I gatti possono avere sogni e incubi?
Can cats have dreams and nightmares?
It seems that our cats spend most of their lives sleeping, so it’s reasonable to ask: do cats dream? Find out what your feline friend thinks when he falls asleep in dreamland with Purina.
Cats are known to be notoriously sleepyheads. They seem to spend most of their lives sleeping, curled up on our lap or hiding in their favorite spot. It may surprise you to know that they sleep twice as much as humans and spend on average about 15 hours a day sleeping , but for very tired cats this time can be up to 24 hours.
With so much time spent resting, it’s reasonable to assume that they dream and have nightmares just like us. But it’s true? Read on to find out if cats dream and what it means when your cat writhes in his sleep.
When do dreams occur?
For humans, dreams occur during the REM sleep state, usually starting 90 minutes after falling asleep. During this time signals that are important for learning and memory are sent to the brain, but some of these signals are random and are responsible for dreams. When the brain tries to interpret these signals and put them together, it creates a kind of story – in other words, it creates a dream.
Do cats dream?
Yes, it is believed that cats can dream. According to Michel Jouvet, in the 1960s, cats also experience REM sleep, so it is extremely likely that they enter the world of dreams in a similar way to us.
Jouvet showed that cats have similar low voltage brain electrical activity, tend to move their eyes, and have a relaxed muscle state, all characteristics associated with REM sleep in humans. While this doesn’t fully answer the question of whether cats dream, the evidence clearly suggests that there is something going on in their brains during sleep.
Interestingly, the amount of REM sleep experienced by cats decreases with age, so it is assumed that kittens are more likely to dream than adult cats. This could also be because kittens still have a lot to learn about the world around them, so they have a significant amount of information to process and more signals to send to their brains.
What do cats dream about?
According to veterinary neurologist Adrian Morrison, when cats experience REM sleep, they tend to bob their heads as if they’re following or watching something. So, it’s likely that when our balls of fur are curled up snoozing, they’re dreaming of their favorite pastime: hunting.
Research conducted in the United States has also suggested that cats may dream of things that happened that day or in the distant or recent past, similar to the way dogs dream. Cats might dream of snuggling up with you on the couch, of chasing a bird or mouse, or they might dream of an accident that happened with another cat or dog.
Do cats have nightmares?
It is possible that cats have nightmares. However, while it seems likely that cats can dream, we don’t know if they can have bad dreams or nightmares. Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that cats can wake up and appear frightened, indicating a bad dream.
According to TJ Banks, writing for Petful, your cat is likely having nightmares. Banks wrote that sometimes his rescue cat would jolt awake from a deep sleep with eyes wide open and appear frightened. In addition, there are other cases where cats have suffered traumatic events and emitted stressful sounds while sleeping and woke up suddenly showing obvious signs of distress.
If your cat is extremely anxious even when awake, read your article on how to spot and treat cat anxiety for valuable help and advice.
The cat’s sleep cycle
Cats experience two sleep cycles, REM sleep and deep sleep.
1. REM sleep
REM sleep is where cats are most likely to dream. They will display some behaviors such as squeaking and twitching of the eyes, ears and maybe even the tail. Despite these contractions, there is also a loss of muscle tone, known as atony.
2. Deep sleep
Deep sleep occurs the rest of the time the cat sleeps. This is a crucial stage, as it is responsible for rebuilding and repairing the body.
It is important not to wake the cat when it is sleeping and to let it rest as much as possible. It’s usually a good idea to provide them with cozy, secluded spaces where they feel safe enough to enter the deep sleep phase.
Why do cats writhe in their sleep?
Sometimes, when your cat is sleeping, you may notice that they wriggle, stretch, snore or even make unusual noises as if they are having a nightmare. There’s usually nothing to worry about, because it’s all associated with REM sleep. When your cat writhes in her sleep, it’s usually just because of signals sent to her brain during the “dream” phase.
Some fear that these twitches are some kind of seizure, but they are very unlikely to occur during sleep, and there will usually be other signs, such as stiffness of the whole body, lethargy, loss of appetite or vomiting . If your cat is also exhibiting these symptoms, it’s important to take her to the vet as soon as possible.
Next, check how long cats sleep and find out if your feline’s sleep pattern is normal for its age. To learn more about the topic, find out in our د ليلنا . the magical world of cat beds.
