Why Do Pets Dream

The amount of REM sleep an animal gets depends on how much they sleep and their unique sleep patterns. For example, humans have sleep cycles lasting about 70 to 120 minutes, cycling through REM and non-REM stages several times each night.

Dogs, on the other hand, have shorter sleep cycles of around 45 minutes with two REM stages lasting about six minutes each. Cats love their long naps, typically sleeping between 12 and 16 hours a day, and can spend up to eight hours in REM sleep filled with dreams!

While we can’t know exactly what dogs dream about, their movements and sounds during sleep give us good clues. Normally, during REM sleep, the part of the brain that controls movement is inhibited to prevent us from acting out our dreams. However, sometimes this control slips, and dogs might move around. It’s likely that dogs dream about things they do daily and care about, such as chasing squirrels, fetching balls, or playing with

their favorite people.

We actually understand a bit more about what cats dream than dogs, thanks to a study where researchers disabled the part of a cat’s brain that keeps them still during sleep. They observed cats acting out their dreams by hunting, fighting, chasing, and even hissing.

Like humans, these dreams are connected to memory and learning. Interestingly, kittens spend more time in REM sleep than older cats, suggesting that dreaming helps them learn and remember more as they grow.

Given the similarities in sleep patterns between humans and pets, it’s likely that cats and dogs also have nightmares sometimes. You might notice your pet showing signs of distress while sleeping, such as cowering, whimpering, growling, or hissing.

While it might be tempting to wake them up and offer comfort, it’s best to let them sleep. Startling a pet out of sleep can cause them to react unexpectedly. Remember, nightmares are a natural part of dreaming and usually don’t last long.