Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you to try an experiment with your cat? 😁

90 replies

Paperwhite209 · 24/02/2026 21:21

A couple of years ago I was singing 'It's oh so quiet' by Bjork to myself and when I got the 'shhhh,shhh' bit, my cat went into hyper focus then ran up to me, jumped into my lap and starting purring and buffing me!

Have done it several times since, same reaction.

Tonight I actually played the song and she immediately leapt across the sofa to get up close and personal with the Alexa 😂.

I appreciate this is a fairly batshit post but I would love to know if any other cats react the same way (or if they have other favourite songs or quirks).

Pic attached of the furry Bjork fan...😁

To ask you to try an experiment with your cat? 😁
OP posts:
Thread gallery
19
Benchdogs · 25/02/2026 01:12

OK, I just played it to Maud on my ipad and nothing. Then I sang it myself and as expected she ‘snogged’ me half to death. Cats are so weird.

Benchdogs · 25/02/2026 01:09

Thank you for this thread! Not Bjork specifically…but I’ve had two cats (out of six in total) both girls and one who is with me now, who would jump up and get very affectionate, purring and rubbing my face, the moment I start to sing a song, even just a little one. The other four would not notice me singing a full on opera.

I’ve often wondered what this is about.

Confusedmeanderings · 25/02/2026 00:57

No reaction from my boy here, but to be fair I probably chose the wrong moment because he had turned his back on me and was having a right royal sulk due to not being allowed to come into the bathroom and stare at me whilst I was on the loo.

SunnyWarrington · 25/02/2026 00:38

DCat completely unmoved by Bjork…

I did once move one of my childhood cats with music though… I was practicing Christmas carols on a clarinet on a high stool in the middle of the kitchen. After about an hour, cat had had enough and launched himself into the air, landing on my back with his claws out! Funnily enough, I stopped…

To ask you to try an experiment with your cat? 😁
PurpleDisco · 25/02/2026 00:03

@Paperwhite209 yes just played this Byork song for my cat and she did exactly the same thing! Tbh the song does sound very ‘cat’ like and has cat vibes to it. Btw your cat looks like Byork! 😂

pottydimley · 25/02/2026 00:01

Clearly not the same thing, but my sister’s dog used to howl, sorry, sing along to the Anvil Chorus https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-8aHsJdMEMY at top volume. 😊

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-8aHsJdMEMY

LooksLikeImStuckHere · 24/02/2026 23:53

One of our cats loves songs. She’ll dither about coming up to sit on a lap but will jump up for the right song.

Will try Bjork tomorrow!

Gettingbysomehow · 24/02/2026 23:50

One of my cats loved Willow's song from the Wicker Man. She used to meow whenever she heard it.
None of my current cats are interested in music.

Original poster
Paperwhite209 · 24/02/2026 23:47

So at this point 3 out of 25 cats prefer Bjork!

Interesting.

I also saw something on socials a while back along the lines of 'if you sing your cat a little song about how much you love them, they know'

This was Edie's face when I tried 'you are my sunshine' 😍

To ask you to try an experiment with your cat? 😁
OP posts:
Original poster
Paperwhite209 · 24/02/2026 23:42

ComtesseDeSpair · 24/02/2026 21:55

Not Bjork: but I used to own and live in a converted church with a lot of original features (which sounds like a brag but is absolutely relevant!) We had two Bengal boys, and one of their favourite things to do when we played Madonna’s Like a Prayer, was climb into the pulpit and then stand on the Bible-rest - and sing, at the tops of their voices, as Bengals do. They didn’t do it anywhere else in the house: not on the mezzanine balcony of equal height, not on the kitchen worktops, not on the tops of the bookcases which they also loved to climb. I wasn’t a cat person until I lived with Helmut and YoYo, but living with them, I grew to believe that cats understand shit.

I can’t find a pulpit photo, but here are my former boys playing chase me chase me in the churchyard.

This is awesome!

OP posts:
SwedishEdith · 24/02/2026 23:14

Our cat has never willingly sat on our laps 😄

WhatterySquash · 24/02/2026 23:12

Just sang her the song, she had been sitting nearby watching me, and she came straight over and jumped up purring and headbutting!

However, she usually comes towards me if I sing, but generally she acts more concerned like she thinks I'm in pain Grin

CinnamonBuns67 · 24/02/2026 23:01

Mine looked at me like she thought I was on drugs and then went back to sleep 🤣

Gingercar · 24/02/2026 22:46

Mine just stared at me then yawned.

SabrinaThwaite · 24/02/2026 22:24

Fgfgfg · 24/02/2026 22:10

As usual, Graham responds to nothing except the sound of food.

Great cat name.

SabrinaThwaite · 24/02/2026 22:23

Nope. Mine just opened one eye and gave me a glare. Not a Bjork fan.

I’ve always trained my cats to come to a whistle, makes getting them in for bedtime less stressful.

NewYearNewMee · 24/02/2026 22:22

Mine is sitting with his back to me, grooming, totally unperturbed 😂

Meadowlands · 24/02/2026 22:19

My cat goes doolally when I whistle.

incywince · 24/02/2026 22:11

*live

incywince · 24/02/2026 22:11

Mine just gave me the killer death stare. But she does that a lot to be honest. I frequently fail to love up to her expectations.

Fgfgfg · 24/02/2026 22:10

As usual, Graham responds to nothing except the sound of food.

To ask you to try an experiment with your cat? 😁
Herecomesthehotflusher · 24/02/2026 22:09

Not a song, but if I make a loud sniffing noise, one of my cats gets really excited and boisterous (that’s a sentence I didn’t think I’d write today 😂)

Left · 24/02/2026 22:06

Just tried with my senior girl and she swiftly left my lap and took refuge on the laundry pile on the landing. Not sure if it was the original or my singing that traumatised her. To be fair I do not have Bjork’s vocal range 😅

Interesting experiment though - I’ll see what other artists I can expose her to tomorrow, in the name of science.

thebabessavedme · 24/02/2026 22:05

Some years ago, for some obscure reason, I started meowing the the theme tune to midsummer murders (very easy, give it a try) my 2 old boys instantly joined in, they did it every single time, always fun when the family came round🤔😂

MotherOfSixCats · 24/02/2026 22:05

One of my previous boys used to headbutt whatever was closest when you "ssshhh'd" at him, my other cats react in different ways - sometimes positive and sometimes very offended! Must be either "if love you" in cat language or "f off!"

Swipe left for the next trending thread