As the 2009 comedy film The Hangover once asked, “What do tigers dream of when they take a little tiger snooze?” Whether it’s a large wild cat or a small domestic house cat, nearly all mammals display similar brain activity when they slip into deep REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep cycles. While it’s much easier to study human dreams, seeing how we can simply describe our sleeping experiences, felines are still on their long evolutionary course to acquiring such vocal skills. For now, let’s describe what science can tell us on cat sleep cycles and what they may be dreaming about.

Cat Dreams

Given how cats can regularly sleep up to 18 hours a day, being more than most mammals and twice and much as humans, felines give themselves lots of opportunity to dream. Cats have unique sleep schedules as they generally rest during the day and night, although experience bouts of high energy at dusk and dawn. As a survival instinct, felines are always ready to attack their prey, so much so that their sense of smell and hearing remain active during most of their sleep. However, when cats do fall into a deep REM sleep cycle, here are some physical traits to indicate that they may be dreaming:

• Body twitches.
• Quick movements of the eyes under closed eyelids.
• Snoring or other vocal chatters.
• Sleeping in a peculiar position such as sitting up or leaning against an object.

Although uncommon, a cat may twitch in their sleep due to a physical discomfort. If your cat has a history of skin allergies, irritants, or fleas, they may attempt to scratch at themselves in their sleep. In extreme cases, seizures may also appear similar to a cat twitching in their sleep. If you believe your cat is having a seizure, rather than dreaming, it’s important to remain calm and not handle your furry friend during this time. Contact your veterinarian and have them look at your cat as soon as possible if you believe they’re having a seizure or an allergic reaction.

What Do Cats Dream About?

A 1960 study on cats in REM sleep revealed that cats demonstrate hunting behavior during dream-like states. Seeing how hunting prey is engrained in the subconscious of felines, it makes sense how your cat may be mentally honing their abilities while in midst of a deep sleep. Furthermore, similar to that of humans and other mammals, researchers predict that cats may be dreaming about the experiences of their day. Given this hypothesis, your sleeping cat may be having happy dreams pertaining to their human families, animal friends, food, treats, or toys. However, if your cat recently experienced high levels of stress, it may be just as likely that their experiencing a nightmare where they may hiss, meow, or move sporadically in their sleep.

How Do I Help My Cat Have a More Restful Sleep?

Similarly to humans, a cat’s mental health is closely aligned with their physical health. Improving your cat’s memory, mental focus, motor skills, and overall brain function can actually improve the likelihood that your feline will have happy dreams rather than nightmares. Fortunately, Dr. Bill’s Feline Cognitive Support provides superior protection for maintaining brain health and potentially even reversing the signs of cognitive dysfunction. Giving your pet a pill can be a challenge, that’s why most of our supplements are formulated as a powder that can be sprinkled dry onto any diet or moistened to make a tasty, nutritious broth. It’s easy and cats love the flavor!