A researcher at the University of Wisconsin is developing music that appeals to cats. Dr. Charles Snowden, a psychologist, is on a mission to create music for cats for two reasons:
1. Many pet owners leave music on for their pets when they go to work, and he wanted to know if there is any benefit to doing this; and
2. He believes that other species besides humans can enjoy music, but it must be in frequency ranges and tempos that the species normally uses to communicate.
They developed music that mimics natural cat sounds which are typically an octave above humans while also incorporating the tempo of purring and suckling sounds. Once the music was developed they had to test it out.
Testing it out
Snowden and his researchers tested the music on 47 male and female domesticated cats in their homes (I’m glad to hear this, as I am not a fan of animal research). The cats were exposed to the cat music and classical music like that of Johann Sebastian Bach and others.
The Findings
They found that the cats moved their heads in the direction of the cat music, or they walked toward the speakers and in some cases rubbed their heads on it. So why do this? Well, the researchers believe that their findings can significantly help stressed out shelter cats that need some extra soothing when exposed to the music or even cats that suffer from separation anxiety.
Listen to the Mewsic here.
Let us know what you think! Did you try it out? Did your cat(s) react to it? (Mine did, but only slightly. I would need more time or a longer sample to tell.)
