Can Cats Have Nightmares? Vet Reviewed Sleeping Habits Guide

Vet approved

Reviewed & Fact-Checked By

Dr. Lauren Demos

DVM (Veterinarian)

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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Domestic cats, much like their wild feline ancestors, sleep a lot—much more than humans do. Wild cats sleep plenty to conserve energy, as a cat with low energy can’t hunt or protect themselves. As time and eras moved on and cats became more domesticated, some original behaviors were lost or adapted; however, the trait of snoozing the hours away remained, and it is why we see our pet cats sleeping so much.

We as their owners are very familiar with dreaming—the good kind as well as nightmares—and you may often wonder if cats do too. While no one knows for sure what exactly cats dream about, it is evident that cats dream, and therefore, it is perhaps possible that cats can have nightmares too.

What Is Dreaming?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, dreaming is “a series of events or images that happen in your mind when you are sleeping.¹” As we well know from personal experiences and scientific data, these images, events, and stories can be strange, amazing, scary, and everything in between, and they most likely occur in cats during the same part of the sleep cycle as they do in humans.

This particular portion of the sleep cycle, where dreaming mostly happens, is known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that it was discovered that cats do indeed enter REM sleep.

What Happens When Cats Sleep?

You may have already noticed that your cat sleeps for many hours a day. The actual number of hours spent snoozing is estimated between 12–18 hours a day, and unlike in humans, cats tend to sleep multiple times in the 24-hour period rather than in one longer session as people do. Cat’s also demonstrate, as a study discovered, two main peaks of activity in the day: one in the early morning and the other in the evening².

While your cat is sleeping and cruising through the different stages of sleep, they are experiencing both REM sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.

It has been shown that prior to NREM sleep, felines go through a period of being active and alert, often partaking in what we call the zoomies³. Following this period of playful fun, they then fall into a more tired and quieter state and into NREM sleep before easily returning to being awake, followed by falling drowsy again and back into NREM sleep. This cycle repeats a few times until they reach the deeper sleep stage of REM sleep. During this REM cycle, your cat may dream.

How Do We Know That Cats Dream?

As previously mentioned, no one can be 100% certain if a cat dreams in the same way humans do, and likewise, confirming what a cat is dreaming about or if the dream they are having is a nightmare or pleasant one is, at best, an educated guess.

An MIT study based on rats found the rats in the experiment dreamt about their tasks during slow-wave sleep, so it is thought the same occurs in species like cats. Based on this, while a nightmare in cats may be some time away from being scientifically proven, it still must remain a possibility, as science has also not proved that cats don’t have nightmares.

When to See a Veterinarian About Your Cat’s Sleeping Habits

A cat who sleeps a lot is not generally anything to worry about. Nor is a cat who is seen to be dreaming (via the movements and noises they may make). Should you notice a change in your cat’s sleeping pattern, however, like sleeping more or sleeping less than they normally do, then a visit to your vet is advised. One of the following medical conditions could be the underlying issue, and your vet will need to investigate.

Should I Wake a Sleeping Cat?

It is best not to wake a sleeping cat. Often, they can be aware of the environment around them even while taking a quick nap, but waking them, especially if they are in a deep slumber, may startle them. Waking your feline friend, whether on purpose or accidentally, may well result in your cat perceiving the act as a threat and reacting to it with outstretched claws or teeth—neither are pleasant to experience!

All cats of all ages need a lot of sleep and shouldn’t be disturbed when resting.

Conclusion

The mind and consciousness are beautiful and mysterious things in humans—as well as in cats, it appears. While it is impossible to know fully what is going on inside your cat’s world as they sleep, there is enough evidence to suggest they are dreaming about something and that dreaming does occur in felines (and other species).

It cannot be ruled out that cats don’t endure nightmares, as it is feasible they could easily dream about what your cat believes to be a scary image or scenario. Nightmares in cats, however, have not been specifically scientifically proven, so maybe only time will tell if this is the case or not.

Featured Image Credit: InstagramFOTOGRAFIN, Pixabay