If you’ve watched your cat or dog twitching and yipping or yowling while sleeping, you’ve probably already guessed that the answer is YES! But do dogs and cats really dream – and if so, what in the world do they dream about?
Many scientists say there is evidence to support the notion that dogs, cats, and in fact, every mammal that’s been studied, does experience dreams.
There are two main types of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and slow wave sleep (SWS). SWS and REM sleep in pets are very similar to that of humans. During this time, the brain processes information learned during the day. Think of it as sorting new information into different mental file folders.
At some point during these two kinds of sleep, dreams take over — in humans as well as in pets. Thus, the twitching, tail wagging, yipping, and pawing your dog does in his sleep, or the tail whipping, chattering, yowling and swatting from your napping cat is likely a reliving of whatever experiences he’s had while awake.
Of course, human dreams also get a lot of their material from the imagination, which makes us wonder if dogs and cats have imaginations in addition to memories! (Anyone who has witnessed their playful cat pay attention to something that’s seemingly not there, and then react to it, is likely to believe their cat must have an active imagination!) Ever heard a dog dreaming? Listen!
Continued: Scientists Say Dogs, Cats, and All Mammals Have Same Brain Activity During REM Sleep