The Effect of Music on Animals

We all have different preferences in music. It moves us in different ways, whether it is calming, or makes us happy or even angry and irritated. Music is therapeutic; it evokes memories and emotions, good and bad. We all react differently to different melodies, and animals are no different. Whales and birds sing their own songs and other species make beautiful music, especially during mating season. But do animals appreciate human tunes? Many do. Elephants have been known to dance to classical music, and there are many articles about cows that enjoy relaxing music. The University of Leicester researchers discovered that cows produced 3% more milk when they were listening to music by REM, Simon & Garfunkel and classical music, as opposed to hard rock music. Read the full article here: www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/03/06/285314648/secret-life-of-cows-part-deux-milking-mood-music.

It is a well-known fact that feel-good music like Motown, reggae, and classical music played in animal shelters is calming for dogs and makes them less aggressive. As long as it is not heavy metal or hard rock, which causes an increase in anxiety.

Leaving music on during your absence will help calm a dog who suffers from separation anxiety. Cats, as with many things in life, seem to be indifferent to music. For the especially spoiled or even abused and nervous cats, there is specifically developed music created by researchers which are cat approved. These tunes soothe and alleviate anxiety.

These days there is music available which is specially produced for almost any animal, designed to reduce stress by a holistic method. It seems that chickens prefer classic music, Happy Egg Co. egg farmers and University of Bristol researchers found that the hens produce more eggs when they listen to classical music. Find out more here: soundcloud.com/happyeggs/sets/top-of-the-flocks-relaxing-tracks-to-set-feathers-a-flutter