due to the anatomy of their eyes. But never fear, whiskers and nose come to the rescue! Cats rely on multiple senses working together to hunt prey and find food. While vision is important, smell and feel also guide the way.
In this article, we’ll take a look at why cats can’t see food placed right in front of their face and how their senses work together to create the perfect predator.
Anatomy of the Feline Eye
Cats have eyes that are specially adapted for hunting. Their eyes are positioned on the front of their face, giving them binocular vision and depth perception. However, the placement of their eyes also creates a blind spot right in front of their face.
The structure of the cat eye is quite similar to human eyes, with a few key differences. They have a lens, retina, and cornea that function like ours. But a cat’s retina contains a high concentration of rod cells, which allow them to see well in dim light (1). Their lenses are also able to change shape to focus light more precisely.
One of the most notable differences in cat eyes is the tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer of tissue behind the retina. This tissue bounces light back into the retina, giving cats superior night vision. However, it also causes their eyes to glow at night.
Cats also have a third eyelid called a nictitating membrane. This acts like windshield wipers to clear debris from their eyes.
While cats have excellent vision overall, the location of their eyes does create a significant blind spot right in front of their nose where they cannot see. Their eyes are positioned more to the sides of their face, optimized for peripherial vision while hunting.
(1) https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/eye-disorders-of-cats/eye-structure-and-function-in-cats
Limited Binocular Vision
Unlike humans who have wide overlap between the fields of vision of both eyes, cats actually have very limited binocular vision, with only about 10-20 degrees of overlap in the visual field directly in front of them according to a vision study. Domestic cats have evolved to have their eyes positioned more forward facing than other predator species to allow for some degree of stereo vision, but the total overlap is still small compared to many prey species.
Research focusing on the binocular vision of cats published in Nature found that cats have a central binocular field of view spanning 10-15° where both eyes can focus on an object simultaneously (Blake 1967). This limited binocular field explains why cats seem unaware of food placed right in front of their nose, as it falls in the blind spot not covered by overlapping fields of vision.
Blind Spot Directly in Front
cats have issues seeing objects directly in front of their noses due to the way their eyes are positioned on their heads.
According to this source, cats essentially have a blind spot right in front of their faces, in the area directly below their nose. As a result, if you place food down right in front of a cat’s nose, they may struggle to see it initially.
Their eyes are located more towards the sides of their heads, giving them a wide field of peripheral vision but leaving a blind zone right in the center. So cats can detect motion and objects around them very well, but have difficulty seeing anything within about 8 inches of their nose.
This anatomical quirk explains why cats may sometimes seem oblivious to treats placed right under their noses. It’s not that they can’t smell it, they literally cannot see it until you nudge it slightly to the side into their field of vision.
Eyes Positioned for Peripheral Vision
Cats have evolved to be amazing hunters, able to detect the slightest motion in their periphery. Their eyes are positioned on the front of their head, giving them binocular vision for judging distance when pouncing on prey. However, cat eyes are situated more to the sides of their head compared to human eyes. This gives cats a wider field of vision, allowing them to detect movement coming from the sides or behind them (Comparing Vision: Cats vs. Humans).
While humans have a visual field spanning 180-200 degrees, cats have a visual field of 200 degrees or more. Their area of binocular overlap where both eyes can focus on the same point is only 30-50 degrees. But their expansive peripheral vision covering almost 270 degrees allows cats to notice and zero in on prey
Whiskers Compensate for Blind Spot
A cat’s whiskers play an important role in compensating for their blind spot directly in front of their nose. Whiskers act like sensors, detecting objects and air currents up to a few centimeters in front of a cat’s face (SpaceCatAcademy). Even if food is placed in a cat’s blind spot, their whiskers will detect it and send signals to the brain. This allows cats to know there is food right in front of them that they cannot see.
Whiskers essentially act as extra sensory organs for cats. They help cats judge widths and distances, detecting the presence of objects even if they cannot see them. A cat’s whiskers point forward on both sides of their face, allowing them to sense stimuli from multiple angles at the same time. When hunting prey, whiskers help cats detect exactly where potential food is located.
Even cats who are completely blind can use their whiskers to detect food placed near their nose. The whiskers compensate for the blind spot and allow blind cats to navigate rooms and spaces effectively (Mercury News). So while cats cannot see food directly in front of their face, their whiskers make up for this limitation by sensing nearby objects and guiding the cat.
Nose Knows
Cats have an extraordinarily sensitive sense of smell, much more so than humans. Their sense of smell is estimated to be 14 times greater than ours [1]. This superior olfaction gives cats a detailed experience of their surroundings. They can locate food, identify other animals, sense danger, and mark their territory using scent in ways humans cannot.
A cat’s keen sense of smell also helps them find food. The aroma of their food bowls draws them to mealtime. Cats can sniff out treats hidden around the house. And they are able to detect even small crumbs dropped on the floor that are unnoticeable to us. Their nose guides them to sustenance.
Cats Rely on Multiple Senses
Cats rely on a combination of senses when hunting and eating prey. This includes vision, whiskers, and smell. Cats have a wide field of vision but a blind spot directly in front of their nose. To compensate, cats use their long whiskers to detect objects and prey right in front of them (https://www.pawschicago.org/news-resources/all-about-cats/kitty-basics/cat-senses). As cats get close to their prey, they use their whiskers to precisely locate the prey before striking. Additionally, cats have an excellent sense of smell that guides them toward food sources. A cat’s sense of smell is 14 times stronger than humans and they have 19 million olfactory cells compared to 5 million in people (https://www.purina.co.uk/articles/cats/kitten/play/cat-senses). So while vision helps cats locate and approach prey from a distance, their whiskers and nose take over as they get nearer to their target.
Cats Prefer Eating from the Side
Cats prefer to eat their food from the side of the bowl rather than head-on due to instinct. In the wild, cats are predators who hunt small prey like rodents and birds. When catching their prey, cats approach carefully from the side or back to remain undetected. They then pounce quickly to surprise and grab their prey. This instinctive approach of attacking from an angle translates to how domestic cats prefer to eat their food. Cats feel more comfortable approaching their food bowl from the side rather than head-on. Eating from the side allows them to use their peripheral vision to be alert for potential threats while enjoying their meal. It also prevents their sensitive whiskers from bumping against the side of the bowl, which can be uncomfortable (known as whisker fatigue). So a cat leaving food uneaten in the center or sides of the bowl is simply eating in a way that is most natural and comfortable based on their predatory instincts.
Conclusion
In summary, cats have limited frontal vision due to the anatomy and positioning of their eyes. Cats’ eyes are located more to the sides of their head, giving them a wide field of peripheral vision but a blind spot directly in front of their nose. Their eyes also have limited binocular overlap compared to predators like dogs. While this frontal blind spot seems like a flaw, cats have adapted to it through their keen sense of smell and touch from their whiskers. They rely on multiple senses when hunting, not just vision. When eating, cats naturally prefer to approach their food from the side where they can better see it. So while cats’ frontal vision is limited, their visual abilities overall are well-adapted to their needs as small hunters and predators.