In a News post on 6th April, I announced my new blog, to be called “Humoresque”, and I promised you pictures of my cat. Three months later, I shall finally deliver on that promise!
His name is Carly, and as you can see he’s quite a big cat.
Carly has been brought up with music.
He was a lockdown kitten, born from the illicit liaison between a Welsh female cat called Pudding and an unknown male, whom she contrived to meet after dark by squeezing through the almost-shut bathroom window. At the height of restrictions in 2020, there was no access to a vet, so when her owner realised Pudding was pregnant, she knew they were on their own.
On 10th July 2020, Pudding gave birth to a litter of healthy kittens. This all took place in south Wales, in the house next door to where my mum lived. I was staying with her at the time, and 10th July was the date I was travelling home. But early that morning, Mum and I were called round to Primrose Cottage, and we watched in awe as Pudding delivered her kittens like a pro. It was the most amazing experience!
Mum immediately requested one of the black-and-white ones, and her lovely neighbour promised she would have one. The other kittens needed owners too, and I believe all of them ended up in loving homes.
So Carly went to live with my mum in early September 2020, and from then on he was surrounded by music. In April 2023 he came to live with me, and his musical life continued.
Now, it’s interesting that sometimes Carly likes to sit in the Gallery (where the piano lives), and sometimes he doesn’t want to. Is this because of a response to the music he hears? Or isn’t it connected at all with that? Why does he like to be in there with certain pupils but not others? Could it be anything to do with the music they’re playing?
Well, obviously I asked him. The response was ambiguous. So I searched online for music he might like.
Here’s what I found:
Cats have different hearing ranges and sensitivities from those of humans. They hear much higher frequencies (up to 64 kHz, compared to our 20 kHz), and their brains process sound differently. Music composed for human ears, based on our heartbeats, vocal ranges, and rhythms, usually doesn’t align with what cats find engaging or soothing.
Did you know that some music has been written especially for cats?
These compositions are scientifically designed, using feline-friendly tempos and frequencies:
David Teie – Music for Cats
- Tracks to try:
- “Lolo’s Air”
- “Katey Moss Catwalk”
- “Rusty’s Ballad”
Apparently, cats often show interest by rubbing their head on the speaker, purring, or lying nearby.
Further research revealed the following:
Some pieces of classical music are known to soothe cats
These pieces are not composed specially for cats, but many felines respond well to their calm, predictable nature.
Recommended Composers and Tracks:
- Erik Satie – Gymnopédies
- Claude Debussy – Clair de Lune
- Frédéric Chopin – Nocturnes
- Johann Sebastian Bach – Prelude in C Major
- Ludovico Einaudi – Nuvole Bianche (minimalist piano)
And finally, here are some tips for playing music to your cat:
- Use music during potentially stressful events (vet visits, fireworks, visitors).
- Keep the volume low – cats have far more sensitive hearing than we do.
- Play the music in a familiar environment.
- Watch your cat’s body language: flattened ears or tail flicks = dislike; purring, kneading, grooming = content.
Of course, I had to try this out, so I played some of David Teie’s Music for Cats to Carly. It’s hard to know what he thought of it, but it does look as if he found it soothing. He certainly wasn’t put off by it, and he didn’t run out of the room (as he sometimes does when I play the piano!)
The video lasts just over one minute.
What do you think of Carly’s response? I think he looks really relaxed, and he actually seems to be listening!
So anyway, I’ve decided to play this music in the car next time we go to the vet, which we do every three months to have his claws clipped and a quick check-up. Carly hates having to be in a container in the back of the car, so this may help.
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted that tomorrow is Carly’s fifth birthday. I shall play his special music to him, and give him a tube of salmon yoghurt for breakfast. His favourite!
Humoresque = a whimsical or fanciful piece of music. Be whimsical, be fanciful, but play in time!
(Humoresque Number 12)
Hello Rory, Carly seems to be really enjoying the music, his ears are moving but he is still.
My daughter’s young spaniel lies at my feet when I play Beethoven’s Sonata in C sharp minor for him.
Brilliant.
Hello Rory,
I think Carly is enjoying that music. He looks really chilled.
My cat used to love me practising the violin. He would purr and rub his head against my legs. I don’t know what that said about my violin playing!
The cat music you played for Carly sounds as if a bow is being drawn across a string producing a sliding note in parts so it must be a sound they enjoy!