The amazing feline ear

Animals hear sounds differently than we do. Have you ever wondered why your cat magically slips away before there’s a knock on your door, or gets agitated before there’s any sign of a thunderstorm? Sound and noise travel through the air at high and low frequencies and volumes that humans can’t hear, but cats can. Their astounding ability to detect the highest frequencies and faintest sounds is a built-in evolutionary survival tactic. A cat’s upright ears give her acute hearing and help her capture frequencies we can’t detect. Additional muscles allow her to rotate her ears for surround sound-like hearing. In fact, observing your cat’s ears is the best way to know what she is hearing and feeling. Her response to sounds and noise is an important way for her to communicate her feelings about the world.

Cats like to sit in the “sweet spot”; this is where music, as it’s reflected from the walls, comes to a central point from the sound source.

Cats also do not have the same audio/spatial localization ability as humans have. While they’ll come running to the kitchen when they learn what sound the door to the food cupboard makes, they are not able to identify the location of jarring sounds. They feel such sounds intensely in their bodies. Humans, meanwhile, use analytical thinking to determine if a sound is harmful or not, and where it’s coming from.

Sound and behavior

It’s important to be aware of your cat’s acute auditory senses. Responses to low frequencies such as loud drums from a sound system can easily generate stress because to the cat it may mean “get ready to flee”. For cats, very low or very high frequency information and resonant vibrations are indistinguishable from a loud vehicle or crack of thunder. They only know they have to react and get away! This uncertainty, combined with the fact that they cannot locate the source of these vibrations, causes them to react with defense instincts.

Because of the sensitivity of feline hearing, your cat may react to agitating sounds you may not even be aware of. Negative behaviors such as furniture scratching, wetting outside the litter box, aggression and excitability while home alone can signal a reaction to unpleasant sounds. These can include rumblings from the furnace, trucks passing on the road, high frequencies emitted from computers and electronic appliances, and other sounds that are part of domestic living.

Music to her ears

Music is a language that animals relate to. In my research, I have tested different types of music and found that felines prefer long sustained tones and harmonies at a moderate to low volume to maintain a state of relaxation. Releasing themselves into calming music gives their alert instincts a chance to rest. Gentle classical or relaxation music are good choices; avoid loud music with a lot of fast rhythms and percussion, especially bass drums.

Amazingly, cats not only understand the soothing qualities of music for enhancing their meditative resting state, but they also like to sit in the “sweet spot” of the room. This is where music, as it’s reflected from the walls, comes to a central point from the sound source. Cats are discerning, of course. They will move away from music they don’t find pleasing, and gravitate to music they do.

When to play it

Calming music in the feline environment offers several advantages:

• it elicits relaxation by limiting frequency
  content in the air.

• it lowers stress levels during thunderstorms
  and while home alone.

• it masks jarring sounds and noises that trigger
  agitated behaviors.

Use music when introducing one cat to another. Music permeates the air with sound waves and distracts the intense smelling session between the two felines.

Music is a comfort to adopted cats while they adjust to their new home and nesting spots. Put on Pet Tunes to attract your cat to a place or room where you want her to be or stay. Use the music for soothing her if she seems stressed or restless. “We had three little foster kittens at an adoption event who were very upset at having to be there,” says Dr. L. Carey of the Litchfield Veterinary Hospital in Connecticut. “There were a lot of new noises and people. We set up the Pet Tunes and within five minutes all three kittens were asleep, completely relaxed.” Dr. Carey adds that music also has a significant calming effect on his hospitalized patients. “We have found it has helped to reduce their anxiety while away from their families.”

If your cat doesn’t go out for a nocturnal prowl, relaxation music is a very useful tool to play at low volume near your cat’s favorite spot. It masks the night sounds from outside that she would instinctively respond to. Whether you live in an urban apartment or a suburban or country home, outside animal noises often elicit excitable instinctive behavior in cats.

Some cats have motion sickness while traveling in the car. Music can help keep both you and your cat calm. “My tabby cat, Oliver, just hated the movement of the car and I could hear from the back seat a sound that was just like the word ‘horror’!” says one cat person I know. “Once the music started, he became calmer and settled down.”

As the expression goes, we can’t herd cats, but we can modify their behavior and help keep them relaxed and happy, with music.

Melissa Neumann www.catmumma.com “I have a strong belief in the importance of science to prove theories and jumped at the chance to be involved in an experiment to prove that a product called Pet Tunes created by Janet Marlow of Pet Acoustics actually works. Ron Pia is the Australian representative for Pet Tunes and contacted me to see if I would be interested in taking part and of course I immediately said yes! Judith Jordan, a huge fan of the product introduced Pet Tunes to the South Australian cat world and was also involved in the study. The fact that we could clearly see data that supports our thoughts that this product works was remarkable and confirmed our beliefs. Janet has been investigating how different animals hear and developing music for them for many years. It was a great privilege to work with her in this experiment. It was amazing that she could monitor our cats from the other side of the world in real time during a pandemic.”

Full Interview on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y69KkglwL7I or click on image.

The interview with Janet Marlow, Sound Behaviorist and Founder of Pet Acoustics spotlights the results of a recent clinical study with nine cats, proving the benefits of feline-specific music through biometric data using the Petpace Smart collar. The data showed, while listening to Pet Tunes Feline music that the pulse and activity levels were lower. We were also able to determine the HRV data which was higher with the cats experiencing the music. All the findings support the hypothesis of a calming effect from Pet Tunes Feline.

https://thepetcalmer.com/​ to purchase in Australia and New Zealand

Image by Adrian Khoo from Pixabay

While overweight pets and pet obesity have been on the rise for years, the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the issue, according to a new study by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, which is based in Topeka, Kan. The study, conducted in partnership with Kelton Global, revealed that more than 71 percent of pet professionals say the pandemic has impacted the way pets eat.

Thirty-three percent of pet owners with an overweight pet say their pet became overweight during the pandemic, according to the study. While a majority of pet owners (73 percent) say they would feel confident in knowing their pet is overweight without professional guidance, veterinarians state that only 12 percent of pet owners proactively flag concerns with their pet’s weight. Moreover, nearly two in three veterinarians say pet owners act surprised (64 percent) or defensive (64 percent) upon learning about their pet’s weight issues.

“Ironically, too much ‘treat love’ during these difficult times is the main culprit,” officials said in a statement.

As a result, six in 10 veterinarians say they anticipate the dogs and cats they see in January are more likely to be overweight or obese, according to the study.

Ultimately, veterinarians overwhelmingly recommend giving fewer treats (92 percent), more exercise (91 percent) and fewer table scraps (91 percent).” Article by Pet Product News

Pet Acoustics is working on a veterinarian approved exercise program for your dog in 2021. Yes, it’s true! Now your dog needs to create diet resolutions for the New Year for those extra pounds. Our product, Fit Tunes Canine is an energy stimulation for your dog.

Fit Tunes Dogs ($49.99)Upbeat rhythms and melodies energize you and your dog with music based on the study of the tempos in canine movement. Each lively track is ornamented with squeaky toys, whistles, human praises and nature sounds. Observe increased focus for less pulling, lunging, aggression and weight loss as used in the Pet Acoustics veterinarian approved program.

During a snowy day this season, I got out my knitting needles to start a winter project. Knitting is relaxing and it’s a great way to gift someone with a cozy warm scarf or sweater made from the heart. The No. 8 needles I used for this particular stitch to start the project were plastic as opposed to my usual metal ones. A few hours later, I left the project on my couch attached to a big ball of yarn. At the moment, we don’t have any cats which would have automatically perked up my warning instincts to not leave the ball of yarn alone. However, I do share my home with my beloved family member Rigby, a six year old English Springer Spaniel, well-behaved with a great life. I came back into the living room where I saw the yarn unraveled and sprawled all over the floor. “Uh oh Rigby, what happened?” I said half smiling. But then I saw that the tip of the knitting needle had been chewed and assumed to have been swallowed. The first thought I had was is Rigby okay? and the second thought was, “I have pet Insurance!” After I looked everywhere on the floor and the couch for the missing needle tip, my head raced to thoughts of X-rays , medications, and possible surgery! Fortunately, I have pet insurance which would have taken care of most of these costs. I did call my veterinarian who said to observe Rigby for a day to make sure his intestines are moving it through and not blocking his appetite as a sign of something wrong. Rigby was and is fine! Whew! I love my dog with all my heart and felt relieved then and there that I could take good care of him no matter what the cost as a result of the eaten-knitting-needle-bit.

I share this story with you because I believe in pet insurance. It is costly I know but at various points in a pet’s lifespan greater care will be needed, guaranteed. Things happen, accidents happen and then you’re there with big bills.

Here are 8 tips to evaluate a pet insurance company provided by Nationwide Pet Insurance, if you are inspired to look further into signing on to one.

1. Compare Pet Insurance Providers

Before you decide to enroll your pet in a pet insurance policy, compare pet insurance providers. A side-by-side comparison will show the difference in plans, premiums, deductibles, co-pays, sample reimbursements and plan details, including exclusions and additional features.

Use this tool to compare pet insurance providers.

2. Check Out the Insurer’s Track Record

Look at the pet insurance provider’s track record for dependability. The key to choosing a pet health insurance provider you can count on is to go with the company that has proven stability, experience and recommendations.

How long has the provider been in business? Are they a trusted financial service? How many in-force policies do they have? Do they have veterinarians on staff who know pets’ needs and help develop policies?

3. Research What’s Covered — and What Might Affect Coverage

Some pet health insurance plans may have exclusions for conditions that are pre-existing, hereditary, congenital, or related to breeding, and may apply restrictions on your coverage when you file a claim.

Before you enroll, make sure you know and understand what factors may affect coverage, such as your pet's breed and any pre-existing conditions. Find out how often, and why, your premium will increase. Ask if the amount of claims you submit will affect your premium. If you are unsure about the policy language, call the pet insurance provider and ask Customer Care to explain in a way that is easily understood by you. 

4. Choose Coverage that Works for You

Do you want coverage for known routine wellness (vaccinations, flea and heartworm prevention, wellness exams and tests), unknown medical care (chronic conditions, surgeries and hospitalization, prescriptions, exams, lab tests, illnesses, injuries) or complete care with coverage that includes hereditary conditions and wellness?

Discuss your pet’s health with your veterinarian, get an idea what common health conditions your pet could face that may be breed related, or if there’s a history of health issues in your pet’s family tree. You can also learn more about the Top 10 Reasons Pets Visit Vets.

Do you want to be prepared in case of an emergency or unexpected illness? Now’s the time to decide so you don’t find yourself unable to receive coverage due to a pre-existing condition once your pet begins to age.

5. Pick the Type of Insurance Reimbursement That Works for You

There are two ways pet insurance providers calculate reimbursement: they use either a percentage of invoice or an annual benefit schedule of allowances.

An invoice is the itemized bill your veterinarian hands you after treating your pet. If you choose to enroll your pet in a percentage of invoice plan, you’ll be reimbursed a percentage of what you paid your vet. For example, Nationwide pet insurance’s Whole Pet with Wellness plan reimburses 90% of your invoice, less your annual deductible.

A benefit schedule of allowances lists everything that is covered under your plan with a set amount for reimbursement. The reimbursement amounts renew annually.

There are a couple of other factors that can affect your reimbursement amount: whether you've chosen a per-incident deductible or an annual deductible. 

6. Review Cost and Value

There’s no point in buying a pet insurance policy just because it’s cheap if it doesn’t cover what your pet needs. Are you interested in wellness, medical or complete care? Your monthly premium and reimbursement amount will vary based on the type of coverage and deductible you choose.

Deductibles are worth taking into consideration: A per-incident deductible is applied to every incident and can reduce your monthly premium. A low annual deductible will result in a higher premium while a higher deductible will result in a lower premium. However, don't base your purchase on cost alone. While a lower premium may sound great, you don't want to limit the amount of benefits you'll receive when you really need them.

7. Enroll Young and Healthy Pets

It’s important to enroll pets when they’re young and healthy to avoid limited coverage due to pre-existing conditions and to reduce the cost of your policy. Just as with human health insurance, pet health insurance premiums can increase as the policyholder ages.

8. Ask About Discounts

Did you know you might be able to score a discount on your premium? Nationwide pet insurance offers a 5% discount to families with 2-3 pets and 10% to those with 4 or more pets. 

Those already enrolled in another Nationwide policy (such as home, auto) are also eligible for an additional 5% discount on select Nationwide pet insurance policies that can be combined with one of the multiple pet discounts.

Does your employer offer pet insurance benefits? Thousands of companies nationwide offer Nationwide at a discount. Check here to see if a policy discount is available in your company benefits package. Certain Nationwide pet insurance plans are eligible for a group discount.

Source: https://www.petinsurance.com/healthzone/ownership-adoption/pet-ownership/pet-owner-topics/8-tips-for-choosing-pet-health-insurance/

Pet Tunes Holiday is a Bluetooth speaker pre-loaded with 14 tracks of holiday music designed for dog and cat hearing to calm them during a high energy time of year. Each Pet Tunes Holiday gift pack comes with a Santa squeaky toy for dogs and a feathered holiday mouse for cat play. A special gift for pets, veterinarians and groomers.

Pet Tunes Holiday Gift Pack Retails for $74.99 on PetAcoustics.com and Amazon.com

• Contains 14 tunes with clinically music proven to calm dogs and cats

• Santa squeaky toy

• Feathered holiday mouse 

• Bluetooth Compatible for Devices

• USB Charging Cord and lanyard

“Miracle music. My dog was panting and anxious once our large family arrived and our cat was nowhere to be found. Once Pet Tunes Holiday was turned on our dog curled up resting in his bed in the living room where we all were and my cat came out to play with the feathered mouse it came with. Thanks Pet Acoustics!” Arlene W.

Animals can change a life. This happened to me when I observed my dogs and cats close to my side when I played music. After two decades of research and clinical studies, I learned why. As a pet parent myself, I wanted to share this important information by writing this book. In What Dogs Hear you will learn about your dog’s amazing hearing abilities and how sound affects their behavior. Each chapter unfolds the scientific reasons why your dog responds to their sonic environment throughout each stage of your dog’s life. You’ll deepen your relationship with your dog by understanding their hearing world to resolve stress issues using technology and techniques to calm and balance behaviors. Janet Marlow’s research, insights and stories are an enjoyable reading experience that will enhance your relationship for you and your dog from puppyhood to senior. 

 “My Friend, Janet Marlow, knows more about the hearing and hearts of dogs 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

“What dogs Hear is excellent!! I have read it and I learned so much. Every dog owner should own this book, or gift it to others who are getting puppies/dogs.” - C. Martinelli

"This is a must-read for anyone who loves animals -- especially if you live with one. I know without a shadow of a doubt that our fellow creatures are feeling, thinking, conscious beings. I know that through my own experience and through the new scientific research I've learned of. But Janet Marlow offers a rare depth of understanding about how non-human animals perceive and respond to the world. If you want to get a glimpse of that world, read this book!" - Elena Mannes

Digital Downloads (9.99) and Paperback (19.99) available on these sites:

READ NOW ON: Amazon Kindle Apple Books Nook Rakuten Kobo

Excerpt from What Dogs Hear

“Throughout the human-canine relationship, sound as a stimulus and as a communication tool is often overlooked as a cause-and-effect of different canine behaviors. Canine acute hearing is often attributed to behaviors such as stress, anxiety, aggression, and fear. As their caregivers, we also need to know our own hearing abilities in order to recognize their needs and sound communication. Do you hear the highest frequencies and whines uttered by your dog? Have you noticed your dog’s hearing diminishing in response to you, now that he is a senior? Do you know how to mitigate your home environment to minimize stress reactivity during thunderstorm and firework events? As a researcher on canine hearing and as an inventor of solutions for canine stress triggered by sound, I am writing this book as my agreement with you to help you know your dog through their amazing hearing ability and what this means for their well-being. Each chapter is sequenced to unfold these important aspects that can be used as tools and techniques to enhance the quality of your dog’s life and bring your relationship to a deeper level of communication with continued love and bonding.” Janet Marlow 

Janet Marlow is internationally known as a composer, researcher, and author and for her contributions to the understanding of animal hearing and behavior. Her research on behalf of animals has been featured on Animal Planet, CNN, Entrepreneur Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal. In 2009, she founded Pet Acoustics Inc. with award-winning products that have helped thousands of pets, pet parents and veterinarians worldwide.

1. Learn as much as you can about the breed or adoption ahead of time.

2. When you go to your first veterinarian check up, discuss what you’re feeding your puppy and evaluate what is best for her.

3. Have a crate ready for training, sleep and nap time so that your puppy can learn to rest and self-regulate feelings of separation when you need to go out. It’s tough love but it will keep your puppy safe. Play our Pet Tunes Canine music to keep puppy calm.

4. Have puppy-appropriate chew sticks and other chewing toys available for your dog especially when she goes though the teething phase. This is good for avoiding your shoes getting chewed up.

5. Create a daily routine for your puppy that suits your schedule. Dogs like routine.

6. Introduce your dog to other people to help socialize them.

7. Bring your puppy to a commercial street to get used to the sounds of traffic and unexpected noises. Verbally reassure your puppy that everything is okay!

8. Talk to your dog and start teaching her words that are identified with items. Every dog is very smart!

9. Sign up for puppy training classes. This will be fun for your puppy and very informative for you.

10. Give your puppy lots of quiet time and cuddles to deepen your person-puppy bond for a lifetime of confidence, balance and wellbeing.

We are hearing from many new customers who are adopting from shelters and bringing puppies into their home during the time of Covid-19. We wanted to share our top 10 tips to give your puppy her best start in life with you and your family.

Cat Sonorgam   “The Purr”

Cats purr at a frequency of 25 to 150 vibrations per second. Amazing! Saying the word ‘vibration’ takes longer. You can see the pattern in the sonogram and sound waves of a slight breath, then the purr vibration, then another slight breath intake and then the purr vibration. Purring is a separate phenomena to breathing but the intensity alters when there is a breath intake when listening.

The purr is our cat’s sign of contentment. They purr when they are happy, nestled up to their person, resting in a sunny spot on the couch, when they are eating and sometimes cat’s purr when they are in pain. When cats purr, it has positive effects on humans, lowering blood pressure and diminishing stress for relaxation. 

I was curious if other animals purr to share this phenomenon with you. Stated in Wikipedia there are other animals that purr. “ Other animals that have been said to purr are rabbits, squirrels, guinea pigs, tapirs, ring-tailed lemurs, elephants, raccoons and gorillas while eating.”

However, scientists continue to research this phenomena indicating that cats remain the singular species that exercise this musical hum initiated for their own healing and comfort.

Cat Questions

Here, you can see the sound of a cat question-like phrase which is a very common vocalization. So do cats speak in questions? The lifting of the voice at the end of the vocalization shown by the strong spiral takes the tone into a questioning pitch. We know that high pitched vocalizations are more likely to get the attention of the feline or human family. The question-like pitch is much like our own phrasing when we ask for something. Cats and humans also share similar sounds when we are unhappy in a lower, more intense tone. 

 A question that is interesting to pose is “Do cats learn to imitate our inflections of speech?”

It would be interesting to observe how your cat responds to your questions, Try these phrases.

Do you want a treat?

Do you want to go out? 

Listen to the melodic-like response and see if you are in conversation with your cat. So when your cat seems to ask “Excuse me but do you speak cat?” You can answer by saying “Why yes I do!”

By Janet Marlow, M.A. Sound Behaviorist

Feline Fun Fact-Smiling Or Smelling?

Have you ever eaten a mint candy and then have taken in a deep breath with your mouth open? It seems like the mint flavor intensifies with the intake of air.  Cat’s have a similar sensation when they smell which makes them look like they are smiling with their mouth open. Fact is cats have an extra olfactory organ which is connected to their nasal cavity. When they sniff and smile, this is called The Flehman Response, resulting in the curling of the upper lip. Cats are one of the few animals that have this extra olfactory organ, called the Jacobson’s organ. Combined with this extra organ when your cat shows this smiling behavior this is known as flehming.

A cat’s ability is heightened to analyze scents by intensifying the odor. They can sense how long ago an animal had been in the area and other important scent information. So if you see your cat flehming know that he is doing a careful analysis of his environment. Just smile back and be proud of your incredible cat!