Entertaining Your Pets with Music & TV!

Entertaining Your Pets with Music & TV!

I’m sure that you or someone you know will turn on the radio or the TV when leaving a pet alone in the house. I bet you’ve also wondered if this is effective or if we, as humans, do it because it gives us a little peace of mind. We have a tendency to project onto our pets and assume that they will like what we like. Some pet parents assume that if they like Mozart, their dog will like Mozart or, if they like rock music, they say their dog prefers rock we all. 

Some music can help relieve stress and anxiety in pets, but it depends on the genre. 

So can entertaining pets with music work? We will explore the answer to this question for you right in this blog! 

Entertaining pets with music and TV can be effective!

According to research, different types of music can garner different types of reactions. Classical music, for example, can calm and relax your pet, whereas rock music may cause your pet to feel hyper or agitated. Playing some soft, calm music can help your pet rest, relax, and go to sleep.  

Researchers also say that it’s best not to play music around the clock, just at strategic times during the day, like mealtime, bedtime, or when you know you will be leaving the house. It becomes less effective if played 24/7. You can download many apps, for cats and dogs, that offer different types of music for different situations.

Music Can Help Relieve Stress and Anxiety in Pets

Pet shelters have been using music and videos to help calm and relieve anxiety in their furry residents.

According to the ASPCA, playing classical music for their dogs increased the amount of time they spent sleeping. Shelters can be very noisy places with constant barking. After a while, it can get really overwhelming for both the animals, workers and volunteers. 

The shelters play music for a couple of hours, but not every day. This avoids overexposure, to the music, so that it makes the biggest impact.

Pets LOVE Watching TV!

Pets loving watching tv just as much as humans do! Having the TV helps alleviate separation anxiety, improving your pets’ state of mind when they are home alone. TV seems to be more effective with dogs than cats. According to The Bark, dogs notice and understand when another dog is shown on TV! They also respond positively to sounds of praise, happy human voices, and squeaking toys. There is now a TV channel with 24/7 programming called DogTV! There are interactive videos and DVDs for our feline friends for cats named “Meowvies” that can be found all over the internet!

Please keep in mind that while music and TV are great to use to help us take care of our pets, they should not be used as substitutes for other important activities, such as playtime or cuddle time. TV and music can be a wonderful addition to your pet’s healthy, well-balanced life!

Need help getting your dog out for a walk? Check out our Dog Walking page, and have one of our pet care specialists take your pup out for some fun in the sun!