Predator Vision

Cats have a range of binocular vision greater than any other carnivores, which contributes to their remarkable hunting skill. This visual ability comes at a price, however. Cats, like humans, have only limited peripheral vision, which means that they have to roll their eyes or move their heads to view anything located on either side of them.

Predators rely on acute distance judgment and depth perception to time leaps and strike prey successfully. Their eyes face forward, offering a wide field of overlapping sight. In this area of binocular vision, depth perception and distance assessment are keenest. The eyes of prey, on the other hand, are generally placed on the sides of the head, offering them a wider range for detecting approaching predators but less depth perception.