Why do cats have oval eyes

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, but can they also be a harbinger of disease? Absolutely they can! Cat eyes vary in color from light to dark brown and several shades of blue and green.

Some eye color is linked to breed—blue eyes, for example, are common in Siamese cats. Some eye color is highly prized by breeders and those who participate in cat shows—copper color is one of those. But, copper colored eyes can also mean something more sinister—a portosystemic shunt. Typically, a cat will have eyes of the same color. Both green or both brown, or what have you. Occasionally, cats will have heterochromia, or eyes of different colors.

This can mean that one eye is blue and one eye is green, or even within one eye, the iris is colored differently. Heterochromia is generally nothing to worry about, especially if a cat is born that way. But if one eye begins to change color over time, there could be trouble brewing, like chronic inflammation or worse. The pupil is responsible for the amount of light that enters the eye.

Because cats are meant to be nocturnal hunters, this vertical pupil helps fine tune light, allowing them to catch prey at even the darkest of night. Interestingly, not all cats have vertical pupils. Lions and tigers, for instance, have round pupils like your dog. Get your cat riled up, though, and those pupils turn round and large. Pupil size is dictated by both light AND emotion. Whether the two eyes have unequal pupil size called anisocoria , or one pupil is irregular in shape D-shaped , there could be an underlying condition that needs addressed, like infectious disease, trauma or cancer.

Check with your veterinarian if this is the case. While we will never know what cats are thinking when they sit across the room and glare at us, at least now when we glare back, we can pick up a thing or two just by looking them in the eye. By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions. No spam ever. Now that they've tackled terrestrial species, the researchers hope to turn their attention to the pupils of animals that spend most of their time up in the sky, in trees or underwater in upcoming studies.

Facebook facebook Twitter twitter Reddit reddit Comment. Andrea Alfano , Tech Times 08 August , am. Do not reproduce without permission. Tags: Science Cats.

Subscribe to Tech Times! Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage! They have three-dimensional vision for degrees: almost all the way around their heads. That means that when you're riding a horse, he can see you sitting on his back. Cats that hunt primarily at night or in low-light conditions have vertical-slit pupils.

Because they are predators and not prey, they don't need to see what's sneaking up behind them -- they're doing the sneaking. Vertical slits work well for domestic cats and many small wild cats.

With vertical-slit pupils and horizontally opening eyelids, cats have exquisite and precise control of the amount of light that enters their eyes. They can even express feelings with the pupils of their eyes.