Photo by Ансплэш Степана on Unsplash
Can music help your cat relax and thrive? Renowned sound expert Janet Marlow reveals how species-specific music can reduce feline stress, improve behavior, and even be prescribed by vets instead of medication. Discover how tailored soundscapes can transform your cat’s well-being. Bonus: Give your pet a free hearing test!
Guest
My guest today is Janet Marlow; she was a guest here in Ep. 161 talking about her research on species-specific music for pets designed to calm anxiety and improve behavior and health for multiple species, including horses, cats, rabbits, birds. That conversation was more of an umbrella conversation on her work and findings in general, and she was so full of information and resources that I knew immediately I wanted to have her back as a guest to talk about one of the specific pet categories. Janet is a renowned expert in sound and its effects on animals and humans. Her research led to the creation of Pet Acoustics, a company specializing in creating music scientifically designed to reduce stress and promote well-being in pets. Beyond research and product development, Janet is an advocate for animal welfare and sound’s role in animal wellness. She collaborates with veterinarians, trainers, and behaviorists. Pet Acoustics’ award-winning products have helped thousands of pets and pet parents, veterinarians, and rescue shelters worldwide.
Notes
We discuss:
- Mindy’s observation that musicians seem to have a special affinity for cats!
- The special cat that was Janet’s first pet, and the important role that Osborn played in her life and career.
- What species-specific research shows about the musical characteristics (frequency range, tempo, volume, etc.) that cats hear and respond to.
- How sounds heard by cats differ from what humans hear.
- How can sound and music impact the behavior of cats.
- How veterinarians began to prescribe music over Prozac!
- Pet Acoustics produces clinically tested music calibrated to the unique hearing sensitivities of cats (and other species/dogs, horses, birds, rabbits).
- Sneak peek at Pet Acoustics’ latest offering, coming soon!
- Additional recommended resources on this topic.
Connect/Other Resources
- Pet Acoustics website
- Don’t miss the blog, which includes the article Adoption and Socialization: Helping Cats Thrive in Their New Environment
- FREE Home Pet Hearing Test available on Pet Acoustics website
- Pet Acoustics on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok
- Janet on LinkedIn
- Pet Acoustics playlists avail on Spotify and all other streaming platforms.
- Janet Marlow Radio station on Spotify offers classical and jazz for humans.
- Janet’s books:
- What Dogs Hear: Understanding Canine Hearing and Behavior From Puppy to Senior (2020)
- Zen Dog, Music & Massage for a Stress-Free Pet (2008)
- The Magic of Music for Pets (2007)
- “Dogs and Cats Hear Much, Much More!” (2010): Free book for kids! “My friend, Janet Marlow, knows more about the hearing and hearts of dog and cats, more than anyone I know. I pay close attention to whatever Janet says and now, with her wonderfully informative book, you can, too.” – Mary Pope Osborne, Author of The Magic Tree House Series
- Pet Acoustics products available on Pet Acoustics website and Amazon.
- Coming Soon: The new estimated launch date for the PetAcoustics app is April 20, 2025. Be sure to join the Pet Acoustics newsletter to be notified as soon as it’s available. Just go to the home page, scroll to “Get notified with product reveals, sale events, and new discoveries,” and enter your email address (you’ll also receive 10% your first order).
- Janet mentions the following recommended resources:
- International Cat Care
- Cornell Feline Health Center
- The Feline Veterinary Medical Association (FelineVMA), formerly the American Association of Feline Practitioners
Other episodes we mentioned or that you may enjoy:
- Ep. 161: Enhancing pet health with species-specific music that calms anxiety and improves behavior; with Janet Marlow
- Ep. 124: How can music enhance my DOG’s health and behavior? With Lisa Spector
- Ep. 58: What does Sesame Street music have to do with guide dogs? September is National Guide Dog Month; with Rena Strober
- Ep. 52: In honor of the “2020” Olympics: The MUSICAL Olympic event, with champion equestrian Betsy Van Dyke
- Ep. 74: Why do birds (and insects and whales) sing? With David Rothenberg, PhD
- View all episodes related to Education & Community
In-Episode Promo
LIVING WELL WITH DR. MICHELLE: If you’ve listened to this podcast for long, you know that, in addition to being passionate about music, I am also passionate about natural health and wellbeing. So I was intrigued to learn about an all-natural toothpaste developed by a biologic, holistic dentist to effectively clean and protect teeth and strengthen enamel without fluoride or the many chemicals that are ubiquitous in the commercial toothpastes that I’ve always used without a second thought. What really caught my attention was that one of these dentist’s products was specially formulated for sensitive teeth, which I have thanks to gum recession. I was a little skeptical that an all-natural product would provide adequate sensitivity protection, but after trying it for several months, I am a fan. What clinched the deal was going to my 6-month dental cleaning and having my hygienist rave about the whiteness of my teeth. To learn more about the Living Well Sensitive Tooth Powder and other products – and get 10% off your order – check out the link in the show notes (or use Coupon Code: musicenhances10 at livingwellwithdrmichelle.com). (Or buy on Amazon.)
Coda
Janet shares: My new mantra is the essence of what I believe is a good life for animals and humans and that is: “Calm is Health, Balance is Longevity.” She also shares a story about Luna the cat and how veterinarians are prescribing music over Prozac.
Closing Words
Thank you so much to Janet for joining us today and for all she does to enhance the lives of pets and their parents – and veterinarians, trainers, and shelters – with music.
A quick update on the new PetAcoustics app we discussed: The new estimated launch date is April 20. Be sure to join the Pet Acoustics newsletter to be notified as soon as it’s available. There’s a link in the show notes, as well as lots of other links, like to that FREE Home Pet Hearing Test, Janet’s books, and more. You’ll also find a transcript of this conversation, and related episodes you may enjoy.
If you know of someone who would enjoy this episode – perhaps a pet parent, sitter, or veterinarian – please share it with them! It’s easy to do right in your podcast listening app; just look for the Share feature.
If there’s a topic or guest that you would like to hear featured on this show, or if you have a question for me that you’d like to hear answered on the show, please let me know. You can always connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Until next time, may your life be enhanced with music.
If you enjoyed this episode, please:
- Follow us in your podcast app: This is FREE and conveniently delivers each new episode to your device when it releases, so you don’t have to search for it.
- Share us with others: If you know of someone who would enjoy this episode, please share it with them! It’s easy to do right in your podcast listening app. Just tap the Share feature for options to share by text, email, or social media (or share this page).
- Rate & review our show: This fuels our creative energy, and also helps others find the show!
Note: We occasionally use affiliate links for products and services we whole-heartedly believe in. We may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, for purchases made through these links. This helps support the free content we provide.