What do cats dream about when they sleep? Cats not only dream, but they also have nightmares, and sometimes even experience “sleepwalking.”Are their dreams so different from ours?
Do Cats Dream When They Sleep?
Cats sleep for about 16 to 18 hours each day. Like humans, they experience Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. Most dreams occur during REM sleep, although some dreams also happen during the non-REM stages. Non-REM dreams tend to be more fragmented and less vivid.
As kittens grow, the amount of time spent in “dreams” or REM sleep decreases, and the accompanying muscle twitches also reduce. 
According to Matthew Wilson, Associate Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, cats’ dreams are not so different from ours. They too dream about everyday activities, like playing and stalking prey. The hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory, has the same structure across nearly all vertebrates and mammals. “If you compare the hippocampus of mice, dogs, cats, and humans, all the parts are the same,” Wilson explains. The electrical activity patterns in a cat’s brain during sleep are very similar to those in a human brain.
So, What Do Cats Dream About?
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what cats dream about, as we cannot ask them directly! However, based on our understanding of their behavior and sleep patterns, it’s likely that their dreams closely resemble their waking experiences. Like humans, their dreams may blend elements from their daily lives. Therefore, a cat’s dreams may be filled with instinctive behaviors and familiar environments.
Do Cats Sleepwalk?
It’s easy to mistake even the slightest body movements—like twitching paws, tails, or whiskers—as signs of a cat dreaming. However, David Greene, a researcher, suggests this is a misconception. The clearest sign that a cat is dreaming is a state of complete relaxation.
However, sleepwalking in cats is a different matter altogether. Sleepwalking occurs in cats that have brain damage, particularly in the brainstem near the locus coeruleus, a region involved in the sleep-wake cycle. In 1959, Professor Michel Jouvet conducted a series of experiments at Claude Bernard University in Lyon, France. Jouvet surgically destroyed the locus coeruleus in his test subjects, which (though ethically questionable today) was considered acceptable at the time.
While awake, these cats acted like normal, undamaged cats. But when they entered REM sleep, they began to move as though they were acting out their dreams. Unable to relax deeply, these cats would crouch, pretending to stalk prey, or they might search for food or play with imaginary toys—all while still deeply asleep.
Do Cats Have Nightmares?
Years ago, when Cavi arrived at our home, she was a sad, scrawny stray. She was severely underweight, had worms, cystitis, and a serious bronchial infection, with a cough that sounded like her throat was being torn apart. It was clear that she had suffered abuse.
Eventually, this little kitten realized she was safe with us. However, sometimes she would suddenly wake from a deep sleep, her green eyes wide with fear. Was she having a nightmare? I believe so. Nightmares typically occur on stormy nights when the wind howls outside.
Pamela Merritt, a writer, shared a story about her cat James Bond, who had been missing for two months. When she finally found him, he had been hit by a car and was injured in multiple places. It took him a full year to recover. During that time, he displayed behaviors Merritt could only describe as nightmares: he would make “agonizing sounds, especially when sleeping through ambulance sirens.” The sirens triggered memories from his traumatic experience.
Other pet owners have reported similar behavior in their cats after a death in the household or when other cats or kittens were rehomed.
There are also good dreams—nursing dreams, or what I like to call “purring dreams.” The sound of purring falls somewhere between a sigh and a hum. If you hear your cat make this sound while sleeping, you’ll know you’re doing things right. Only happy cats purr like this.
Conclusion:
While we may never know the exact details of what goes on in a cat’s mind during sleep, it’s clear that, like us, they experience vivid dreams, from playful adventures to possible nightmares. Understanding their sleep patterns and behaviors can help us better care for our feline companions. So, next time you catch your cat twitching, purring, or even sleepwalking, remember that they, too, are lost in a world of dreams, experiencing their own unique adventures in the comfort of their slumber.
