Do our pets dream?
Bondi Vet’s much loved veterinarian, Dr Chris Brown, answers one of the most commonly questions he gets asked: Do our pets dream? The answer might surprise you…
Scientists studied the brain activity of dogs as they fall asleep and made a remarkable discovery; their brain patterns are almost identical to ours. After reaching deep sleep, both pets and people enter something called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. REM sleep is the stage where we dream. So yes, it is possible!
So is the twitching dreaming?
Own a pet and chances are you’ve seen and heard it all; everything from running, to barking and even whimpering. Basically, all the research says that this ‘rabbit chasing’ is actually a dream spilling over into real life.
Just as it does with us, their brain normally paralyses their body so they don’t actually act out their dream. But importantly it’s not always 100 per cent successful. So when those actions spill over into real life, that’s when you see them running for rabbits!
Tell us: Do you think your dog or cat has dreams? What do you think they dream about?
For more tips on your pets, follow Dr Chris Brown on Facebook here.
Related links:
6 reasons your dog’s health is just as important as your own
Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for