Music for Cats: Do They Actually Like What We Listen To?

Some sounds are very pleasant to cats, while others send them into a kind of berserk mode. At the same time, each feline is a universe of its own, making it hard to imagine a one-size-fits-all soundtrack. Still, a 2015 study suggests that cats prefer melodies created with their natural communication in mind, using frequencies and tempos that match their own vocalizations.

YouTube is full of videos like "Animals Reacting to Music", where pets listen to tunes. Some musicians even share sessions with their own cats. Two examples that come to mind are Smooth McGroove, with the great master Charl, and Sarper Duman, who basically enchants his cats with the piano. This raises the question: What music do cats actually prefer? Is there a particular artist or style that catches their attention, or do they respond better to something more personalized? According to a study published in February 2015, the balance tilts toward the latter.

The Science of Cat Music

The study, conducted by Charles Snowdon and Megan Savage from the University of Wisconsin, proposed a hypothesis: for music to be effective for a species, it must include frequencies and tempos similar to those used in natural communication. The researchers recruited David Teie from the school of music at the University of Maryland. Teie composed three pieces: "Cozmo's Air," "Spook's Ditty," and "Rusty's Ballad." The cats' reactions to these songs were compared with their responses to two human melodies: "Elegy" by Gabriel Fauré and "Air on the G String," an arrangement by August Wilhelmj based on Bach's original.

Feline Reactions

When the tests were complete, the researchers concluded that the cats demonstrated "greater interest and a significant preference" for the music composed for them, while completely ignoring the human music. The reactions were especially noticeable in young cats and in older adults. As expected, the commercial potential didn't take long to appear, and David Teie now sells his music on the Music for Cats portal.

Access the study: Click here.