Cat doesn't like my clarinet playing?!

Hello,

I am new to cats only having had Frankie for 7 months, and started playing my clarinet again over the weekend.

She gives me a really odd look when I play it, and she pins her ears back. I am wondering whether the sound is hurting her? I understand cats have a very good sense of hearing, and so wonder if this pure sound is painful to her? If so, practice might have to wait until she goes out.

When we play music loud on the stereo she never does this and seems fine.

Many thanks for your help!

Originally Posted by emmadanvers@mac

Hello,

I am new to cats only having had Frankie for 7 months, and started playing my clarinet again over the weekend.

She gives me a really odd look when I play it, and she pins her ears back. I am wondering whether the sound is hurting her? I understand cats have a very good sense of hearing, and so wonder if this pure sound is painful to her? If so, practice might have to wait until she goes out.

When we play music loud on the stereo she never does this and seems fine.

Many thanks for your help!

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It shouldn't hurt her...I'm a professional flutist and I have 2 cats and they hear fine. One of mine poiltiely excuses himself from the room when I begin to practice and the other loves to sit and listen. It depends on the cat. The one reason she might not like to hear your playing, and this is especially true of woodwind instruments, is that they can hear the natural harmonics that are occurring that we cannot, and on instruments like ours, those can be extremely high pitched. SO while it won't necessarily damage her hearing, she might be uncomfortable listening to you play.

I know the fealing I play Irish Flute, and piano along with being a Soprano in a professional choir in my area. My Cat's don't much mind the piano, but they run from the flute and my cats both try to sing with me when i'm practiceing. I don't think the sound hurts... it's just unusual and not normal for them

My husband plays the guitar, which the Queen of my household can't stand. She actually seems to be afraid of it! She always leaves the room when he begins to play & gives him disgruntled looks as she goes. The other 3 cats in the family don't seem to mind it at all...it must be a personal (catsonal?) choice.
Amanda

i have to concur that it's a kitty choice. my mom's cat never had a problem with my flute or piccolo when i lived there, and the dog loved to lay at my feet when i played. now that i have my own home and furbaby, he's petrified of my guitar when the amp is on, and likes to attack the 'ol flute (a serious nono!).

When my husband plays his Sax, even I want to run away! I honestly didn't realize how loud those things really are - even with a towel stuffed in the bell!

All our kitties love the guitar and will pat the strings to make them hum! We always put the guitars away when we're done, though, for fear one of the cats might snap a string and get hit in the eye with it.

My Clyde is terrified of the piano, but then, he's a little skittish about everything. Pearl, on the other hand, loves to walk on the piano keys!

I love to sing more than anything in the world, and luckily, Clydie seems not to mind it...but Pearl! When I start to sing, little Pearl comes running, hops up, and starts giving me kisses!

I don't know whether she's my biggest fan or is just trying to shut me up... :-)

I can't speak for my cat, as my clarinet's been in it's case in my closet at home since the day of high school graduation and I've only had Ollie a year now, but the dog hated it! (And not to seem like I'm bragging, but it's not like I stunk!) I definitely agree with it being a) animal specific and b) that the animals can hear natural harmonics that we cannot - you'd be surprised what's going on around us that we're unable to hear! If your kitty is indeed indoor/outdoor I'd wait til a time when he's outside to practice (that's what I did with the dog - she has a daily playdate next door), if your kitty's indoor only, shut the door of the room you're in and make sure your kitty has a place (or several) to get as far away as he can.... maybe you can practice on a different floor of your house (Assuming youre not in an apartment) or can you find time/a place to practice elsewhere (A school, place of worship, etc...)? just some suggestions....

Originally Posted by lionessrampant

It shouldn't hurt her...I'm a professional flutist and I have 2 cats and they hear fine. One of mine poiltiely excuses himself from the room when I begin to practice and the other loves to sit and listen. It depends on the cat. The one reason she might not like to hear your playing, and this is especially true of woodwind instruments, is that they can hear the natural harmonics that are occurring that we cannot, and on instruments like ours, those can be extremely high pitched. SO while it won't necessarily damage her hearing, she might be uncomfortable listening to you play.

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I play French horn, and it has a lower harmonic series than the clarinet. It doesn't seem to bother my two very much, other then when I'm playing forte or fortissimo. I guess that would be kind of loud to a cat.

This thread made me remember how much my old cat Natasha HATED my clarinet. She'd just about climb the walls the minute I took the thing out of the case. On the other hand, she'd tollerate my much louder playing of the tenor or baritone sax. It really is up to preference.
Hehe. What goofs!

I have no clue how my cats respond to my playing the clarinet, since I very rarely play it anymore. We used to have an organ, though, and Willow loved to walk on the keys, then stand still at the very end, so there would be a very long high pitched or low pitched "biiiiiiiiing" or "bonnnnnnnng" until someone went over and removed her, lol

i think that nothing serious happened with the clarinet sound. look at this video. my cat is afraid but, i think that is not pain what it feels, 

Hi Pelo, and welcome to TCS!

This thread is nine years old so I doubt the original poster will see your video, but thank you for sharing.