Does music calm cats?

The short answer

Probably a little, for some cats, in some situations, especially when the music is quiet, slow and steady. It isn’t a cure for fear or anxiety, and every cat is different.

Study 1: cats prefer music made for them (2015)

Researchers played 47 domestic cats two pieces of classical music and two pieces composed for cats, built around cat-like tempos (such as purring and suckling rhythms) and a higher pitch range. The cats oriented towards and approached the speaker more, and sooner, for the cat music. (Snowdon, Teie & Savage, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2015.)

Study 2: lower stress scores at the vet (2020)

A study of 20 cats played cat-specific music, classical music or silence during physical exams. With cat-specific music, cats had lower Cat Stress Scores than with the other two. A blood measure of stress (the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) didn’t differ. (Hampton et al., Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2020.)

What that means for this site

Purrple Cat’s music is lofi made for people, not music composed for cats. We’re not going to pretend otherwise. What we do is pick the tracks most likely to stay in the background: slow, soft, steady, with few sudden sounds. Played quietly, that can mask sharp household and street noise and keep a room from going from silence to bang.

How to use music for a stressed cat

• Keep it quiet. Cats hear higher and fainter sounds than we do. Aim for the level of a soft conversation.
• Give them a way out. Play it in one room, and let your cat leave if they want to.
• Make it familiar. Play the same session on calm days too, so it isn’t only linked with scary ones.
• Pair it with the basics. Hiding spots, high places, routine, and a calm human matter more than any soundtrack.
• Watch your cat. Flattened ears, a twitching tail or leaving the room means it’s too much. Turn it down or off.

When to call your vet

If your cat is hiding a lot, not eating, over-grooming, or having accidents outside the litter box, talk to your vet. Stress can be a sign of pain or illness, and there are effective treatments.