This is a cat portrait on Flickr that I bumped into while surfing the internet. I was struck, as I am sure you will be, with these amazing eyes. They protrude a little too far to be normal which makes me question the photograph’s authenticity. If it is photo-editing it is bloody good photo-editing. Let’s assume that it is real.

The cat is a random bred red tabby (non-purebred). The slit of the feline pupil is so starkly visible in this photograph. This allows the cat to have a highly sensitive retina while also being able to see in bright light. The elongated pupil which is so different to the tiger’s round pupil, closes up and the cat’s eyelid is brought down over the iris like a Venetian blind. The two together work in harmony to block out the maximum amount of light.

They are alien eyes. It is not just that they are protruding more than usual. This cats’ stare is remarkably fixed and intense.

If the image above has gone wrong and does not show, here it is again. This version is a backup. The one above is embedded using an iframe tag from Flickr which allows it to be of the highest quality which is why I have used this method of publishing it here.

Cat with alien eyes. Photo: Peta on Flickr

Great photo (if it is real!).

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