Why do animals twitch when they sleep?

Question

I've been told that it's because their growing and I've also been told that it's because their dreaming, what is the reason?

Answer 1

dreaming, when their legs move their running in their dream.

Answer 2

It is because they are dreaming.

Human dreams are based on things we've experienced, seen or read, plus imagination. Cats also recall previous experiences (they run off when the flea-spray appears) and remember things they've seen (hence the term "copy-cat").  They may also remember things like scenes from wildlife programmes on TV.  Since cats can solve problems (tested in the laboratory) they have a limited degree of imagination too.  They also have instincts that may or may not be fulfilled in waking life.

(about problem-solving in cats http://www.messybeast.com/intelligence2.... )

When a sleeping cat makes paw movements and teeth-chattering it might be remembering a real hunting trip or letting the instincts come out in a dream. Many of the fast-asleep paw movements resemble small pouncing or swatting motions. Cats often chatter in frustration when prey eludes them.  If you watch closely, you might even be able to work out what scenario is being enacted or re-enacted in your cat's dream - the paw and mouth movements follow the hunting sequence.  My cats have always slept on, or in, the bed with me and sometimes the dream must have been very vivid as I've ended up grabbed by a cat that is fast asleep!

As well as dreams of hunting and of good experiences (e.g. play sessions, cuddling sessions, being a kitten again), some cats even have nightmares based on bad experiences.  

During sleep, our brain releases inhibiting substances to prevent us from acting out our dreams fully, although we may toss, turn and even talk in our sleep. The cat's brain works similarly. In laboratory experiments some unfortunate cats have had their brains tampered with so that those substances aren't released.  the sleeping cats acted out their dreams in full.  Laboratory-bred cats which had never even seen prey, let alone hunted it, acted out dreams of 'catching birds', 'chasing mice' and 'batting prey'.  

Answer 3

They are dreaming! cats and dogs dream of chasing a cat, being chased by a dog, etc. but yes they Are dreaming

Answer 4

They're dreaming. ALL of my pets (cats and dogs) do it.

Answer 5

I can only talk about cats. They twitch because they dream. They would only do this in their profound sleep period (which is about 1 hour a day). Even if cat sleeps about 14 hours a day they don't always enter profound sleep period often that is the stage that is the most beneficial for them so they conpensate by the number of hour they rest.

Studies as shown that Cats dreams the same as we do. They have the exact same stages as us right to the rapid eye movement and therefore, like us, they twich when they sleep.

As for the growing explanation I would doubt it very much!!!

Answer 6

they dream

Answer 7

Dreaming, of course!

Just like we do, we twitch in our sleep too

Every living thing grows and body is regenerated during sleep

Hope this helps  

Peace

Answer 8

Dreaming of being involved in some physical activity like running.

Answer 9

They're dreaming. Depending on the severity of the dream, some animals will whimper, bark, meow, hiss, ect. We do the same thing when we sleep, 'tis just a weird way of nature. ^_^