Purr-fect harmony: This music could help your cat chill out, study says

Countless studies have shown the positive effects of music listening for humans, from reducing anxiety and increasing the release of dopamine to improving cognitive function in stroke patients. But how does music impact cats?

Researchers at Louisiana State University recently studied the calming effects of various types of music on domestic cats in a high-anxiety situation: a visit to the vet's office. Twenty cats were exposed to 20 minutes of randomly-selected music before their exam, including a 'cat-specific composition' (David Teie's "Scooter Bere's Aria") and a classical piece (Faure's Elegie). Some of the cats were exposed to silence.

What's a 'cat-specific composition'? It "contains purrs and suckling sounds made to sound like real cats and frequencies similar to cat vocal ranges, which are two octaves higher than human vocal ranges (55-200 Hz) and were found to be pleasing to cats," researchers said.

Each cat was then assigned a stress score, based upon their behavior and body posture, combined with a score based on their reaction to human handlers.

Which sonic stimulation proved the most effective? The results, published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, show that the pets were significantly more relaxed after listening to cat-specific music.

"Our results suggest that a cat displaying less anxiety while listening to cat-specific music is more comfortable in its surroundings and is easier to handle. Easier handling can allow veterinarians and staff to conduct better physical examinations and acquire more accurate vitals," the study said.

Want to see how your pet responds to cat-specific music? Listen to David Teie's "Scooter Bere's Aria" below.