You’ll usually notice it when everything’s quiet.
Your cat’s fast asleep… and then there’s a twitch. A paw flicks, their whiskers move, maybe even a soft little snoring sound.
It makes you wonder, do cats dream?
In short: yes, cats are believed to dream — much like we do.
You’ll usually see small signs when your cat is in a deeper stage of sleep.
These can include:
This tends to happen during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when the brain is more active, even though the body is resting.
Most of the time, these movements are brief and subtle — a normal part of how cats sleep.
We can’t know exactly, but it’s likely tied to their everyday behavior.
For a cat, that might include:
In other words, the same instincts they show when they’re awake.
Dreams are thought to help process these experiences, which is why their movements can sometimes reflect familiar actions.
It’s best not to.
Waking a cat suddenly from deep sleep can startle them, especially if they’re in a dream state. Like us, they need a moment to come out of it naturally.
If they’re settled, it’s usually best to let them rest.
Cats sleep a lot — often around 12 to 16 hours a day.
This reflects their natural rhythm: short bursts of activity followed by longer periods of rest.
If you want to understand that behaviour in more detail, you can read our blog post on why cats sleep so much.
