It stands to reason that a general purpose mobile computing platform, like the iPhone or iPod Touch, will engender a host of special purpose niche applications. Pet Acoustics is one such application: “Pet Acoustics music has been specifically designed for the hearing sensitivities of your pet, both in frequency, volume and rhythm to calm and soothe your pet anytime, anywhere.” This $1.99 app includes music for dogs, cats, and horses, and includes a timer feature for scheduled playback.
Amazingly, dogs, cats and horses hear two to three times more than humans. In our homes, barns and pet-care environments, animals can develop stress, anxiety, and aggression in reaction to sounds. Pet Acoustics music has been specifically developed to support your pet’s sensitive hearing thereby ensuring relaxation. An easy tool for pet owners, this music will greatly benefit your pet by filling their environment with a sense of safety, connectedness and love.
I don’t doubt for a moment the therapeutic benefits of music for animals. I am skeptical, though, of how well the Pet Acoustic’s “specifically developed” music can “support your pet’s sensitive hearing” through the crappy iPhone speaker. It’s not like the iPhone is a precise audio device, calibrated to produce sounds in that spectrum that animals can hear but humans can’t.
My own experience with the Pet Acoustics music has been mixed. My cat is too inscrutable for me to determine whether he likes the sounds or not. He certainly doesn’t seem to be bothered by them, but he’s a sufficiently easy-going animal that I can’t tell whether he’s any more calm. Our high energy dog doesn’t seem to notice the music at all. She whines and paces when traveling in the car, regardless of whether I’m using the Pet Acoustics app; and at home she’s too interested in licking our faces to reveal how calm the music is making her. I happen to like the music — it’s reminiscent of any smooth jazz station you might find in a metropolitan city — but my beautiful wife gets agitated by it. Go figure.
The timer feature of the Pet Acoustics app intrigues me. Using two separate timers, you can program start and stop times to begin automatic music playback (assuming that the app is open, of course). I can see this being handy in a number of situations. In my own house, my cat is not allowed into my bedroom, because my beautiful wife is allergic to him. So every night he sits outside the bedroom door and wails about how lonely and dejected he feels. I could leave my iPhone in the living room, playing soothing music for him, and schedule it to turn off at a specific time every time. Of course, I haven’t done that yet because my iPhone doubles as my alarm clock, and me waking up on time is marginally more important than my cat being pacified.
The Pet Acoustics app weighs in at a whopping 200 megabytes. It’s not expensive, and it’s easy to use; but I can’t help but wonder if a couple of MP3s would be a better option for most people. If you need the timer feature, then get the app.
Also, there is a Pet Jingles holiday version of the app for sale. So if your pets are really into the holiday spirit like you are, you can share the Yule Tide with them!
This special collection of themed holiday music will bring a joyous atmosphere to your home, a veterinarian office, an animal shelter or anywhere people and pets are gathered throughout the holiday season. Pet Jingles is a unique gift for pet lovers to enjoy while gift shopping, walks with the dog, while entertaining family and friends or to play for pets while they are home alone.