Whether you’re constantly listening to music with your pet, or if you’ve ever simply felt that familiar twinge of sadness at having to leave your four-legged BFF alone when you leave the house, Spotify have come up with a solution.
The streaming service has launched a function which algorithmically generates a playlist designed to keep your pet dog, cat, hamster, bird or, uh, iguana, calm and relaxed when you can’t keep them company, or just a selection of excellent tunes you and your animal friend can enjoy together.
The tracks chosen are based on your animal friend’s attitudes as well as your own listening habits, which will hopefully add some validity to the theory my housemate’s cat, Walter, enjoys Phoebe Bridgers as much as I do.
The new feature is backed by some interesting facts about pets and music – a survey they conducted found 71% of pet owners have played music to their pets, and 80% believe their pets are partial to the odd bop. More importantly, most pet owners believe music can relieve stress in pets, boost their happiness and keep them company.
Did you know 69% of pet owners sing to their pets? TBH, we’re not that surprised. These stats are barking good. ? #SpotifyPets https://t.co/k2XmzrUlch
— Spotify News (@SpotifyNews) January 15, 2020
While the hard science is hard to pin down, pet psychologist Neil Evans commented, “We have shown that providing dogs with varied auditory enrichment can be used to reduce stress and anxiety over longer periods of time.
“When dogs have appropriate auditory enrichment they may bark less, lie down and sleep more, and their body’s are in a more relaxed physiological state.”
It’s a fairly straightforward to make a playlist for your fluffy good boi or flying bestie.
Head here to get started by picking your pet species, telling Spotify a little about their personality (say, whether they’re more “curious” or “apathetic”,) and adding their name and photo for that little personalised touch.
