Do cats love music?

Does the owner know that his musical taste can be shared by a cat? And even if the kitten does not tap its paws to the beat, can it enjoy the rhythm? What scientists and musicians say about this is in an article by Hill’s experts.

What kind of music do cats like

Researchers in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science have concluded that cats actually enjoy music, as long as they enjoy the music itself. But how to find out? After all, they cannot report that they prefer Mozart’s symphony to Brahms’s Hungarian dances. 

David Teie is an accomplished cellist who has played with a variety of artists from the National Symphony Orchestra to Metallica. He writes music with tempos that imitate the purr of a cat, the chirping of birds, and even the feeding of a child. 

It is “species-appropriate music” which the author conveniently calls “music for cats”. He handed over his compositions to researchers to test the theory that cats – especially young ones and kittens – prefer music appropriate to their species over music written for humans.

“In some tracks, sounds reminiscent of chirping birds are superimposed on hurried staccato flows to create a cheerful mood,” according to The New York Times. “In others, a crescendo of purring and breast sucking sounds creates a relaxed atmosphere.” This is how music for cats is described.

It is written with the aim of calming the pets, and not making them dance. This is partly because the speakers “are not capable of producing sounds high enough” to convey the more lively noises that cats hear, Teie told The Telegraph.

According to the Journal of the American Uniform Veterinary Medical Association (JAHVMA), cats can hear frequencies up to 64 hertz, while humans can only hear sounds between 000 and 20 hertz. In other words, cats will enjoy music in the same frequency range and tempos as cats use in natural communication.

How to determine that the music that cats love is playing? The researchers observed how often the cats purred, rubbed against the speakers, or turned their heads and ears towards the music, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

Do cats like to listen to music at home

Although cats prefer sounds that are characteristic of their species, this does not mean that they should not play human music.

Dr. Susan Wagner, who specializes in animal music therapy, described to JAHVMA a study in which classical, pop and rock music was played to 12 cats during a neutering procedure. Cats reacted most positively to classical music, and then to pop music. Heavy metal led to increased heart rate and dilated pupils. In other words, rock music made cats nervous.

You can listen to music with your pets anytime. But if the owner decides to turn on music for the cat during his absence, you need to put on a calm melody. Furry pets of all ages love soothing sounds such as classical music, nature sounds, or special cat music.

There is no scientific evidence to show that calm music helps calm kittens in the womb. But, most likely, there will be no harm from this.

Making a cat playlist

To make a list of songs for a pet, you need to take into account the sound frequencies that cats prefer. To create his music, Tehiet uses the cello, piano, flute and harp – instruments that are often found in the works of Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and Puccini. All of these composers often appear in special cat playlists.

If the owner of the cat cannot call himself a fan of classical music, you can listen to New Age music or the sounds of nature with him. It remains to get comfortable, turn on a pleasant melody and enjoy with your furry friend.