Music your cat will love (according to science)

Music doesn’t just fill the silence, it sets the mood. It calms us down, uplifts us and makes rush hour or workouts slightly more enjoyable. 

But here's the thing: those playlists we love are made for human ears, human brains and human feelings. But cats vibe on a totally different frequency (sorry, Taylor).

Turns out, cats need their own kind of music. Lucky for them, and us, it actually exists. Even better? Science says they love it. 

Less Paramore… More Purrs 

David Teie isn’t your average composer. He’s a classically trained musician and a former cellist with the National Symphony Orchestra. He’s also the kind of guy who looked at a cat and thought, “what if you had your own playlist?”

His mission was to figure out how different species experience music. Spoiler: it’s not all the same slow jams and breakup ballads.

Humans tend to find comfort in sounds that mimic a mother’s heartbeat and breathing (basically, our first ambient playlist). But cats develop most of their brains after birth, so Teie turned his attention to the sounds kittens grow up with: the rhythm of milk-suckling, gentle purrs, tiny mews and chirping birds.

He layered those sounds with tempos and frequencies cats actually use to communicate,  and Music for Cats was born. A scientifically designed playlist, made to speak your cat’s language. You can listen to it here.

Your Cat’s New Favourite Playlist 

Teie teamed up with researchers to put his feline-friendly tracks to the test. They played two cat songs (“Cozmo’s Air” and “Rusty's Ballad”) and two human songs (“Élégie Op. 24” and “Air on a G String”). The results? There was a clear favourite, with the cats responding faster and with more interest to the cat-specific tracks. Think head turns, speaker sniffs and even purring along. 

And it’s not just about taste. Follow-up studies found that when cats listened to music made for them during vet visits, their stress levels dropped significantly. So your cat’s new playlist might actually make checkups less dramatic, too.

Alexa, Play Chill Cat Vibes 

At home, music is a low-effort, high-reward way to upgrade your cat’s daily life. It helps them chill out and feel safe.

And while that strangely named Spotify playlist (divorced pilates dad lo-fi Sunday afternoon, anyone?) wasn’t made for feline ears, David Teie’s were. His tracks are the first scientifically backed compositions specifically designed for cats.

In fact, cat lovers liked them so much that Universal Music signed him. Yep, a major record deal… for an album made for cats.

And the reviews? Rave: “Total banger.” “My cat is absolutely obsessed.” “My cats will purr along.”

So whether your cat is home solo, on the way to the vet or just loafing in the sun, press play here. You might catch them grooming, purring and entering their full-on chill beats era.