animals and dreaming?

Question

Do cats and dogs dream?

Answer 1

Dreams are experienced by cats and dogs. They have a rehearsal value, and possibly are a way of permanently integrating informations gathered through experience in the long term memory. They might also have a role in the resolution of problems.

Also, lesions (provoked or accidental) in the pons area of the brain will prevent it from inhibitting muscle movements during the REM sleep: cats in this condition were observed acting out their dreams.

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Excerpts (see links below) :

(1) "The pons also sends impulses to the spinal cord to inhibit muscle movements during REM sleep. If this area of the pons is lesioned in cats they have some REM sleep but move around as if “acting out” their dreams (Morrison et al., 1995; see PIP p.119)."

(2) " Other species cannot provide information about mental processes during sleep, so controversy surrounds the question of whether or not animals are dreaming during REM sleep. One perspective is that animals such as cats, which display threat-induced posturing and appear startled by invisible objects while in REM sleep, have a reason to produce such behavior. The reason is linked to their perception of information relevant to these displays without actual corresponding sensory information. In fact, studies using electrophysiological measures to record activity in hippocampal place cells indicate that rats which have spent a considerable amount of time during the day running through a maze show activation of the same place cells during REM sleep which were active during maze running (Louie and Wilson, 2001; Wilson and McNaughton, 1994). These data point towards the possibility that dreaming serves some type of rehearsal function, allowing animals to practice the activities performed while awake, namely running through the maze."
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Answer 2

Since I am not an animal ~ I cannot say for sure, but why the heck not. When you see their feet just moving like they are running, I always think they must be dreaming about chasing a mouse or cat or even a car.

Answer 3

Experts say that they do. I don't know how anyone found out, unless it was through neurological tests on the animals.

I am pretty sure every dog I have ever had dreamed by the way they acted while sleeping.

Answer 4

Oh yes. My cat obviously dreams - he can make playing motions with his paws, and even purrs and yelps.

He cannot tell what he dreamed afterwards, though.

I recently read that cats have 3 types of sleep - a nap, which is irrelevant, and light and deep sleep, which are alternating - half an hour of light sleep, then 6-7 minutes of deep sleep, when dreaming occurs, and then another half hour or so of light sleep.

Answer 5

Animals dream.
People are animals.
People dream.
Dogs are animals.
Logically, dogs dream.
Cats are animals.
Logically cats dream.
Same for horses, cows, birds, dolphins, crabs.
The question is what do they dream about? Since we can't get inside animals heads, we'll never know. :)

Answer 6

actual - we've been speaking the different day some subject and that i presumed it replaced into purely my dogs that appeared to do it... yet no... others do to. My boy seems to dream extra while he's been out for the day say to a extra physically powerful half teach or comparable. this is amazingly significant, as though his suggestions is reliving the full element. every person else discovered this as i detect that extremely staggering.

Answer 7

They must. I've seen both moving their feet like they're running. I've heard my dog growl in his sleep. If they weren't dreaming they'd just lay there.

Answer 8

I was a dog in my past life ,and I do dream now.yep they do.

Answer 9

Yeah my dog.... used to wag it's tail in it's sleep and make a wrrrrrr wrrrrr ahhhhh sound .... im sure she was dreaming...

Answer 10

Sure they can, I kind of wish I knew what myStimpy dreamed about.