Our anthropocentric view generally leads us to impose (in good faith, of course) what we like on our pets. Since they cannot tell us what they do or do not want (at least not in words), we tend to make decisions for them. This applies to their diet, daily routines, play, and every aspect of their lives.
Fortunately, as our knowledge and understanding of pets advances, proposals designed by and for them are being developed. Such is the case with Music for Cats, the first venture by a major record company into a work not specifically intended for humans.
With the backing of Universal Music, American cellist David Teie has released five compositions designed for felines. Music for Cats is the result of the scientific research conducted by the University of Wisconsin over two years.
Teie believes that each mammalian species has intuitive biological responses to sounds that are part of the early stages of its development. That is why the musician, who is a member of the U.S. National Symphony Orchestra, has included in his compositions sequences that imitate «their own language» and make sense to them. In fact, the ingredient that makes this piece special, turning it into music for cats rather than humans, is that it includes the sounds a cat makes when nursing or purring. While humans have their mother's heartbeat recorded in the brain regions responsible for emotions before birth, cats store the sound of suckling in their memory while their brains are developing.
The result is a record featuring 40 minutes of (pseudo-)purrs and (pseudo-)meows (in a format that makes it audible, and even pleasant, for humans), which sought funding for its release through a crowdfunding campaign. The songs have suggestive titles such as «Cat Ballad», «Kitten Song» and «Feline Airs», and incorporate sounds that evoke cats, conveying comfort and affection with the aim of helping the cat relax. Obviously, like all art, this is not an exact science. So the best thing is to discover how your own ARISTOCAT reacts. In addition, introducing music into its life could be a good way to enrich its environment at home.
And although his theory applies to other species, choosing cats was not trivial. Since music (at least for now) is bought by humans, the album was aimed at a popular pet. The choice of cats rather than dogs came down to a simple auditory reason. There are countless dog breeds, with widely varying sizes and weights that noticeably change each specimen's voice, whereas «cats are more uniform across breeds», Teie says. A curious detail worth noting about him is that he is allergic to cats.
For now, it is difficult to assess how well the album has been received by cats, but its reception among their owners is clear: the release took place last October 14 and it has already climbed to the top spot in sales on the iTunes Classical Music Chart.
What will come next? Teie says the next music-loving animals will be dogs and horses. We will be watching!