The Effects of Listening to Music on Dogs & Cats

Pets seem to enjoy joining in on their human families̵7; activities, and that may extend to listening to music. Researchers have made correlations between soft, soothing tunes and an animal̵7;s physical and emotional well-being, to the point where dog shelters are piping in classical music, and musicians are producing pet-specific musical CDs.

  1. Effects on Dogs

    • Dog owners have long been entertained watching their pets ̶0;sing̶1; along to a particular piece of recorded music or the sound of live human vocals. The soulful howls are less a response to the music itself than to the idea of a group vocalization, notes Stanley Coren in ̶0;Modern Dog̶1; magazine. When wild wolves start a howl, the pack members joining in each contribute a different pitch. Coren suggests that the same influence is at work when dogs join in the chorus at home. ̶0;A dog howling along with a group of singing humans is instantaneously noticeable,̶1; Coren writes. ̶0;He is deliberately not in the same register as the other voices, and seems to revel in the discordant sound he creates.̶1;

    Effects on Cats

    • Centuries of domestication haven̵7;t much tamped down the cat̵7;s independent nature; those studying cats and music are hard-pressed to summarize the feline response. Laura Platt, writing for Pets.ca, says that cats prefer the sonorous tones of all-male choirs, the oboe and the double bass. ̶0;However,̶1; she writes, ̶0;this is not for all cats, and true to their natures they can be very picky about what music they like and do not like.̶1;

    Research Findings

    • In 2010, Harper Adams University College reported the findings of a veterinary student, Sian Barr, whose dissertation covered the effects of music on cats in a veterinary clinic. Barr monitored cats admitted to the clinic for treatment. She scored the respiration levels, body language and behavior of felines when first arriving in the clinic and caged, which contributed to the stress level of the animals. Dividing the cats into two groups, Barr played music for one group. She reported that the music had a ̶0;dramatic effect̶1; on the cats̵7; respiration rates; the rates for this group returned to normal more quickly than those of cats who heard no music.

    Pet Preferences

    • Yvonne Villarreal, writing for Columbia News Service, reported in 2008 that some pet shelters were adopting music to help relax and acclimate the dogs. Citing research from behaviorist Victoria Wells, the article states that the sounds of classical music produced more resting behavior in dogs. Heavy metal appeared to agitate the subjects, while everyday pop music had no effect. In a research study cited by Platt, certain pieces of recorded music compelled the cats to move closer to the speakers; tunes that didn̵7;t meet their standards caused the felines to retreat. The same study noted that cats with a fast pulse preferred up-tempo music. Whatever the tunes, owners playing music for their pets ̵2; particularly their dogs ̵2; should remember that the canine ear picks up sound at higher frequencies than do humans. Veterinary neurologist Susan Wagner told Villarreal that music meant to soothe dogs is best played at low volumes.