# can dogs and cats see in the dark **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-and-cats-see-in-the-dark/213366 "2003-11-15T02:56:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fatchef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@fatchef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fatchef)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-and-cats-see-in-the-dark/213366/1 "2003-11-15T02:56:22Z")
i need a link or an overwhelming response from everyone here to settle an dissagreement with my wife . she belives dogs and cats can see in the dark my response is dogs and cats have much better sight than humans in the dark but cannot see in absolute darkness as far as i know whales ,dolphins and bats are the only mammals that can funtion in absolute darkness ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-and-cats-see-in-the-dark/213366/2 "2003-11-15T03:06:36Z")
In absolute darkness, i.e. a darkroom, no. Dogs and cats have better sight in the dark than we do in part because of a reflective layer in the retina behind the light-sensing cells, which reflects light back towards the source, and in effect gives the light-sensitive cells twice the chance to capture it. But if there’s no light at all, then the animals are as blind as we would be. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-dogs-and-cats-see-in-the-dark/213366/3 "2003-11-15T06:34:32Z")
[Canine vision](http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/LA/DrP4.htm) [Feline vision](http://videoforcats.com/catvision.htm)