Thank you for the Meow-sic! Grand piano for CATS plays ultrasonic notes that only they can hear
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Felines may enjoy the sound of a tin of cat food being prised open, but now they can listen to moggy music too.
Scientists have created the world's first keyboard for cats which plays notes at ultrasonic frequencies that cats can hear.
A team of vets, scientists and sounds artists engineered the electric baby grand piano, which has been used to play the first ever concert for cats, in south east London.
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A pur-fect composition? Scientists have created the world's first keyboard for cats (pictured) which plays notes at ultrasonic frequencies that cats can hear. In this image, musical moggies attend a concert for kitties
Felines were treated to ultrasonic renditions of Jay Z's 'Empire State of Mind' and The Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way' as well as the soundtrack to Back to the Future.
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Ultrasound is an oscillating sound pressure wave with a frequency greater than the upper limit of the human hearing range, which is typically around 20,000 hertz (Hz) for healthy humans.
The music was played at frequencies of up to 64,000Hz, the higher ranges of which only cats can aurally appreciate.
Moggie Mozarts? Some cats enjoyed the music so much that they leapt onto the keyboard and wandered over the keys to make their own melodies (pictured)
Feline groovy: Cats were treated to ultrasonic renditions of Jay Z's 'Empire State of Mind' and The Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way' as well as the soundtrack to Back to the Future at the concert (pictured). It was put on as part of a viral protest against countries that it says censor the internet
Some cats enjoyed the music so much that they leapt onto the keyboard and wandered over the keys to play their own tunes.
The keyboard has also been designed to play sounds that human ears pick up upon while the ultrasonic sounds are playing, so that pet owners - and the pianist - don't get bored.
'A cat's hearing really is something to behold,' said vet Robert White-Adams said.
'Behind those big, pointed, funnel-like ears is an incredibly complex auditory apparatus that can detect a larger range of sounds.
'An impressive 11 octaves, to be precise, which is two octaves more than a human, and one octave more than a dog.
'While research has suggested cats do enjoy music, this keyboard for cats will give felines the opportunity to enjoy their favourite compositions.'
The keyboard for cats was made as part of the viral protest, 'The Pussycat Riot,' which campaigns against countries such as Russia and China that it says censor the internet.
Listening to the mew-sic: The songs was played at frequencies of up to 64,000hz (pictured left), the higher ranges of which only cats can aurally appreciate (right)
The campaign aims to break this censorship and uses cats to front the protest because of their popularity on the internet. The keyboard was commissioned by HideMyAss.com which gives access to people being banned from the web.
The concert was called 'protest concerto' and the pianist performed the national anthems from each of the internet censoring countries.
Pop songs were also chosen that have been banned by these countries online.
'Cats have a vastly superior sense of hearing to humans,' said Cian McKenna-Charley, Marketing Director at HideMyAss.com.
'They're also known for being intelligent animals with quite discerning personalities.
'If they were human they'd probably be connoisseurs of classical music and delight in pursuits like poetry, gastronomy and international affairs.
'We felt it was high time the cat's superior sensibilities were catered to properly.
'This keyboard for cats is as much an homage to the original internet cat as it is a political statement against internet censorship.
'It's one we hope people will want to talk about, share with their friends and use to spread the word that online censorship needs to end now.'
A CD of ultrasonic music for cats will be available, featuring the national anthems belonging to internet-censoring countries, such as North Korea, Turkey, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Cuba, for example.
Roll over Beethoven: Cats can detect a larger range of sounds than dogs an humans. 'An impressive 11 octaves, to be precise, which is two octaves more than a human, and one octave more than a dog, vet Robert White-Adams said
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