“Young rescue cats like Pocket tend to be the most responsive to 'Music for Cats'"

In the long battle for feline affection, cat owners may have some fresh ammunition. David Teie, a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, recently teamed up with animal scientists to develop “Music for Cats,” a series of whirring, lilting and at times squeaky musical tracks designed for cats’ brains and ears. Owners often leave the radio or a playlist on for cats alone in the house, assuming they will share human musical tastes, be it classical, country or the lyrical tones of NPR hosts. But cats’ hearing develops differently and “we mindlessly turn on music” for them, said Charles Snowdon, an emeritus professor of...