Does Your Cat Need Sound Therapy?

If you’ve ever turned on soft music to calm your own nerves, you already understand the heart of sound therapy.

Now imagine using that same concept – but in a way that’s intentionally designed to help your cat’s nervous system feel safe, grounded, and more at ease.

We recently sat down with our friend and integrative veterinarian, Dr. Amaya Espindola, to talk about sound therapy for cats – not as a “woo-woo” idea, but from a neuroscience and nervous system perspective. What she shared really impacts how we all can think about our voices, our energy, and even simple things like humming in the kitchen.

We hope you have a chance to watch the full interview, but here’s a breakdown of our talk so you can start using sound therapy with your own kitties

The Science Behind Sound Therapy

To understand why sound therapy for cats can be so powerful, we have to talk about the nervous system.

Most of us grew up with a simple model:

Fight
Flight
Relax

But newer research, like polyvagal theory, shows it’s more complex than that. When an animal (or human) encounters something new or stressful, the body can respond in several ways:

Fight
Flight
Freeze/collapse (“play dead”)
Social engagement – seeking connection and safety with trusted beings

All of this is regulated by the autonomic nervous system and the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain through the heart, lungs, gut, and even influences the voice and ears.

Here’s where sound comes in:

The tone, rhythm, and vibration of sound can signal safety to the nervous system.
Sound can activate the “social engagement” side of the vagus nerve – the part that says, “You’re safe. You’re not alone. You can relax now.”

And because cats (and humans) have neuroplasticity, their brains and nervous systems can learn new patterns. That means their reactions to stress and change can actually shift over time.

Sound therapy isn’t just about playing music in the background. It’s about using sound as a tool to regulate the nervous system and create safety.

How (and Why) Sound Therapy Works for Cats

Cats are incredibly sensitive beings. They feel our stress, they react to environmental noise, and they often carry past experiences in their bodies – just as humans do.

Sound therapy helps them in a few key ways:

1. It creates a sense of safety

A cat who feels unsafe:

Hides
Bites “out of nowhere”
Overreacts to small changes
Refuses food or new textures

A cat who feels safe:

Is more open to connection
Can explore, play, and eat
Recovers more easily from stress

Sound – especially a familiar, grounded voice – can become a “safety signal” for your cat. Over time, your voice, your song, or your humming can mean: “You’re safe here. You can relax.”

2. It regulates both of you

You cannot calm a cat if you’re completely stressed and maxed-out yourself. Before sound therapy does anything for your cat, it often does something for you:

Deep, diaphragm-based breathing while speaking or singing calms your own nervous system.
Your calmer state then translates through your tone, body language, and energy.
Your cat reads that safety – and over time, starts to trust it.

3. It goes deeper than simple conditioning

Treat-based training is wonderful, but it’s mostly about behavior.

Sound therapy works at the level of the nervous system and feeling safe. It’s less about, “If I hear this word, I get a treat,” and more about, “When I hear this voice/tone, I feel safe in my body.”

That deeper shift is what can change how cats respond to things like:

Being touched
New environments
Veterinary visits
Diet transitions

Practical, Everyday Ways to Use Sound Therapy for Cats

The beautiful thing about sound therapy is anyone can do it. You do not have to be a professional singer. Your cat does not care if you’re off-key. What matters is:

Your intention
Your breath
Your consistency

Here are some simple ways to bring sound therapy into daily life.

1. During mealtimes (especially for picky or anxious eaters)

If you’re transitioning to a new food or your cat is an “affection eater” (needs emotional connection before eating):

Take a few slow breaths before you prep the food.
Hum or softly sing a simple, repetitive tune while you’re preparing and serving.
Keep your energy focused on gratitude:
- “Thank you for this food.”
- “This is going to help your body feel so good.”

Over time, your cat can start to associate that sound and energy with safety and nourishment, making diet changes easier.

2. For handling, meds, and grooming

When you:

Give medication
Trim nails
Clean ears
Brush out mats

Instead of silently stressing or nervously chattering, try this:

Take a breath.
Speak in a low, steady, intentional tone.
You can even say what you’re doing:
- “Okay love, we’re going to do your medicine now.”
- “I know you don’t like this, but I’m right here with you.”

Your cat may not understand the words, but they absolutely understand the vibration and energy behind them.

3. During stress, illness, or recovery

If your cat is in the hospital, recovering from illness, or going through something scary:

Use your voice as their “anchor.”
Softly sing or hum a simple tune when you visit.
If you’re at home, hold them (if they’re comfortable with that) and let your voice be slow, repetitive, and soothing.

Even gently humming can be incredibly regulating – for both of you. We experience this first-hand while our Madison was in the ER.

4. Everyday bonding & prevention

The more often you practice sound therapy when things are normal, the more your cat learns: “This sound = safety.”

So when something stressful does happen, you already have a tool your cat recognizes and trusts.

The Future of Sound Therapy for Cats

We have to agree with Dr. Amaya that we’re just scratching the surface of what sound therapy for cats can really do.

Research already shows:

Music specifically designed for cats – like that from David Teie – can reduce stress in veterinary clinics (and at home).
Classical music can lower the need for anesthesia in some animals.
High-quality, nature-based bioacoustic recordings can support relaxation, sleep, and even organ function.

What Dr. Amaya envisions:

More integrative vet clinics using sound intentionally in exam rooms and recovery areas.
Pet parents using sound therapy at home as part of their everyday toolkit – right alongside nutrition, enrichment, and natural remedies.
Communities of caregivers sharing stories, experiments, and results, helping guide future research.

We don’t yet know how far this can go – but early stories and science suggest it’s powerful, safe, and deeply meaningful for our cats.

Dr. Amaya’s Lullabies for Cats

One of the sweetest things to come out of Dr. Amaya’s work with sound therapy is her project:
lullabies for cats.

These lullabies are:

Simple, repetitive melodies
Slow and soothing (around a relaxed heart rate rhythm)
Filled with loving, grateful, comforting words

They were designed so that:

You can play them for your cat, or
Learn and sing them yourself – especially when you don’t have access to music, like in the car, at the vet, or in the middle of the night.

Some cat parents have reported that their cats:

Relax more easily
Are easier to handle
Even start eating better after hearing these lullabies

And the beautiful part? You don’t need fancy equipment. You just need you – your breath, your voice, and your intention to help your cat feel safe.