Yes, cat sleep music is a thing, and nervous cats love it

By Paige Cerulli October 25, 2021

It’s been said that music can soothe the savage beast. While you might not need to be pacifying lions and tigers with your tune picks, song choice can help you soothe and relax your own cat. Music is a powerful tool, and with the right kind, you can help minimize your cat’s stress and promote relaxation.

Contents

What is cat sleep music?
Sleep music to try with your cat
Final thoughts on cat sleep music

If you’re leaving your cat home alone, consider turning on a carefully picked song to create a relaxing environment. If you’re heading to the vet or groomer, then playing cat sleep music in the car can help reduce your cat’s stress. Cat sleep music, which is composed specifically with cats in mind, can contribute to your cat’s overall comfort and happiness.

Two cats sleeping and cuddling together — MoiLolita/Pixabay

What is cat sleep music?

The benefits of classical music have been touted for decades. Classical music can be soothing and relaxing, and it’s recommended to play it to babies — even when they’re in the womb. Researchers have even studied how classical music might contribute to plant growth.

While classical music is beneficial for humans, cats have different sound preferences, so attention has recently turned to developing music specifically for cats. A study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery in 2019 examined the effects that music created specifically for cats had on cat stress. It found that this special music appeared to keep cats more relaxed and calm than pop or heavy metal music does.

This cat music is designed to mimic sounds cats love. While classical music has a beat that’s close to the natural human resting pulse and includes frequencies found within the human vocal range, cat music tweaks these factors so that they’re more appealing to cats. Cat music is based on vocalizations, like purring, and includes frequencies within the cat vocal range, which is two octaves higher than the human vocal range.

The result is specialty music that appeals to cats. When cats in the study were played the music during a vet exam, they responded positively with lower stress than when classical music or no music was played. This indicates that playing special cat music could help reduce anxiety and comfort cats during stressful events, like trips to the vet.

Black cat sleeping in a basket — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sleep music to try with your cat

If you would like to give cat music a try, samples are easy to find online. These are just a few of the best tunes for cats we rounded up.

Scooter Bere’s Aria

One of the top pieces to consider is “Scooter Bere’s Aria,” which was the piece used in the study referenced above. You’ll hear purring and plenty of high pitches, but while the trippy, ambient music might sound a little strange to you, it’s designed to be appealing and comforting to your cat.

Katey Moss Catwalk

“Scooter Bere’s Aria” is off David Teie’s album Music for Cats, and you’ll find other selections from the album on YouTube, too. “Katey Moss Catwalk” is a soothing tune that feels like it will lull you to sleep. At eight minutes long, it features prominent purring and plenty of slow-moving string lines.

Relax My Cat

There are lots of other relaxing music videos online intended for cats. Relax My Cat has a whole array of videos, including a two-hour-long video of sleep music for cats. While these tracks don’t feature the purring and high pitches of David Teie’s work, they are more classical music-based, so they’ll sound a bit more appealing to you. Many of the videos are two hours long, so you can leave them running to create a relaxing atmosphere in your home for both you and your cat.

Final thoughts on cat sleep music

When trying out cat sleep music, you may need to experiment with different songs to find the ones that your cat likes the best. Play the music and keep an eye on your cat. Look for signs of relaxation like softened eyes, yawning, and a peaceful demeanor. If your cat stretches out and decides it’s time for a nap, then you’ve probably found his jam. Keep track of which songs are most effective with your cat, and then pull them together into a playlist. You’ll be able to soothe and comfort your cat even when you can’t be there with him, all thanks to the power of music.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Paige's work has appeared in American Veterinarian, Business Insider, Healthline, and more. When she's not writing, Paige…

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