What’s on your pet’s favourite playlist?

But the key is the type of music you play. “If you start beating drums loudly, it’s not going to calm them down,” Dr Sharma clarifies. Slow-tempo tracks with simple rhythms and no loud percussion tend to work best. Think classical music, soft rock, calming flute notes, or even gentle reggae.

In one study involving more than 150 dogs, many showed fewer signs of stress — less pacing, less panting — when listening to slow, specially composed piano music for relaxation. Dogs in shelters or vet clinics also rested more and barked less when classical music was played. Heavy metal or fast, loud tracks had the opposite effect, making them more agitated. Similar responses have been noted in cats. Studies found that classical pieces helped slow their breathing and heart rate, a clear sign of relaxation.

Slow-tempo and gentle music, like classical or jazz, helps cows relax and boosts milk production by up to 10%

Likewise, cows listening to slow, calm music show lower heart rates and appear more at ease during routine work. “Not only do the cows get calm, their milk production increases and there’s a good atmosphere in the shed. It is a good therapy,” Dr Sharma confirms.

In zoos, animals like elephants and gorillas have shown reduced aggression and fewer repetitive, stress-driven behaviours when classical music is played in the background. Although not many wild animals have been studied in this context, Dr Sharma is confident that melodious music may have a calming effect on them as well.

But just like humans, every animal is different. Loud, harsh, or high-energy music can increase stress. Audiobooks or human speech don’t usually help either — pets often stay alert because they’re listening to the voice instead of relaxing.  Because of this, some experts have started composing music specifically for certain species, adjusting tempo and pitch to match their hearing and natural rhythms. This kind of tailored music removes sounds that might bother animals and focuses on tones that soothe them.

For pet parents, this offers a simple, low-effort way to calm anxious animals — especially during travel, separation, thunderstorms, or noisy surroundings. Slow classical, soft rock, or mellow reggae are often good places to start. So the next time you find an animal anxious, uneasy, or scared, don’t forget to play some classical music to calm their paws!