Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: February 9, 2023 by Crystal Uys
There have been a number of studies about how music helps keep cats calm in stressful situations. A recent study looked at whether music might reduce stress for cats receiving a medical exam at the veterinary office.
The researchers also wanted to know whether “cat specific music” would provide benefits compared to classical music or silence. The study, Effects of music on behavior and physiological stress response of domestic cats in a veterinary clinic, was recently published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.
To test the responses of cats, the researchers tested 20 cats with all three musical conditions (cat music, classical music, silence). Each condition was tested on a different date (with two weeks between each test). When cats arrived at the veterinary hospital, they were placed in an exam room with the musical stimuli for 10 minutes. Then they were given a basic physical exam, including the collection of a blood sample, while the music played on.
Read cat behaviorist Dr. Mikel Delgado’s blog cats and squirrels and other important things… for more information about the fascinating findings of this study and Mikel’s interpretation of the findings.
