Shayla Love – Many people who live with animals have had the experience of watching their pets exhibit odd behaviors while sleeping, like twitching their feet, barking or whining, or moving their eyes back and forth. It’s common for pet owners to say things like, “Look, they’re dreaming,” and wonder if their terrier, when he grunts in a satisfied-seeming manner, is dreaming about chasing squirrels and foxes through an endless and perfect grassy field.

But the actual scientific literature on whether nonhuman animals dream is sparse. Despite thousands of studies on animals and sleep, it’s been left to the side whether nonhuman animals experience the same kind of dream states that humans do—where we lose our teeth, miss a high school exam despite being an adult, or see surreal combinations of people and places. Continue reading →