1. Dogs and cats also can dream

According to the experiment by Professor Matthew Wilson and researchers at MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, even a tiny mouse can dream.
(*Neuron Journal, Published in January 25, 2001)

The study found that the brainwaves of mice, during daytime activity were identical to those observed when sleeping at night.

This means that mice dream about what they did during the day when they were asleep.

Because dogs and cats are having more complex brain structure, the conclusion has been reached that other animals also can dream.

2. Dream help organize memories

When they fall asleep, their brain sorts and arranges memories from the day.

This process involves dreaming, and leading to sleep talking as well.

Organize memories through dreaming, plays an important role in dealing with everyday stress.

Dr. Stanley Coren, famous for dog psychology
and the intelligence ranking of different dog breeds, said that it's the same for the dogs.

In addition, cats also learn through dreams.

Even if it's a cat that has never tried hunting before, In front of prey, they crouch, raise their fur, and exhibit various behaviors, it shows instinctual aggression.

This is a kind of sleep learning method, where information encoded in genes, and can be repeatedly learned through dreams.

Observing the brain of a sleeping cat showed similar brain activity to when a cat is awake and hunting.

3. Don't wake up forcibly!

Sometimes, cats and dogs whimper or cry pitifully, or twitches their body while sleeping.

The owner thinks it's a nightmare so sometimes they wake them up.

But if you wake them up forcefully, they might be unable to distinguish between dream and reality and accidentally attack you.

In addition, if you keep waking them up forcefully, it might cause nerve disorders, so you must be careful.

As an exception, if their body is stiff and you see the foam around their mouth, and they don't wake up even when you call their name, it's not dreaming but might be a seizure symptoms.

So, make sure you take them to the vet.