Just like humans, a cat’s cognitive ability can decline as he or she ages. Scrunched-up paper balls, ping pong balls, corks, toy mice, cardboard boxes and interactive puzzles all make great toys. Don’t leave every toy out all the time, instead, rotate toys to keep the cat mentally stimulated. Daily play sessions, interactive games and food toys are important features that should be incorporated into the daily life of cats. Cats need to be given the opportunity for both physical exercise and mental stimulation.

As frustrating as it is, the cat is not being naughty, they are just following their hardwired behaviour.Īs more and more cats are kept indoors and often spend extended periods of time alone, they can experience boredom if they are not provided with both mental and physical stimulation. This may be exacerbated in spring and summer when the sun rises earlier. They often experience peak periods of awakeness in the early morning which is when they would be out hunting in nature. If cats aren’t nocturnal, why are they so active at night?Īs crepuscular predators, cats are most active at dusk and dawn. In fact, cats can see in one-eighth of the illumination that humans need. The greater number of rods to cones makes the cat better equipped to see in low light. Cats have 25 rods to each cone, compared to people who have four rods to each cone. Rods assist with peripheral and night vision and cones are responsible for colour and fine vision. More rods than cones: The retina contains two cell types of photoreceptor cells, rods and cones. Researchers at UC Davis, California, found cats experience a 135-fold change in pupil size compared to humans who only experience a 15-fold change. Pupil size: In poor light, the cat’s pupils are able to dilate (enlarge), which allows more light to hit the retina. This reflection is what we see when we see a cat’s eyes glow when light is shone into them. Its role is to reflect light back onto the retina, allowing it to receive light a second time, and enhancing visibility in low light. Tapetum lucidum: The tapetum lucidum is a reflective layer located behind the light-sensitive retina. How can cats see in low light?Ĭats have evolved a number of mechanisms that help them to locate their prey in low light. A crepuscular cycle also matches that of their preferred prey, small rodents and some species of birds who are also active at dusk and dawn. By sleeping during the day when temperatures are at their highest, the feline conserves energy. This offers our cat’s desert-dwelling wild ancestors an evolutionary advantage. Cats are crepuscular (active at twilight and dawn) and not nocturnal (active at night).

Sare cats nocturnal