Cat hates singing???

[BeccaCat]

Ok this is a weird one. I have two cats. One HATES when I sing. It’s so weird! She’ll climb all over me and bite me, even. And she’s not a biter. The other cat could not care less. I sing pretty well, on key. It’s even if I sing softly, not high pitched, just any singing. It’s the goofiest thing!
Tessa comes from an unknown background but we suspect she wasn’t treated well. Maybe singing reminds her of something from her past? I’m not sure how much cats recall. But I’ve never seen a cat react to singing so negatively. Anyone ever experience this? (and she doesn’t care when my son sings, and he’s very off key) Maybe it’s my female singing voice? Her breeder was female, and did not care for her cats well. Her owner that abandoned her was also female. Maybe that woman sang a lot? Who knows - it’s just the goofiest thing.

 

[ArtNJ]

Cats have very different hearing than we do, hearing frequencies we cant, and hearing frequencies we can barely hear. So its legit possible your voice sounds strange to cat hearing. Maybe your off key son actually sounds better to cat ears!

But if I was betting on it, I'd guess that you started after kittenhood. So its a new different sound. Some cats can get scared by new sounds, especially if they didn't get used to them in kittenhood. As far as the cat is concerned, this is just another new sound, like if you randomly started yodelling, which might scare the cat as well. Thats my guess anyway - like you said, who knows?

Start an instagram for the kitty. Maybe he can be the next Simon Cowell.

 

[Caspers Human]

Are you sure that it's a negative reaction? Maybe she likes it and feels frisky when you sing?

Felines are not very well known for joining a chorus like canines are. Wolves, coyotes and even Huskies are known for joining in when one of their clan starts to howl. It's a bonding behavior. Cats don't normally meow to each other. Only to humans when they want attention...mostly. If one member of a cat's clan starts making noise, the others aren't likely to join in.

Since cats can't talk and they don't howl or sing like other animals, how can they show appreciation and bond with others in their clan? They can get frisky and wrestle.

Maybe that's what she's doing with you?

 

[fionasmom]

One of my cats, Granada, loved to have me sing to her. It seemed to relax her and let her know that she was loved. Her need for this increased as she got older.

I should add here that I don't have a good singing voice and, despite several years of lessons, play the piano badly. Currently, Rikki will hiss at me if I sing, and a previous GSD would come over and stand up and smack the piano keys if I tried to play.

 

[Caspers Human]

Casper likes it when I sing to him. He gets perky and wants to be petted.

Elliot seems indifferent.

Your cat’s reaction to singing could be anywhere in between, I suppose.

 

[angel]

my mom had a cat that would attack her when shed sing

 

[iPappy]

Lila will "attack" whatever cat or dog is nearest if I whistle. Once she even approached me with that stalknig "hunt mode" look and I stopped whistling and said "Don't even try it."

 

[Kwik]

Hi B BeccaCat
This is not uncommon at all and there are several reasons your cat is getting stressed by your singing....your cat is indeed trying to stop you from making this 'noise" and that's exactly what it is to her

Firstly and most commonly when people start singing they simply"start singing".....think of it this way,your sitting in your favorite chair,just about to doze off and suddenly,without warning a someone sneaks up behind you with a symbol - you are startled ( to say the least) and your heart is racing 200mph.....Now just imagine if your range of hearing was up to 60,000 hertz...that means it would be amplified 1000;times

So that's one reason,they are startled,frightened by the unexpected loud noise.... and it's not stopping....this can bring on aggression just like kitties that become over stimulated when being petted,they get past a certain threshold that is difficult to settle back down

The volume,it may sound very soft to you but it's not too kitty PLUS it's totally strange & unfamiliar and we all know how cats love familiarity,they get very used to our speaking voice,they are familiar with our different tones,recognize certain words....suddenly your screaming jibberish.....if you must sing with her in the room you can try singing her name and other familiar words very slowly and super super quietly to acclimate her to this " new noise & language .

And lastly,there's been tons of studies on cats and music,think about what a predator hears and what it not a threat - birds singing, squirrel frolicking and leaves gently rustling,a babbling brook- certainly not Led Zeppelin ,Celine Dion or Kelly Clarkson.....

Cats do enjoy what they enjoy,what is comforting to them,harp music,classical instrumentals etc ... So you can say they have their own taste in music,they react differently to different types of music- experiment with some Cat TV music,youtube music for cats and watch to see what she reacts to positively

Hope that helps,cats do not behave irratically without reason,it's nothing personal ,it might even cause her discomfort besides being alarmed,frightened and stressed

 

[Margot Lane]

My cat enjoys my guitar playing, much more so than my ukulele, even tho I only know 3 guitar notes sofar. I think it might be the deeper vibrational level.

 

[Kwik]

The funny thing is I do sing to all my kitties and they love it.....

When I started interacting with Timmy( my newly adopted 7yr old feral) I started humming very softly to him and he'd listen intently...as time went on I sang " Timmy baby,,Timmy boy it's okay,its okay" the words I always say...one year later and all I have to do is start singing and lullaby him to sleep......barely a whisper

 

[iPappy]

My cat enjoys my guitar playing, much more so than my ukulele, even tho I only know 3 guitar notes sofar. I think it might be the deeper vibrational level.

My cats love piano music and deep wind chimes, but dislike the higher pitched things like flutes.

 

[BeccaCat]

Lila will "attack" whatever cat or dog is nearest if I whistle. Once she even approached me with that stalknig "hunt mode" look and I stopped whistling and said "Don't even try it."

Kitties are so quirky!

 

[iPappy]

Kitties are so quirky!

They certainly are!

 

[iPappy]

Well, this morning I noticed when I whistle a song, it sends my dog into a fit of barking. I think I'd better learn to hum!

 

[Alldara]

When I lived with my roommate, she used to pay the same song on repeat: Katy Perry's Firework.

Her cat got so sick of it, he literally broke her computer trying to get it to stop. (Shoved it off the desk after shoving her speakers didn't work).

Usually, a cat's only solution has to be to leave a place to stop listening to a sound. In this case, your cat knows it's you. So punishment is delivered! Is it when you sing a particular song or style or everything?

I think cats have musical preferences when they experience a lot of music. Magnus will actually calm down if we play Faouzia. Nobel used to sit on my phone...not sure if that meant he liked what was playing and wanted to vibe to it better or wanted to turn it off. Lily, knew how to turn off my computer (button was on top and she could step on it). She could turn off my computer at bedtime so I think she could have turned it off if she didn't like what was playing.

 

[Meowmee]

Are you sure that it's a negative reaction? Maybe she likes it and feels frisky when you sing?

Felines are not very well known for joining a chorus like canines are. Wolves, coyotes and even Huskies are known for joining in when one of their clan starts to howl. It's a bonding behavior. Cats don't normally meow to each other. Only to humans when they want attention...mostly. If one member of a cat's clan starts making noise, the others aren't likely to join in.

Since cats can't talk and they don't howl or sing like other animals, how can they show appreciation and bond with others in their clan? They can get frisky and wrestle.

Maybe that's what she's doing with you?

My cats do meow to each other too.

 

[Meowmee]

Ok this is a weird one. I have two cats. One HATES when I sing. It’s so weird! She’ll climb all over me and bite me, even. And she’s not a biter. The other cat could not care less. I sing pretty well, on key. It’s even if I sing softly, not high pitched, just any singing. It’s the goofiest thing!
Tessa comes from an unknown background but we suspect she wasn’t treated well. Maybe singing reminds her of something from her past? I’m not sure how much cats recall. But I’ve never seen a cat react to singing so negatively. Anyone ever experience this? (and she doesn’t care when my son sings, and he’s very off key) Maybe it’s my female singing voice? Her breeder was female, and did not care for her cats well. Her owner that abandoned her was also female. Maybe that woman sang a lot? Who knows - it’s just the goofiest thing.

I’m not sure what could cause it, but the only similar thing is one of my cats when I used to whistle would come up and softly bite me on the face of a hand. I think it was something about the frequency that was hurting her ears maybe but I never figured it out… and there were other cats who I train to come when I whistled- they were indoor outdoor cats.

most of my cats seem to like when I sing however, Xena, who had never heard me sing before thought it was a little strange and gave me his. What are you doing mom look, but I think I’ll get used to it. His expressions are so funny.

I think you can probably get your Cat used to you singing if you expose him to it every day and give him treats when he doesn’t do that behavior maybe… it’s worth a try anyway

 

[Meowmee]

One of my cats, Granada, loved to have me sing to her. It seemed to relax her and let her know that she was loved. Her need for this increased as she got older.

I should add here that I don't have a good singing voice and, despite several years of lessons, play the piano badly. Currently, Rikki will hiss at me if I sing, and a previous GSD would come over and stand up and smack the piano keys if I tried to play.

I was just singing to Quinn and Zena earlier when woke up today and I was laying in bed reading for a while. I think they were not used to it but they like it and are maybe getting a little bit more used to it. I sang the song that I used to sing to my other sweet furries now at the bridge, but I put their names in place instead. If I sing upper range with operatic effect they get a bit worried though

 

[goingpostal]

My Bengal will get revved up and in my face like that sometimes when I sing. She's also ran over and corrected a dog I was yelling at. I don't think she likes anything but her making noise lol.

 

[Hellenww]

I haven't had a cat that hated singing but a few with different reactions to singing or music.

Rusty loved musicals. He'd lay in front of the tv watching, smiling, and ocassionally swaying. It didn't matter the style. Grease, Tommy, Singing in the Rain, or Phantom of the Opera. Phantom real surprised me. He leaned forward on more intense music.

I started singing to Miss Monkey when she was a baby. She was a one person cat and got nervous if I was away. I ended up leaving a recording for my partner to play for her. Singing also relaxed her at the vet. I should note that I sing off key.

Yoshi wasn't interested in singing. When he was older, arthritic, and losing his hearing I would blare classic rock and dance with him in my arms. He'd look really happy and purred.

For many years I sang a little song as I put their wet meals down. Luna is only one who "dances" by standing on he back legs and waving her front legs. I know she just wants her food but it's very cute. Everyone else just sat and waited until I was done my nonsense.