Does your pet enjoy chilling out to classical or relaxing to reggae? Plenty of pet owners say their pets like listening to music. But do animals really appreciate a good tune in the same way that we do? In this month's mini-article, we'll take a look at the evidence.
Hearing in Cats and Dogs
Most people know that pets have hearing that's far more sensitive than a human's. In fact, dogs and cats are able to hear a wide range of frequencies – many of which we simply can't detect.
According to this article from Louisiana State University, humans have an approximate hearing range of 64-23,000 Hz. A dog's ears are far more sensitive, with a range of around 67-45,000 Hz. But cats are the clear winners with a hearing range of 45-64,000 Hz.
So, what does all this mean? Simply put, dogs and cats are very sensitive to sounds in their environment. But do they actually enjoy listening to music? To find out, let's take a look at some published studies on the topic.
Studies on Animals and Music
A 2012 study published in The Journal of Veterinary Behavior found that kenneled dogs slept more while listening to classical music. Heavy metal music had the opposite effect. It was shown to increase body shaking – an indicator of nervousness.
In a separate study, researchers played soft rock, Motown, pop, reggae and classical music to dogs at a rehoming center in Scotland. The results of the study showed that the dogs were more relaxed when music was played. However, the most positive changes were seen when the dogs were played reggae and soft rock. Researcher Professor Neil Evans also noted that, "overall, the response to different genres was mixed highlighting the possibility that like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preferences."
The evidence we've looked at so far suggests that dogs DO enjoy music. What's more, dogs may even have different musical tastes! But what about cats? Are they partial to classical, reggae, or soft rock?
Interestingly, a study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that cats do enjoy listening to music. But human music? Not so much. The researchers found that cats are indifferent to human music (typical cat behavior if you ask us!). But the team were able to create species-specific music that cats appreciate a lot more. To find out more (and listen to a sample of "cat music") check out this fascinating article from Mic.
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