Imagine waking to a bright, sunny day, but not really being able to see. Some people go their whole lives without witnessing that vivid red ball from their youth or the facial features of a loved one. Kristina Narfström, a veterinary ophthalmologist at the University of Missouri, is doing research that promises to provide some light at the end of the tunnel.

Narfström is interested in the hereditary blindness that originates in human photoreceptor cells. She studies dogs and cats that contract blinding conditions similar to those found in human beings.

Because it is not possible to ask cats and dogs about the severity of their blindness, Narfström describes other ways to assess an animal’s vision, including behavioral studies.