My Little Experiment with Cat Nightlights
Okay, so I got this idea a while back about getting nightlights for my cats. It sounds a bit silly maybe, but hear me out. My place gets seriously dark at night, like pitch black in the hallway and the living room where they like to hang out after I go to bed. I started thinking, even though everyone says cats have amazing night vision, can they really see when there’s absolutely zero light? I’d sometimes hear a thump in the dark and wonder if one of them misjudged a jump or bumped into furniture.
So, first thing I did was a quick search, you know, just typing stuff like “do cats need light at night?”. Most things I found basically said, nah, they’re fine. Their eyes are built differently, they pick up tiny amounts of light we can’t even see. That made sense, evolution and all that. They’re little hunters, designed for dusk and dawn.
But still, I couldn’t shake the feeling. Maybe it wasn’t about needing it, but just making things a tiny bit easier? Or maybe it was more for my peace of mind, thinking I was helping them out. So, I decided to try it anyway. Wasn’t a big investment.
I went out and bought a couple of those cheap little LED nightlights. You just plug them straight into the wall socket. I specifically looked for ones that were:
- Really dim: I didn’t want to blast light and mess up their night vibes or make it hard for me to sleep. Just a soft glow.
- Motion-activated or dusk-to-dawn: Actually, I ended up getting the dusk-to-dawn kind first, figured they’d just stay on all night quietly.
Got home, plugged one in down the main hallway, near the corner they always seem to tear around. Put another one in the corner of the living room, kinda near their water bowl but not shining right on it. Stepped back and looked. Yeah, it wasn’t bright at all, just enough to make out shapes if your eyes adjusted.
Then I just watched them for the next few nights. What did I notice? Honestly… not much difference! They still zoomed around. They still found their food and water. They still jumped up on the sofa in the dark like little ninjas. The nightlights were on, casting their faint glow, but the cats didn’t seem to pay them any special attention. They didn’t avoid the areas, but they didn’t seem drawn to them either.
So, what’s the takeaway from my little experiment? Well, for my cats at least, the nightlights didn’t seem necessary for navigation. Their built-in equipment is pretty darn good. I suspect the whole thing was more for me, feeling like I was doing something extra for them. The lights are still plugged in, though. They don’t use much power, they’re super dim, and hey, maybe they do offer a tiny bit of comfort I can’t measure. Plus, it kinda helps me see where I’m going if I get up for water without having to turn on a main light. So, yeah. Didn’t revolutionize their lives, but didn’t hurt either. Just another day trying things out for my furry roommates.
