Dreams. Just like people, cats go through rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM cycles when they sleep. During REM sleep, the body is relaxed, but the brain is actively processing the day's events. This is the stage when cats dream — and when you're most likely to see them twitching, moving their paws, or squeaking.
Should I Wake My Cat Up if He's Twitching? Unless you are concerned that something more serious is going on, waking your cat up when they are twitching is probably not a good idea. To start with, if your cat is simply dreaming, waking them up suddenly, out of nowhere, is going to give them a bit of an unpleasant shock.
“During REM sleep, a cat's body normally goes into a state of complete muscular relaxation, the extent of which varies by individual,” Dr. Avery explains. Some nerve signals might make their way through the sleep paralysis and that's when you'll see the twitch of a paw or whisker.
When your cat twitches in their sleep it's generally just due to signals being sent to their brain during the 'dreaming' phase.
Dr. Herman further explains that cats will experience two sleep cycles, REM sleep and deep sleep. In REM sleep, cats are most likely to dream and they will display certain behaviors such as squeaking, purring, twitching their eyes, ears, and maybe its tail.
To summarise, cats don't think about their day or how they feel. But they do think about previous situations they have encountered. For example, when your cat is chilling out, it's not thinking about anything in particular.
If your cat sleeps on your bed, he may choose a position that lets him see out your bedroom door more easily. If he's curled up in a ball under your bed or in a quiet corner, then he may be hiding. Cats who sleep under the covers might love being close to you, or they might be hiding to feel safer.
For most cats, this is pretty common behavior – it's simply a way to burn off excess energy or initiate play. But for some cats, this behavior can be part of a disorder known as “Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome”, a rare medical condition that affects the brain and causes bizarre and frustrating symptoms in cats.
Researchers in the study found that the owners were recognized by their cats even after a period of being separated. These findings suggest that cats have a good memory of their owners or people that they've already met.
It is possible for the twitching or trembling to simply be part of your pet's normal response to certain stimuli in their environment or to be an emotionally-triggered response. Involuntary trembling can also be a primary condition, rather than a sign of something else.
Most cats are highly attached to their human parents and spend much time with them, which makes them appear often in their dreams. Even if the cat spent little time with its owner on a given day, it may still dream about them. Specifically, they may recall a happy moment with their owner that happened in the past.
For most cats, twitching while asleep is normal, common behavior. There is no reason to see a vet over your cat's twitching unless they are also lethargic, have a decreased appetite, vomit, their body stiffens or they have jerky movements when they twitch, or they are hard to wake up.
Your cat is bored and wants to play. Cats, being nocturnal animals, are most energetic at night by nature. And just like humans, they sometimes want to have fun to the fullest. This is neither strange nor bad, except that it might sometimes keep you awake.
They get up close. Cats are very protective of their personal space and don't like unwelcome guests to invade it. If a cat allows you to get close to them, that suggests a close bond, particularly where the contact is frequent or long lasting. Curling up on your lap for a nap is a sign of deep trust.
Kneading to mark territory — Cats are strongly driven by scent-related communication, relying on scent markers to claim territory and leave other cats a message. Your cat has scent glands in her paws, and scratching and kneading deposits her scent, letting other animals know she was there.
Cats tend to be light sleepers, only entering deeper sleep cycles in five-minute spans. Your cat is hardwired to remain in fight or flee mode, allowing the feline to spring into action at any given time. Sleeping helps cats conserve energy, making it easier to move swiftly when the moment arrives to play or catch prey.
Cats are often considered to be uncaring or disinterested toward their human family members, but this isn't true. Although cats don't need as much constant attention as most dogs, they do connect and bond with their humans, and they feel unhappy when separated for too long.
Cats do often treat humans like other felines, using gestures like licking or rubbing on both feline friends and human caregivers, she says. “In a way, cats think of us as bigger cats,” Bonk says. “They might not necessarily know that we're a different species or they just don't care.”
Cats might not know how many hours you leave them for, but they do know when you're away. They can get lonely, bored, and anxious.
Howling, crying, hiding, and otherwise acting in a way that is out of character for your pet should alert you that something may be seriously wrong. Changes in litter box habits, particularly in male cats, can indicate a serious health problem.
While some vets and animal experts seem to agree that cats can get ADHD, the condition isn't recognized by all. Cats can exhibit symptoms or personality and behavioral traits that are often linked to ADHD in humans, especially human children.
If your cat is suffering from some type of irritation stemming from allergies or fleas, then they may race around to escape the unpleasant feeling. Keep in mind that the zoomies are normal for all cats but can be cause for concern if their activity is not consistent with their normal behavior.
Companionship
Your cats know you take good care of them and they consider you to be a good sleeping companion! Contrary to stereotypes, cats enjoy companionship (on their terms). Cats are often thought of as being independent creatures who are happy in their own company. But your cat can get lonely.
If you're not familiar with the term, splooting is when a cat lays out flat on their stomach while having both of its hind legs spread all the way to the back. Usually, cats keep their hind legs tucked neatly under them and spread their forelegs, but sometimes, they spread both their fore and hind legs.