..when they twitch all over when they are asleep? All my cats have done this but I just wonder if it is really a dream or a mini fit?

My little cat's laying on the bed now, fast asleep, but her breath quickened and she twitched all over - feet, tail, whiskers, ears, nose and whole body.

She worried me slightly as when one of my cats died, he was having convulsions at the end, not disimilar to this type of thing.

I know we all put this behaviour in cats and dogs down to dreaming but does anyone know if it is dreaming that causes it or is there something wrong?

http://petcare.suite101.com/article....and_dogs_dream

Im not entirely made up on this, butmy 3 cats and 2 dogs do it almost daily. They are all healthy, if you're unsure take her to the vet for a check up.

I can assure you that there's nothing wrong. This is called Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. It is a phase of sleep when the body effectively shuts down & loses muscle control, hence the erratic twitching. You should also see the eyes flickering around, usually beneath the lids, but sometimes with the eyes partially open.

It is during REM sleep that the brain is processing information gathered from the day's events, sorting it into context & linking it with other things already in our memories, transferring information from short term to long term memory ~ sort of like defragging a computer!

Studies on humans show that it is during REM sleep that we are most likely to dream (probably due to the brain activity which presumably is why dreams often seem disjointed, out of context etc). People woken up during REM sleep are more likely to remember their dreams quite vividly & often about frightening episodes. A recent Panorama programme showed the latest research into Phase 4 sleep & brain wave recordings & anecdotal evidence suggests that it is during this sort of sleep that people most often report pleasant dream experiences. It's do do with the type of brain activity in the different phases of sleep.

Whilst we can't be certain that animals dream in the way that people do, the similarities in brain wave activity suggests that it is likely that animals do experience dreams of some sort.

REM sleep is incredibly important for both mental & physical well being & especially to assimilate new learning. This is why it is vital to ensure that stressed animals are allowed time out to relax properly so that they can get the proper type & amount of sleep. So for this reason it is best if you just let your cat twitch away to her heatr's content & try not to disturb her during this time ~ it's perfectly natural & a sign of good health.

In my house we often have both dogs twitching away, grumbling & muttering, in front of the fire. My OH is so used to this now that he starts to whisper & tip toe round the dogs, as I've instilled in him that he must not disturb them.

Thank you both. I now remember seeing that Panorama programme too and found the reason for the difference between good and bad dreams very interesting.

I'm now wondering more about the similarities between 'dream state' in cats and what was happening to my little cat who was having convulsions before he died, I never really worked out why he was having them although he was 17 years old (and watching zoological progs that show cats having fits displaying similar movements when they come out of anaesthetic). Maybe the similarity ends with the fact that they are concerned with the nervous system. I think I shall ask my vet when I see her next.

lzza73 ~ I think that the brain wave activity when a cat is having convulsions or fits is very different from REM sleep. But I take your point about the muscle twitching looking very similar. I wonder if it is the rapid eye movement that shows the outward physical difference? I would be very interested in what your vet has to say though.

My dog does it everynight. She even growls and barks in her sleep! She snores really loudly too

A dog dreaming: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2BgjH_CtIA

That must have been some nightmare

My Border Collie used to have dreams like that.....if he was in bed with us, he'd knock us right out the bed...or if he was laying along the side of the bed on the floor...his feet would make a terrible racket banging on the wardrobe

My cat used to chase rabbits in her sleep. You would see her paws moving really slowly as if she was slowly creeping up on something, then she would start moving her legs as if she was running, sometimes followed by still body but a mouth that was chewing something.

That dog is having a fit, not dreaming.

It looks a bit like that, but I dont think he is, My Bilbo dreamt like that all time, and would look at me daggers when he woke up, as if I had done it too him, but he was quite ok, if a bit shocked...my sister in laws red setter was epileptic and his fits were quite different, poor soul, he wasn't so alert when he woke up and would sleep for ages after

That was my whole point...how do we know the difference? Is there any or is a fit just an extreme version of what happens when they 'dream'?

Anyway, as said earlier, I'll ask my vet when I see her (soon as the cats need boosters).

When my sister in laws dog fitted, he would dribble from his mouth and sometimes lose control of his bowl and bladder
Also he wouldn't wake up when you made noise, where as my dreaming dog would jump up as soon as anyone made a sound

But having said that, it is best to get it checked by the vet if you are concerned