Photo of my cat Zooey, on the 1s and 2s

As someone who often works from home, surrounded by his four frisky cats, the struggle for productivity can be real. My eldest female frequently harasses her younger sister, my two male cats are constantly knocking shit off tables with hopes their acrobatic moves will lead to cat treats, and all four of them eagerly want to play — each at different times of the day, of course. Other than wishing they’d simultaneously decide to take cat naps, there really is no way to keep them entertained and also live my own life.

But now there’s hope, as researchers at the University of Wisconsin are creating music designed specifically for cats. The process, according to The Huffington Post, involves “mimicking natural cat sounds, using sliding notes and high pitches — cat calls tend to be an octave or more above human voices. The researchers based the tempo of the songs on purring and suckling sounds.” No word where Meow the Jewels fits into all of this.

Researches played the music for 47 cats, who reacted positively by moving their heads in the direction of the sound, walking towards it, or even pressing themselves against the speakers. I conducted my own test, and the results were somewhat conclusive.

https://instagram.com/p/z0NzvSyIBO/

https://instagram.com/p/z0NwosSIBL/

Fellow cat owners can test out the music themselves and learn more about the study at MusicForCats.com. Researchers hope the music will help cats with separation anxiety issues.

Below, stream “Rusty’s Ballad”.