Tag: communication

Shot-legged tuxedo cat
Behavior

How Do Cats Communicate with their Tails?

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Meredith Hemphill

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Cat tails can be long or short, straight or bent or curled, and anywhere from nearly furless to luxuriously fluffy. A few cats have no tails at all! Cats use their tails to help them balance and to feel what’s going on behind them [3], but cats communicate with their tails, too. Because cats and dogs send very different signals with their tails, this part of cat body language is a common source of miscommunication between cats and both human and canine family members. So, here’s a guide to what your cat’s tail is telling you.

Tail Up or Down?

Image by Jody Parks from Pixabay

Your cat can hold their tail anywhere from straight up in the air to tucked all the way underneath their body, and the position they have their tail in gives you a lot of information about how they’re feeling [2-4]. A tail held straight up means that your cat feels confident and safe in their space [2-4]. A cat is more visible to potential predators or enemies with their tail held high, so they only do that if they are 100% certain that there is no danger here [3].

An even more relaxed cat holds their tail up with the tip curved, like a question mark [4, 3]. Cats will often pose their tails this way when they greet a trusted friend, including you [3, 4]! If a cat’s tail is up in your presence, there is a good chance that they’re interested in interacting with you [2].

If a cat is walking around with their tail held out to the back, roughly level with their spine, this is a fairly neutral message [3]. This is a cat who feels pretty comfortable, but they’re being a bit cautious, just in case [3]. When a cat is crouched down with the tail straight out back, that means they’re getting ready to pounce [4].

If a cat is keeping their tail down low, then they are scared or maybe in pain [3, 4]. When cats tuck their tails all the way underneath their bodies, they are terrified [2-4]. That’s their way of trying to get as small as possible to avoid being seen by something they expect to hurt them. If you see your cat’s tail going low, that’s a sign to you to find out what the problem is [3].

Bottlebrush Tail

Infographic of ways cats communicate with their tails
Image by Kailey Whitman

A different way that cats communicate fear with their tails is by fluffing out their fur [2-4]. Every hair stands up on end, giving the tail a “bottlebrush” appearance [2-4]. This is meant to make the cat appear larger and more menacing to whatever has scared it [3]. It’s a startle response [3, 4], so it comes from a different flavor of fear than tucking the tail. A cat with its tail puffed out is primed to react aggressively, a reflex that helps cats survive in the wild [2], so make sure you give them their space to calm down [3].

How worried you need to be about a bottlebrush tail really depends on your cat. Joon is the perfect specimen of a scaredy-cat, and the slightest unexpected noise makes her fluff up. So if I see her running through the house with her hair on end, I don’t think much of it. But Wednesday has no fear. The first time I took her to the vet, she tried to start a fight with a German Shepherd. On the rare occasions that she gets startled, I go looking for the danger, because maybe I need to be worried about it, too.

Tail Movements

This is probably how the way that cats communicate with their tails causes people–and other pets–the most confusion. Cats may move their tails in similar ways to dogs, but the message is not the same. Let’s start with the tap: just a little, up-and-down motion of the very tip of the tail when your cat appears otherwise relaxed [4]. This means your cat is slightly irritated about something or perhaps lost in thought [4]. A side-to-side flick or swish of the tail indicates some kind of excitation [1-4]. What kind depends on the context. It could be frustration, annoyance, even pain, but it can also be playful, such as when your cat is focused on a bird outside the window [1-4]. Whatever the case, that is probably a cat that is too excited for you to bother right now [1, 2].

While dogs generally wag their tails when they are in a good mood, the exact opposite is true for cats, which can lead to some disastrous miscommunications. When a cat thrashes or wags their tail from side to side, they are telling you that they are most upset, and you need to back off before they have to become aggressive [1-4]. Dogs (and people who expect cats to act like dogs) tend to take it as an invitation to approach instead [2, 3]. If you have dogs or very dog-minded friends, you may have to keep an eye on them around your cat so you can intervene before a tense moment becomes bloodshed [3]. Don’t be afraid to educate your houseguests about feline body language, too, especially if you witness someone misinterpreting your cat’s signals. It will help not only them but any cats they meet in the future.

References

  1. Bailey, A. and Cosgrove, N. (2023, November 23). Cat tail language: The meaning of your feline’s different tail wags. Catster. https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/cat-tail-language-movements-meanings/
  2. Coates, J. (2021, November 21). What’s my cat’s tail telling me? The Spruce Pets. https://www.thesprucepets.com/cat-tail-body-language-554048
  3. Galaxy, J. [Jackson Galaxy]. (2023, September 9). Quivering, wagging, puffed up: What is your cat’s tail trying to tell you? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLi3Z_Mlshk&ab_channel=JacksonGalaxy
  4. Jordan, C. (2021, November 1). Why do cats wag their tails? Here’s what your feline is trying to tell you. Daily Paws. https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/behavior/common-cat-behaviors/why-do-cats-wag-their-tails
Behavior

Why Do Cats Rub Against Your Legs?

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Meredith Hemphill

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Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Page from old book with drawing of cat rubbing a person's legs
“Cat in an affectionate from of mind, by Mr. Wood” from The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin

Whether you find it annoying or cute, it is a universal truth that cats rub legs–and pretty much everything else, including each other. This quirky behavior is unique to cats [8]. Why do they do it? What’s so interesting about our legs? And our shoes? And that one corner of the sofa?

Showing Affection

As I discussed in my article about how our cats show that they love us, cats communicate their affection with their humans in the only ways they know how: like they would with another cat. A friendly nuzzle or head butt is one way that cats express affection for each other [1, 3, 4, 8]. It may be a greeting or just a reminder that they love you [3, 6].

When cats rub our legs, they put their faces and eyes in a vulnerable position, so it’s a clear sign that kitty trusts you and feels comfortable around you [5]. As animals that are in the middle of the food chain, cats need to be extremely vigilant to survive, so they only let their guard down if they feel completely safe.

Diagram showing position of a cat's scent glands
Diagram of Cat Scent Glands from Cat Care Center of Baton Rouge

Scent Marking

Cats are also naturally territorial animals, and rubbing both objects and family members is a healthy territorial behavior. Cats have a lot of scent glands on their faces [1-3, 5-8]. They use the pheromones produced by these scent glands to mark their territory by rubbing against objects [1-6]. Cats also create a group scent within their colony by rubbing their pheromones onto each other [2, 4, 5]. Since we are part of our cats’ social groups, our cats rub our legs to create a group scent [2, 4, 5]. Although we can’t smell it, it’s important to our pets [1].

When cats scent mark each other, they usually nuzzle their heads together [5, 7]. But humans are just too tall [7]! So instead, cats rub their faces against whatever part of us they can reach, and that’s usually our legs or feet [5, 7].

Trying to Tell You Something

Does your cat suddenly start twining around your legs when it’s time for their dinner, or when they think it’s time for their dinner? Mine do, and I nearly fall on my face about once a week. Why are they rubbing us then? Because they’re trying to get our attention and give us a message [3, 4, 6, 8]. In this case, the message is clearly, “Feed me.” Sometimes, though, cats might rub our legs because they want to play or to be pet [3, 4, 6, 8].

So if your cat keeps nuzzling you over and over, they may be trying to ask you for something. Unless you were recently visiting with another cat. Then they may just be trying to make you smell right again.

Works Cited

  1. Becker, M. and Spadafori, G. (2006). Do cats always land on their feet? 101 of the most perplexing questions answered about feline unfathomables, medical mysteries & befuddling behaviors. Health Communications, Inc. Deerfield Beach, FL.
  2. Blackwell, E. (2022, October 5). How to tell if your cat loves you, according to science. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-tell-if-your-cat-loves-you-according-to-science/
  3. Bondi Vet. (n.d.). Why do cats knead and rub against us? https://www.bondivet.com/promo/why-do-cats-rub
  4. Catonsville Cat Clinic. (2018, February 16). Why does my cat rub against…everything? https://www.catonsvillecatclinic.com/holmes-corner/why-does-my-cat-rub-againsteverything/
  5. Gormly, K.B. (2020, September 15). Why do cats rub against you? Catster. https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/why-do-cats-rub-against-you-a-weird-cat-behavior-explained
  6. Grimmet, D. (n.d.). Ask the vet: Why do cats rub against your leg? Sunset Vet Clinic. https://www.sunsetvetclinic.com/ask-the-vet-why-do-cats-rub-against-your-leg/
  7. International Cat Care. (2018, October 5). Why do cats rub round their owners’ legs? https://icatcare.org/advice/why-do-cats-rub-round-their-owners-legs/
  8. Waynick, L. (2021, December 14). 3 reasons cats rub against your legs. The Spruce Pets. https://www.thesprucepets.com/why-cats-rub-against-legs-5210427

Published March 19, 2023

Science

How do cats use their whiskers?

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Meredith Hemphill

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Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Close-up of tabby cat's whiskers
Photo by David Mark from Pixabay

Whiskers, known in the scientific world as vibrissae, are sense organs common among mammals. Because humans completely lack these specialized hairs, it is difficult, if not impossible, for us to really understand what animals that have them experience. It is a completely different, sixth sense that enables them to learn about their environment in a way that we cannot. Research has given us mere humans insight into how whiskers function, though, and how to be considerate of our furry friends’ precious whiskers.

Whiskers on Kittens

A whisker is a long, thick hair, which grows from a hair follicle like a cat’s fur does (2, 4). However, the hair follicles that make whiskers are different from the ones that make fur in a few important ways. For one, whiskers are rooted three times deeper into the skin than regular hairs (2, 6). The follicles for whiskers also have far more blood vessels and nerves (2, 4, 6). This heightens the sensitivity of the individual whisker hairs.

Cats have whiskers on their muzzles, chins, and forelegs; above their eyes; and near their ears (2-6). The number and length of whiskers varies. Most cats have 12 whiskers on either side of their noses (2, 6). Whiskers are usually light in color, but some cats may have black or brown whiskers, or a mix of colors. The color of a cat’s whiskers may even change over their lifetime (6, 7).

How Do Whiskers Work?

Although whiskers are sometimes called tactile hairs, the whiskers themselves don’t have any sense of touch. Rather, the movement of the whiskers triggers the nerves in the hair follicle, and that information is sent to the brain (2, 4, 5). This can tell a cat about the location, size, movement, and texture of an object as well as more general environmental information (2-5).

On the end of each whisker is a tiny organ called a proprioceptor (2, 4). Proprioceptors detect vibrations in the environment (4). They enable a cat to sense the position of its own body and all the components thereof in space (2, 4).

What Are Whiskers For?

Animals use whiskers for a lot of different things. Scientists have discovered that, depending upon the species, whiskers are involved in “food acquisition, prey attack, aggression and attack behavior, facial expression in intraspecies communications, dispersion of pheromones, maintaining head position in swimming, and a wide range of environmental monitoring (e.g. current detection in water, wind direction on land)” according to A. S. Ahl (1). Even in cats alone, whiskers serve a variety of functions.

Close-up of white cat's whiskers
Most cats have 12 whiskers on each side of their nose – Image by birgl from Pixabay

Cats are somewhat farsighted. Whiskers compensate for the trouble cats have focusing on objects close-up (2, 6, 7). This can be particularly important for hunting. Once a cat pounces on their prey and has it in their paws, their whiskers help them “see” to tussle with it and deliver the fatal bite (2, 4, 6). Many of the animals cats prey on also have whiskers, though, which can help them to sense cats coming (5).

A cat’s whiskers tell them if they can fit into a space or not (2, 4, 6, 7). Their muzzle whiskers are as long as they are wide (4, 6), so whether the whiskers bend when a cat puts its head in a space tells it if the rest of its body will fit. Whiskers don’t just protect cats from getting stuck in tight places, though. They also protect delicate parts of their bodies from damage (2). The whiskers on the face, especially those above the eyes, alert cats to objects that pose an imminent risk to their eyes (2). Whiskers can detect trouble as small as a speck of dust.

Whiskers serve a social function, as well. Cats communicate with each other mostly through body language. We can learn to understand these messages, too. The position of a cat’s whiskers provides one clue to their emotions. If your cat is relaxed, her whiskers will be as well, sticking straight out to the sides (4, 6). If they are excited, curious, or alert, they’ll push their whiskers forward (2, 4, 6). A cat that is angry or scared will pin their whiskers back against their face (4, 6).

Whisker Do’s and Don’ts

DO be mindful of whisker fatigue. Whisker fatigue is the pain and stress cats experience when their food and/or water bowls regularly brush up against their sensitive whiskers (3, 4). Tall, narrow bowls tend to be the culprit (3, 4). Be kind to your cat’s whiskers, and use wide, shallow bowls instead (3, 4, 6). Symptoms of whisker fatigue include:

  • Scooping food out of the bowl and eating on the ground
  • Making a mess while eating/drinking
  • Leaving food in the bowl but acting hungry
  • Approaching the food/water bowl with caution; pacing nervously before eating/drinking
  • Refusing to eat unless the bowl is full
  • Mealtime aggression (3)

DON’T cut your cat’s whiskers, ever. Number one, it’s painful for them (7). Number two, it disorients and confuses them (2, 4, 6, 7). For blind cats or cats that spend time outside, that is extra dangerous. There is no health reason to trim a cat’s whiskers, and it is not worth it just for aesthetic reasons.

Tabby kitten between wall and planter
Image by keziaschen from Pixabay

DO check with your vet if you feel like your cat is losing a lot of whiskers. Whiskers fall out and are replaced when they get old just like any other hair. However, losing many whiskers in a short period of time can be an indication that something is wrong. Numerous skin conditions such as acne, allergies, and infections can cause whisker loss (7). So if your cat is losing whiskers frequently or en masse, consult your veterinarian (7).

DON’T play with a cat’s whiskers. Whiskers are cute, and it’s tempting to touch them, but most cats will find anything more than a gentle stroking uncomfortable. If you find a shed whisker, however, go nuts. I have a friend that uses her cats’ shed whiskers as tiny paintbrushes.

Fun Facts

  • Some cats may have curly whiskers, especially if they are of a curly-coated breed.
  • The word “whisker” dates back to about 1600. It comes from the Middle English “wisker,” meaning anything that whisks or sweeps. (4)
  • Each individual whisker can be traced to a specific spot in a cat’s brain. (2)

Works Cited

  1. Ahl, A. S. (1986). The role of vibrissae in behavior: A status review. Veterinary Research Communications, 10, 245-268. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02213989
  2. Buzhardt, L. (n.d.). Why do cats have whiskers? VCA Hospitals. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/why-do-cats-have-whiskers
  3. Does your cat have whisker fatigue? (n.d.). CatHealth.com. https://www.cathealth.com/cat-care/nutrition/2389-does-your-cat-have-whisker-fatigue
  4. Hagerman, J. (2020, December 15). Everything you ever wanted to know about cats’ whiskers. Pasadena Humane. https://pasadenahumane.org/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-cats-whiskers/
  5. How do whiskers work? (n.d.). Discover Wildlife. https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/how-do-whiskers-work/
  6. Kelley, J. A. (2020, January 29). 7 cool facts about cat whiskers. Catster. https://www.catster.com/cats-101/cat-whiskers-facts
  7. Why is my cat losing his whiskers? (n.d.). Canidae. https://www.canidae.com/blog/2019/04/why-is-my-cat-losing-his-whiskers/

Published June 13th, 2021

Updated May 12th, 2023

Behavior

Why do cats purr?

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Meredith Hemphill

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Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Brown tabby cat in lap
Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay

What could bring more joy than a purring kitty curled up in your lap? And there are so many different kinds of purrs. Some cats purr like a lawn mower engine, and some are so quiet you could barely hear them with your ear on their chest. Purring is a uniquely feline behavior. We associate it with happy kitties, but cats actually purr under a lot of different circumstances. This rather odd sound must serve a purpose besides being adorable. So why do cats purr?

Anatomy of the Purr

First things first: what even is purring? As someone who used to try it for myself as a child, I promise it doesn’t come naturally if you aren’t a cat. There was a lot of debate about how cats purred for a long time. One prominent theory was that the purring sound came from a change in the cat’s blood flow [1, 4, 6]. Now, biologists are generally agreed that cats purr using the muscles of their larynx and diaphragm [1, 3-5, 7]. By vibrating their larynx, which in turn vibrates their hyoid bone [5], a cat causes the air in their throat to vibrate as well, creating the sound we know as purring [1, 6].

Most vocalizations can only be made when exhaling. It just makes sense. You need air in your lungs to push through your larynx to talk, sing, laugh, etc. The same is true of other animals. However, cats can purr on the exhale and the inhale, which is what enables them to purr constantly [1-5, 7]. This is due to the continual vibration of the larynx as they breathe in and out through it [1].

Cats Purr to Communicate

Cats first start to purr by the time they are a week old [1, 2, 4]. The purring of her newborns may signal to a queen their location and wellbeing [1, 2, 4]. It is thought that each kitten has a unique purr their mother can recognize so that she can tell which of her babies is communicating with her [2].

Queens will also purr for their kittens [5, 6]. One reason may be to provide a tactile cue to help blind and deaf newborn kittens locate the milk supply [6]. Even though very young kittens can’t hear the purring yet, they can feel the vibrations because they are, ideally, never far away. Alternatively, the mother’s purring may disguise the soft mews of the kittens from the ears of predators [5]. Whatever the evolutionary reason, purring cements the bond between queen and kittens [5].

Some adult cats purr when feeding, possibly a throwback to that kittenhood behavior [1]. Cats may also purr to inform their person that they want their food, now please [1]! The purr of solicitation sounds different from the snuggly purr [1]. What’s the difference? It’s hard to say for sure. Our lack of knowledge about how cats communicate with each other makes it harder to understand the nuances of how they communicate with us.

One thing that’s certain is cats in the wild purr when they groom each other [1]. Grooming is an important part of a cat’s daily life and a positive social interaction between cats who have a bond. Perhaps this comes closest to the contended purring of a cat that is lying in a warm lap or being petted.

Mother cat and kittens in barn
Queens and their kittens purr to communicate – Image by Franz W. from Pixabay

Healing Vibrations

Cats don’t just purr for happy reasons. They sometimes purr when they’re stressed, scared, injured, or dying [1, 3-5, 7, 8]. Cats have sometimes been seen lying alongside another, injured cat, both purring [7]. This is called “purr therapy” because the purring is believed to be a way of comforting the injured cat [7]. In stressful situations, purring can serve as a method of self-soothing [7]. However, it may be an even more powerful tool than that.

Cats purr at a frequency of 20-150 Hertz [1, 3]. These low-frequency vibrations have demonstrated healing benefits [1, 3, 4, 7, 8]. 25 and 50 Hz frequencies promote bone growth and fracture healing [8]. 100 Hz has therapeutic use for pain, wound healing, swelling, and difficulty breathing [8]. It may seem far-fetched, but bones do respond to pressure by hardening [1, 7]. And there is a good evolutionary reason why cats might vibrate their way to good health.

Cats are ambush predators. This means they spend a lot of their time resting and waiting in-between hunts. Purring could have evolved as a low-energy way to stimulate their muscles and bones while stationary [3, 7]. Then their bones wouldn’t weaken or become brittle over time from lack of use [7]. Interestingly, researchers have proposed just such a fix for astronauts. Muscle atrophy and bone density loss are a big problem on long space missions where the lack of gravity prevents normal exercise. Vibrating foot plates have been suggested to stimulate astronauts’ bones and prevent them from losing density [7]. It seems the cats had that figured out a long time ago.

Do All Cats Purr?

Probably not, but it kind of depends upon how you define purring, apparently. Once upon a time in the early 1800s, biologists believed that cats could either roar or purr, but it was impossible to do both [7]. This is how cats came to be divided into the “big cats,” or subfamily Pantherinae, and the “small cats,” subfamily Felinae [6, 7]. Although most big cats are larger than most small cats, those names are actually a misnomer, since the smallest of the “big cats,” the clouded leopard, is smaller than the biggest of the small cats, the puma [7]. The basis of the division on roaring vs. purring is also probably inaccurate.

Two sleepy bobcats
Housecats aren’t the only ones that purr! – Image by Amber Stevens from Pixabay

The Pantherinae cats have a rope of tough, flexible cartilage where the Felinae have only the hyoid bone [5, 6]. This gives the larynx greater flexibility so that roaring is possible, although lions are the only ones to make regular use of this ability [5, 6]. Does this mean they can’t purr, though? These days, biologists tend to believe than most cats can purr, or at least something like it [3, 7]. Some call it a purr-like vocalization or a hum rather than a true purr [3, 4, 6].

Even granting that most cats can actually purr, some of the Pantherinae are usually believed to be exceptions: lions, leopards, jaguars, tigers, snow leopards, and clouded leopards [7]. But that may yet prove untrue. The anthropologist and animal behaviorist Elizabeth Marshall Thomas suggests that big cats may reserve purring for their cubs and that is why people think they don’t purr at all [6]. We simply aren’t around when they do.

Works Cited

  1. Dowling, S. (2018, July 25). The complicated truth about a cat’s purr. BBC Future. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180724-the-complicated-truth-about-a-cats-purr
  2. Edwards, A. (2006). The ultimate encyclopedia of cat, cat breeds, and cat care. Hermes House: London.
  3. Lyons, L. A. (2006, April 3). Why do cats purr? Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-cats-purr/
  4. Science Reference Section. (2019, November 19). Why and how do cats purr? Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/why-and-how-do-cats-purr/
  5. Stewart, D. (1995, April 1). Do lions purr? And why are there no green mammals? The National Wildlife Federation. https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/1995/Questions-and-Answers-About-Wildlife
  6. Thomas, E. M. (1994). The tribe of tiger: Cats and their culture. Simon & Schuster: New York.
  7. Venton, D. (2015, May 8). Why do cats purr? It’s not just because they’re happy. Wired. https://www.wired.com/2015/05/why-do-cats-purr/
  8. von Muggenthaler, E. (2001). The felid purr: A healing mechanism? The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 110(5), 2666. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4777098

Published February 7, 2021

Updated June 20, 2022

Science

Music for Cats

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Meredith Hemphill

mehshadoweye

Encyclopaedia Felidae now has a Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/EncyclopaediaFelidae if you want to help support this content!

Does your cat like to listen to music with you? Some pets do, but it’s more often the case that they seem simply to tolerate our tunes. Or not, if you have a cat that leaves the room when you put on your favorite song. Why don’t our furry friends enjoy music as much as most of us do? David Teie, a cellist, composer, and researcher, wondered if other animals would like music that was composed with their audio processing in mind. He partnered with Dr. Charles T. Snowdon at the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to test out his theory of species-specific music [1].

Teie and Snowdon aimed to compose music that would elicit positive emotions in cats, target frequency ranges suitable for feline ears, and make use of sounds natural to cat communication. Teie composed two songs for the study. They had an average pitch of 1.34 kHz, significantly higher than is typical of human music. Sounds within the cat vocal range of 55-200 Hz were a focal point, but frequencies related to howls and frustrated vocalizations were excluded. A large percentage of melodic sliding frequencies were included in the compositions, as cats use a lot of sliding frequencies in their vocalizations. One of the songs, “Cozmo’s Air,” was given a tempo of 1,380 bpm to resemble purring. “Rusty’s Ballad” had a tempo of 250 bpm, reminiscent of the suckling of kittens. To hear a sampling of Teie’s compositions for cats, play the video below.

The researchers paired each of Teie’s species-specific songs with a classical song chosen for its pleasing qualities for human listeners. 47 housecats were played 3 minutes of all four songs with a 3 minute rest period in between. Their behaviors during the music were observed and scored for “orient/approach” or “avoidant/fearful” actions. The time between the beginning of the song and onset of any resulting behavior, termed “latency,” was also measured. Very few fearful behaviors were seen, and there was no difference between cat or human music in the rate thereof. However, significantly more approach behaviors, such as purring or rubbing against the speakers, were observed while playing the cat music. There was also a significantly shorter latency period before the cats began to react, suggesting that the music geared for their ears caught their attention faster.

This research has a lot of possible applications. Teie and Snowdon suggest it may be used for calming cats with separation anxiety while their owners are away or for helping shelter cats to feel less stress. A study at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine using Teie’s cat-specific music found that it reduced stress during veterinary exams [2]. Personally, I listen to music just because it makes me happy. If this species-specific music brings cats joy, I say that is an end unto itself.

Tortoiseshell cat between speakers
All about that sliding frequency – Image by Anfesamo from Pixabay

Teie has since composed even more songs for cats. You can sample them for yourself–and your cat–at https://www.musicforcats.com/. He has CDs and digital downloads for sale, should your cat respond well and you’d like to buy full tracks to play for them.

Works Cited

  1. Snowdon, C.T., Teie, D., & Savage, M. (2015). Cats Prefer Species-Appropriate Music. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 166, 106-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2015.02.012
  2. Hampton, A., et al. (2019). Effects of music on behavior and physiological stress response of domestic cats in a veterinary clinic. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 22(2), 122-128. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X19828131

Published January 6th, 2019

Updated May 12th, 2023