Cats are one of the domestic animals that we can observe sleeping for a greater number of hours. Therefore, at least at some point in their rest, cats dream or have nightmares.
We will never be able to ask himself if he dreams or about what, but we can draw conclusions based on the characteristics of his dream.
When do cats dream?
If cats dream they would do so at a specific stage in their sleep cycle. This would be the one corresponding to deep sleep or REM phase or rapid eye movement. In this state the cat's body relaxes completely. We can notice it because many times he is lying on his side, stretched out completely. At this moment is when some signs appear that can make us think that he is immersed in a dream. Among them, we highlight the movement of the ears, legs or tail. The muscles of the mouth can also be activated with sucking movements and even vocalizations, purrs or sounds of different types. Another very characteristic movement is that of the eyes, which we appreciate moving under closed or half-open eyelids, while the rest of the body remains relaxed. In some cases, we may notice that the cat wakes up scared, as if he came back from a nightmare.
In any case, all these movements, therefore, are completely normal and physiological. They will be performed by all cats to a greater or lesser extent. They do not indicate any pathology nor do we have to intervene to wake up the cat. On the contrary, we must assure our feline companion places to rest, which must be comfortable, warm and sheltered, especially if several cats or animals of different species coexist in the home that can be disturbed and make rest difficult. We recommend you consult the following article to provide all the care for your cat: «Complete guide to caring for an adult cat».
What do cats dream of?
Both the possibility of cats dreaming and experiencing nightmares seems plausible according to scientific studies of brain function. Now, what they specifically dream about is more subject to our interpretation. Unfortunately, it is impossible to answer this question because, for now, there is no way of knowing what cats dream about. If you dream something, it probably won't be the same as the dreams that we humans experience, however, we insist, there are no studies that show what cats can be dreaming or if they really dream.
Do cats have nightmares?
In line with the above, it is impossible to know if cats have nightmares or any other type of sleep. Sometimes, as we said, we can see that our cat wakes up scared and we tend to believe that it may be due to a nightmare. However, this can be caused by something as simple as having perceived a sudden sound that we have not heard.
