Sounds Cats Love: Their 10 Favorites

Different sounds can be relaxing or stressful depending on the situation, and it’s not just humans who think so. There are several sounds that cats prefer to hear. Many of them, like classical music and natural sounds, have the same relaxing effect on our feline friends as on us.

Since cats have much more sensitive hearing than we do, knowing which sounds they love will help you avoid hurting their ears or scaring them. Some cats might only enjoy one or two of the sounds listed here, while others will like many more. Use this list of 10 sounds that cats love to find out whether your kitty adores relaxing cat music or prefers noisy cat toys that wake their inner hunter.

The 10 Sounds Cats Love

1. Classical Music

If you’re a classical musician or someone who just enjoys classical music, you’ve probably wondered whether your cat enjoys listening to your favorite piece as much as you do. Whether your cat enjoys classical music depends on the piece and your cat’s personality. Many cats have been found to relax when they hear compositions by George Handel, Samuel Barber, and others.

Your cat might not “enjoy” classical music the same way that you do—or appreciate the effort put into each composition—but they have been found to relax when they hear the pieces. When compared with results from other music genres like pop, classical music is one of the most effective.

2. High Pitches

Cats can hear frequencies as high as 64,000 Hz, and since the sound of their typical prey is often high-pitched, cats generally respond much better to high-pitched noises than low ones. Cats often face low pitches—like bangs or crashes—with more wariness.

3. Long Vowels

Cats respond best to extended vowels. This could be because their meows and other vocals are based on long vowel sounds too. No matter the reason, it means your cat loves the sound of all that “baby talk” that you can’t resist slipping into whenever you see them.

The long “e” vowel in particular is one that cats enjoy hearing the most, such as in names ending in the sound or words like “kitty.” If you listen carefully when your cat meows at you, you’ll notice that they often use an extended “ah” sound as their way of demanding your attention or food.

4. Music for Cats

Music has been developed especially for cats following research that suggests that cats respond best to music that’s composed to suit them rather than us. Using species-appropriate music is a way to counteract the inconsistent results from classical music and natural sounds. It’s intended to be a method of better understanding how cats and other animals react to auditory stimuli.

Cat-specific music is designed to match their likes. This means it’s better suited for their hearing range and more in line with what they like hearing than our music. The study found that cat music is more effective in calming them than human music. It’s also been found to reduce stress in cats during visits to the vet.

5. Natural Noises

Few things are more soothing than the sounds of nature. A breeze blowing through the trees on a summer’s day, a bubbling brook, or the sound of waves are all perfect for relaxing. Cats often think so too.

With their love for naps, they’re adept at finding the best quiet spots to curl up. They’ll seek out a place that’s quiet and sunny, without any of the high-pitched, long vowel noises that they associate with their prey or other cats that may bother them.

It’s difficult to find a completely silent spot to relax in, but nature has plenty of soothing sounds that your cat will appreciate. You might even find your cat relaxing with you when you listen to a nature soundtrack.

6. Sounds From Other Cats

Hearing a language that you understand is always less stressful than one that you don’t recognize, and it’s the same for cats. For them, the noises of other cats will always be much more familiar to them than human language. While your cat will prefer your voice over that of a stranger, they are even more responsive to the sounds that other cats make.

All that meowing, chattering, purring, trilling, and warbling mean different things. For your cat, the sounds are all easily understood and comforting. The more gentle these sounds are, the more comfortable your cat will be.

7. Prey Sounds

Despite their adorable whiskers, frequent catnaps, and relaxing purrs, cats are hunters. Your pet might not need to hunt for their food, but they retain their hunting instincts and often hunt for fun. The sounds that their prey makes are particularly interesting to them.

During a hunt, your cat relies on all their senses, and their hearing is one of their biggest assets. Hearing a rodent scampering through a cupboard or the quiet squeak of a field mouse is more than enough to wake up your cat’s instincts.

8. Rattling Treat Bags

Food is often a great motivator, and the rattle of their favorite treats will have most cats off the couch and by your side in no time at all. If your cat is less food oriented, they might not react as much to hearing you shake a bag of treats. More often than not, though, the sound is a source of delight for felines.

9. Rustling

Cats can associate rustling sounds with two things: playtime and mealtime. If you have a cat that loves to play with plastic bags, they probably come running whenever they hear anything rustle. The same can be said if you have a cat that adores the crinkling sound of a stuffed catnip toy. To these cats, rustling wakes up their predator instincts and coaxes them to practice their hunting skills or just enjoy a game with you.

Rustling can also be related to food. Dry food is often kept in bags, and if you use sachets of wet food, there’s bound to be a bit of rustling or crinkling as you open them. Your cat will slowly learn to associate rustling with the smell of their food and mealtime.

10. Toy Sounds

The best cat toys are often ones that you make yourself, but many store-bought options are designed specifically to get your cat’s attention. You can find toys that are designed to squeak to mimic a prey animal or jingle to keep their attention. There are also quiet toys that simply rustle or rattle to mimic plastic bags. Not all cats like loud toys, though. If your cat is more timid, they might prefer a quieter option.

Do All Cats Love the Same Sounds?

Many cats will like many or all the sounds listed here, but not all of them will. Like us, cats have individual personalities. While your friendly, outdoor-exploring feline might love every sound on this list, your bashful house cat might prefer peace and quiet.

Making sure your kitten is socialized can help them deal with strange noises. By introducing them to sounds suitable for cats, you can help them learn that there’s nothing to be scared of. For example, a kitten will be more interested in pouncing on a jingle ball than a timid adult cat that finds the high-pitched ringing to be alarming.

What Sounds Do Cats Hate?

Although there are plenty of sounds that cats love, there are also ones that they dislike. Noises that are too loud or shrill stand a good chance of scaring your cat.

Also, keep in mind that their hearing is much stronger than ours, and their ears are designed to gather as much sound as possible. As a result, noises that you find to be at a comfortable volume might be too loud for them.

Certain sounds are disliked because of how similar they are to more negative feline behaviors. For example, hissing is done by cats to show displeasure. Similar sounds are likely to stress your cat and make them wonder what they did wrong.

Conclusion

Don’t be worried if your cat doesn’t seem to enjoy all of these sounds as much as you’d hoped. Cats are all individuals and have their own preferences. There are bound to be a few that will help them relax. As you learn more about your cat and their reactions to things, you’ll become more familiar with their preferences too.

The next time that you unpack a plastic bag, consider rustling it a little to see if your cat reacts, or try putting on cat-specific music when your cat is feeling anxious.

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