Should I leave the lights on for my cat when he eats? No, you do not need to leave the lights on when your cat eats. This is because your cat has excellent night vision. The amount of light available during the night is more than adequate for a domestic to locate their food. The question might seem a bit odd to some people but I think to others it has some value.
Also, your cat’s olfactory senses (his nose) comes into play when he is assessing food close-up. Domestic cats checkout their food to see whether it is palatable or not with their noses. Therefore, when they get up to their food they will often sniff it.
Obviously, if it is genuinely pitch black a cat will not be able to see his/her food but then, as mentioned, they can use their other senses.
A cat’s whiskers also play a role. Cats can detect objects even under extremely dark conditions. They do this with their whiskers which are so sensitive that they can detect the movement of air currents around objects (note: whisker fatigue when eating).
I am sure that blind domestic cats have no difficulty locating their dinner and eating it. That alone almost answers the question. Domestic cats have wonderful senses which all come into play and they know where the food is.
