Cats and music
Humans like to listen to music. Whether on the radio, from CD or via streaming services. Today there are endless possibilities. Some people even play an instrument themselves. But what about cats? Do they like music or are there things you have to pay attention to? Just like humans, animals also react to music. In humans, the choice of music can influence the mood, but is this also true for house cats?
How good is the cat’s hearing?
Sounds and tones of music enter the body through the ears. But how does the cat process them? It is very important to know that cats have much better hearing than humans. So if you turn the stereo up to full volume, you are sure to frighten your cat and drive him away. Quiet sounds, however, with soothing music for cats, can also be perceived as pleasant by cats.
Cats have a completely different frequency range than humans. The range of our beloved velvet paws is almost three times as large as that of humans. The audible range of humans already begins at 20 hertz. This means that humans can perceive significantly lower tones compared to cats. For the house cat, the audible range only begins at 60 hertz.
However, what they cannot perceive in the low pitches, they can perceive in the high pitches. Here they are far superior to humans. Humans are able to hear sounds with a frequency of up to about 20,000 hertz. Cats, however, have a frequency range that reaches up to 65,000 hertz. This means that where humans can no longer hear anything, cats can still perceive extremely high tones.
They need this hearing especially in the wild. When hunting, they can perfectly perceive even the high and soft beeping of a mouse and react accordingly. In this way, they can recognise exactly where the prey is by the sounds it makes and strike accordingly. The hearing of cats is therefore very sensitive.
Facts about cat hearing: Coat colour often plays an important role in cats. They are genetically determined and are related to other cat characteristics. For example, cats with a white coat and blue eyes are often deaf because of a genetic defect.
Choose the right volume
Animals are always sensitive to loud noises. So if you want to listen to your heavy metal music directly to your cat at full volume, you should definitely not do so. This is because the animals can become extremely frightened, panic and hide in stress. Room volume should be the maximum that the animal is expected to listen to. By the way, cats also have their own taste in music.
Soft sounds, or even classical music, at a low volume can calm the animals. Some cats can relax so much that they take a little nap. However, it is important that the volume is never turned up too high. It’s better to turn it down a bit than to turn it up too loud. So if you want to listen to music in the evening, drink a cup of tea and cuddle with your cat, this can be a nice treat for both of you.
Not all cats like classical music. Others like folk music or pop songs, but there are also cats who prefer pop or hip hop. However, the same applies here: The volume creates the pleasant mood. If you want to play music to your cat for the first time, you should rather focus on classical pieces, for example by Vivaldi. The more harmoniously violin, cello and piano are combined in a piece of music, the more pleasant it will be for the house cat.
Cats particularly like this music
Some cats even lie down on the loudspeakers of the music system and purr with pleasure, or even take a nap. You can find out for yourself which style of music suits the taste of your beloved four-legged friend by simply observing when the cat relaxes.
Now there are actually composers who have created music especially for cats. This is no joke! The album “Music for Cats” was actually recorded especially for velvet paws. On it you will find pieces of music, which are mainly characterised by high harp tones and cello and violin music. This is supposed to have a calming effect on cats. In this case, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. But don’t forget: the volume should be appropriate and never too loud.
By the way, some cats also love nursery rhymes. We hope you enjoy discovering your four-legged friend’s musical preferences and spending quality time together.