The popular notion that pets see in black and white, notably dogs, is false. People once thought that their furry companions couldn’t see the color spectrum. However, the American Kennel Club reports that new research and conclusions about canine anatomy point to dogs having color vision, after all – it’s just a bit more muted than their human friends. According to Dr. Jerry Klein, AKC’s chief veterinary officer, dogs have more rods than cones in their eyes, which improves low-light vision. Cones are responsible for controlling color perception. Due to these anatomical differences, it is believed dogs’s vision mimics that of a person with red/green color blindness. Color is perceptible for dogs, but not in the spectrum enjoyed by humans with healthy vision. Cats also can see in color, but similarly not with the same level of detail as people. Furthermore, their vision is much more attuned to up-close sight than to focusing on objects that are far away. According to Birdfact, an online resource about birds, birds have arguably the best eyesight and ability to detect color of any member of the animal kingdom. Birds can see more color than humans because they have a fourth type of light-receiving cone in their retinas (humans have three). Therefore, a pet bird will be in tune with vibrantly colored items in and around his environment. Arizona State University’s Ask a Biologist offers an interesting chart that illustrates colors certain animals can see at https://askabiologist.asu.edu/colors-animals-see. People who want to know if their pet rabbit can see color, or what those fish in their home aquariums can see, can consult the chart.
