While playing tunes and dancing on beats at home, you might have seen your cat looking at you with her mesmerizing meow eyes. But did you ever wonder whether she is enjoying it or not? Or does she even like music?
Many cat owners lower the sound of radio or music, thinking that their cats might get disturbed. But some people flick on the radio in cars hoping that their cats can also enjoy music while traveling. Though you don’t see your cat’s paw tapping to the beat, could she be enjoying the rhythm?
If you are confused about whether your cat likes music or not, let’s find out in this article what musicians and scientists say about the subject.
What Does the Research Say About Cats Liking Music?
The research shows that scientists are also cat lovers, and many scientists are researching whether cats like music or not. According to Applied Animal Behavior Science research, cats particularly don’t demonstrate any sign when listening to their owner’s music. Still, it doesn’t mean that they are unresponsive to the music altogether.
Tunes, music, or songs are pretty different for cats. It tells about your communication to them. The music we play is stable to us because it is based on our language; it tells us how we interact with the world around us. Our language and interaction are different from our feline friends.
So, although you might see your cat calmly sitting or walking down while listening to the music, it doesn’t make sense not to get entertained by the music altogether. It simply means that what your cat likes is different from what we humans like.
Cat Senses
When it comes to cats’ senses, they have incredibly tuned senses, and they are more sensitive to smell and sound than human beings. A big question is whether what cats like about music relates to how they experience the world.
We as human beings feel pleasure, and our senses are catered to music; it should do the same with cats.
Cats get attentive even if they experience the slightest vibration in the air. They have well-developed senses of hearing and smell. Their hearing factor indicates that cats find the music enjoyable when you also enjoy it, too loud, or feel like it has too much bass.
Researchers have found that the way cats communicate and cater to their senses changed their music experience entirely. Play your favorite song, and observe your cat; she might react totally.
Researchers discovered that cats’ senses and communication style completely transform their musical experience! While you might see your cat utterly uninterested in your favorite song, your cat will show obvious enjoyment when you play a feline-appropriate tone, pitch, and pace. She might start rubbing against the speaker and purr!
Research evidence shows that cats do like music. If researchers continue their research into feline species’ specific field, we can further find out the whole range of music to play for our beloved pet cats. This will help us know how cats enrich their experience of the human world, how the music provides them mental stimulation – something simply enjoyable!
Since your cat doesn’t necessarily have the same music taste as yours, then it is also possible you will also not enjoy her favorite one.
What Kind of Music Do Cats Like?
As proven, cats like music, but they also prefer species-appropriate music. A study conducted in 2015 shows that music only affects a particular species, and it should be in the rhythms and frequency range within the species’ regular communication. Many scientists worked with musicians to create music for cats to get deeper into the matter. When they played the specific music or tune of the species, many cats responded positively; they rubbed against the speakers, started purring, and slightly turned their heads to listen to the music.
Not only this, but researchers also further tested the hypothesis by making the cats listen to human songs. Those two songs were ‘Air on a G String’ and ‘Elegie.’ The results showed that cats didn’t respond to the human songs but preferred their specific tunes. They also discovered that adult cats responded more positively to the music than middle-aged cats.
What Frequencies Do Cats Hear?
Humans can pick frequencies between 20 and 20,000 hertz, while cats can hear the frequency up to 64,000 hertz. The cat’s frequency is problematic for many speakers because they cannot play that high frequency. When picking a piece of music for your cat, it will come down to frequency, and the sounds will help soothe your cat.
What Sounds Exist in Cat Music?
Cat music sounds strange to the human ear because of the variety of sounds you will find in it. Like human music, some songs refresh cats and calm cat friends. Soothing songs can have soothing, familiar sounds, the tones and rhythms of throating and lactating kittens. Energetic songs may include fast staccato arrangements that enliven cats or kittens.
Wrapping Up
Whether you play classic songs or leave the radio on all weekend, it will not endear your cat, but in fact, cats love music. Studies show that many species prefer music suitable for natural communication, and cats are no exception. Before heading to the weekend, play the cat’s music to see if the cat is responsive to it or not. In such cases, ask your pet sitter to play some tune before leaving. That way, the cat can spend a relaxing weekend on the go.
