In order to take advantage of all available light, the back of the cats retina contains a layer of mirror-like cells called the tapetum lucidum which collects and reflects light and is responsible for “eye shine”. This is why you get eerie glowing-eye photos when you use the flash. Most carnivores who hunt at night have this layer of cells and so do deep sea animals. While humans can have “red-eye” with flash photography, it is not the same thing. We do not possess the tapetum lucindum.