Why do my cats twitch when they're sleeping?

Question

When both of my cats sleep they start to twitch, all over their bodies. their paws/toes, ears, whiskers, tail, even their sides will all twitch as they sleep. It's cute because it looks like they're dreaming about catching a mouse or something, but it seems detrimental for actually getting rest. They don't do it all the time while they're asleep. More so when they first fall asleep, then off and on while they continue to sleep.

I know it's normal for humans to move around in there sleep, rolling over to a more comfortable position and things like that. But this seems almost too violent of movements to be constructive to getting a good night's sleep. So why do they do this? Are they dreaming?

Answer 1

This sounds like Myoclonus these twitches are usually caused by sudden muscle contractions or from brief lapses of contraction.

They are not considered problematic unless it results in an inability to fall asleep. Or unless they are symptom of a related illness. For the most part, it is just a twitch as one is falling asleep, you have probably had them yourself.

It is not usually problematic in cats, but if you have concerns you should contact your vet.