Spotify Actually Has a Playlist for Your Cat

Source: © Shutterstock

Music has been described as being food to our souls; therefore, it connects us to every emotion. No wonder they say that when you are happy, you enjoy the music, but when sad, you listen to the lyrics. We even go ahead to create playlists to help us through the day, be it when running errands, doing chores, or being productive at the office. With such influence that music has in our lives, Spotify also thinks that our pets can benefit from it. For this reason, the digital music service has a playlist for your cat, and here is everything you need to know about it.

How they create the perfect playlist

If you feel guilty about forcing your pet to listen to your kind of music, Spotify believes those days are over, and there is no need to torture your pet’s ears. They reasoned that since most of the subscribers have pets, they might as well cater to that indirect clientele base, directly. According to CNET, 71% of the 5,000 subscribers interviewed said that play music for their furry friends and 80% of the respondents believe that their pets enjoy music.

With a ready market, Spotify decided to create a playlist not only for cats but also for common pets, including dogs, iguana, hamsters, and birds. All you have to do is create a Spotify account and head to the Pet Playlist. Next, pick the kind of pet you have and answer some questions regarding their traits and personality. You should then upload a picture of your pet and the name to personalize the playlist cover. Using the information you give concerning your pet, Spotify will use some algorithms to enable them to find the ideal music that your pet will enjoy.

The algorithm is programmed, thanks to the skills of David Teie of America’s National Symphony Orchestra. However, it also includes your own preferences therefore, if you have a playlist on the platform, be sure to expect your favorite bands or artists among the 30 tracks created for your pet.

Will your cat enjoy the music?

Before you even think about creating a playlist for your cat, it is crucial to know if you are wasting your time and making noise for your cat instead. Therefore in 2015, even the University of Maryland and the University of Wisconsin had their scientists find out if cats respond to music. According to Science Alert, they made cat-centric music based on the knowledge they have about cats’ call vocalization, which is an octave higher than that of human voices.

They explained that music meant for humans mimics that of our heartbeat; thus, for the cats, they used a tempo of what cats are used to and what they might find interesting. As a result, since catcalls have sliding frequencies, even the music the scientists created for the felines copied that frequency, and the results were terrific. Cats liked their cat-centric music and got excited every time it was played as opposed to human music to which they did not respond. Therefore Spotify’s idea to have a playlist that comprises both human and cat songs is wrong if at all they are looking to help your cat relax.

Effects of music on cats

In a study conducted by Amanda Hampton and her colleagues at Louisiana State University, the conclusion was that cats respond and will remain responsive to music even when under general anesthesia. The research further found out that although some scientists believe that felines prefer classical music to heavy metal and pop, cats are most responsive to cat-specific music. Such evidence of cats preferring classical music can also be evidenced by the many cats we have witnessed going viral because they enjoy playing the piano.

On the other hand, according to Science Daily, cats undergoing surgery were more relaxed when listening to classical music than pop music which produced intermediate levels of stress level. Heavy metal, in contrast, scored the highest values, which indicated that cats were most stressed when listening to it. That said, a more relaxed cat does not need lots of anesthesia, which in turn leads to fewer incidences of undesirable side effects.

How music and sounds affect other species

Dairy farmers have discovered one secret to having their cows produce more milk is by putting on some music. However, it is not just any music that will improve the output; the research conducted showed that the mammals did not like rap and techno music and preferred soothing tones instead. The cows release oxytocin, the stress-relieving hormone, when listening to music, which in turn allows them to remain calm when being milked; thus, more milk is produced.

When thinking about going out for a camping trip and you are scared of the mosquito bites, scientists have discovered one way to repel the insects. According to BBC, scientists believe that low-frequency vibrations encourage sexual interactions while higher frequencies interfere with signal perception from members of the same species and their hosts. The findings of the study that involved exposing mosquitoes to music by Skrillex were that the insects did not bite their hosts as they were entertained.

Of course, research would be incomplete if we did not include how music affects our loyal friends, the dogs. Sound has been disclosed to play a significant impact on dogs since they can recognize each other from their howls and use it to communicate too. As for music, dogs will not change their moods when listening to pop hits. However, the minute you put on some classical music, then your pooch will most likely be relaxed, whereas heavy metal will only agitate him. Such knowledge is useful in our homes since when your dog is under stressful situations such as thunderstorms, then playing some Beethoven will calm his nerves.