People’s feelings of affection for animals are the purest form of love. For proper training and making love, you use whistles that produce an ultrasonic sound. But what if you have a cat but don’t have any kitten whistles? Do Dog Whistles Work on Cats? Can you train them with the dog whistle?
In general, we employ dog whistles or silencers to provide an unpleasant sound for dogs in order to reduce unwanted behavior. However, a cat’s hearing is far superior to that of a dog.
In fact, they have one of the widest hearing capabilities among mammals. As a result, the dog whistle can perform the function of the cat whistle tool. Still, we advise against using dog whistles on cats because high-pitched noises might harm hearing problems in felines. Let’s discover more by reading the whole article.
What Is the Purpose of Dog Whistle?
Dog whistles are a sort of canine silencer, also known as Galton’s whistle, which produces sounds that are beyond the human hearing limit. The whistle can generate ultrasound and is commonly used to discipline and train dogs. It’s an unpleasant whistle that almost all canines hate.
The whistle is such a wonderful way to communicate with the dog for developing a behavioral regimen or giving verbal directions or interactive training for “sit” or “stay” or fetch. When a dog performs an unacceptable behavior, such as entering a restricted place, excessive barking, or the possibility of biting, Simply, the dog owner blows the whistle to control the pooch.
Dog whistles can be fixed or variable in frequency. Though there is an adjustable whistle, unfortunately, there is no way to set a whistle to only influence dogs. You should also know that cats can hear in both high and low frequencies. So you can also use the dog whistle to command the cat.
How Do Dog Whistles Work?
Whistle Frequency Range
Dog whistles have a frequency range of 23 Hz to 64 kHz. The range of sound is employed to discipline the dog when it performs inappropriate behavior. Dog owners usually try to give positive punishment. It is also used in collaboration with negative punishment to improve behavior like barking or biting.
Positive Reinforcement
When a dog barks continuously, the owner will employ a dog whistle. As a result, the dog will associate the uncomfortable sound with barking, and it will bark infrequently. This is a type of positive or constructive punishment.
Negative Reinforcement
On the other hand, the whistle is not used when the dog does not bark. To avoid the unpleasant sound, the dog will continue to not bark, which is a negative signal.
Reinforcing Verbal Command
Dog whistles offer a variety of sizes and forms and are used for different purposes. The effectiveness of whistles depends on the way the trainer uses the tool. You can use the dog whistle for training purposes, including reinforcing verbal orders or when the dog does not respond to your command.
A whistle is such a great tool to train your dog, but it won’t have that much effect on other animals. Determine the dog’s nature and use the whistle or silencer over a short distance or a long distance.
Find the Pitch
Determine the pitch at which your canine responds, and use different pitches for specific commands. For example, you can use one pitch for coming and another for returning.
You will have to maintain consistency in your commands to avoid confusing your dog. Repetition is important for a dog to completely trust that they are doing what you want them to do. Don’t make them confused when they respond to the whistle.
Frequency Level of Dog’s Hearing
If we talk about the frequency level of dogs’ hearing, we should know that dogs have a considerably higher frequency than humans, so they listen to even the most inaudible whistles. Both dogs and humans hear the same thing at low frequencies of sound, around 20Hz.
Your canine can hear up to 70-100kHz at a higher frequency of the noise. According to scientists from Australia’s University of Adelaide, “Dogs hear sound frequencies at least three times higher than people.”
They can hear sounds as high as 45,000 hertz. Therefore, blowing the whistle on your furry friend may not change the behavior like barking or howling, as you need to properly train them first.
Do Dog Whistles Affect Hearing Loss?
Actually, dog whistles are a terribly disturbing communication tool that can do serious harm to dogs’ ears when used inappropriately. You have no idea how loud a whistle can be, or how unpleasant and painful it can be at times for pets. So be careful about whistling or it may cause an animal’s hearing loss.
Dog whistles can irritate the hearing of sensitive animals such as dogs, cats, and others. It’s all about lack of whistle-using knowledge! The problem arises because you cannot define the sound limitation of whistling during dog training. Don’t be stressed! The whistle will not injure your ear if used correctly.
Sometimes dog whistles have no effect on your dog but may be heard by a cat. Imagine, you are blowing the whistle with power but the dog is not responding. On the other hand, you will notice the neighboring cat gets affected by the dangerously loud volume.
How Do Cats React to Dog Whistles?
Cats Remain Calm Sometimes
The emitted noise of whistles, meanwhile, is sufficient for the cat’s hearing, as they can hear considerably better than a dog. So, cats will not be influenced by dog whistles.
Sometimes they can take the ultrasound easily and the dog’s whistle does not affect them. Or, you will notice, that they will most likely look at you and ignore the whistling sound as a background sound from the surroundings.
Frequently Loud Sound Harm the Cat
Actually, cats are peculiar animals who sometimes panic or stay calm during the loud whistling sound. For your kind information, a dog whistle will most likely harm a cat’s ears too or cause it to panic and run away. As cats are sensitive, they get hurt by the loud, irritating noise of a whistle or silencer.
According to studies, most often, cats naturally cover their discomfort and they never expose it. Even if whistles do hurt cats, they will never express it, which is risky. However, your cat will get tension and anxiety when they experience loud dog whistles.
So, stop blowing the whistle too close to their ears and avoid blowing it too loudly. It is said that “noises over the dog’s range of hearing will cause discomfort if they are loud enough. It’s quite similar to a referee blowing a whistle on the football field versus blowing the same whistle right into your ear, which is completely disturbing! ”
Remember, irritating noises can disturb any living animal! So, make sure you have the proper knowledge to use the whistle for your dogs or cats.
Can You Use Dog Whistles for Cats?
If you have a kitten, you will be amazed to know that your cat’s ears can rotate at 180 degrees. Cats can sense high-pitched sounds better than dogs can.
Feline Hearing Range
A cat’s hearing range is approximately 47 Hz to 64,000 Hz, but a dog’s hearing range is around 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz. Your cat can detect the exact source of the noise better than your dog.
Can You Train A Cat With A Dog Whistle?
There are some whistles that you can use for dogs and cats. Cats can hear the ultrasonic sound emitted by dog whistles, which ranges from 24 to 54 kHz. Cats are known to sense far higher frequencies, up to 79 kHz.
You can use dog whistles for the cats as they can detect even the smallest sounds, such as ultrasonic noises. They have the ability to understand their surroundings and noises. When it comes to training, the dog whistle can be used to fetch outdoor cats. You should use a dog whistle to tell your cat it’s time to come home.
You can also use the “dog whistle” to emit a noise loud enough for your cat to hear without yelling and bothering neighbors. However, it is not required to blow a dog whistle for the cats every time.
Is there any Feline Whistle Available like Canine Whistle?
There are specific cat whistle tools available, and you can train your kitten using a silent whistle. There are different high-frequency designed whistles available for the cat’s hearing.
You might face some troublesome situations with kittens in your yard. In that situation, you can bring the cat back by using a dog whistle as a cat whistle to drive away stray cats or train them.
Also, we suggest trying clickers that can produce an audible click sound, which a cat associates with objects it loves, such as toys or food. Use a clicker to teach the easiest commands and try to use positive reinforcement.
Things to Do If Dog Whistles Do Not Work on Cats
Let’s have a look at some suggestions for using your dog’s whistle to command your cat.
- You can use secure trashcans and dumpsters with bungee cords.
- Cover your car with a portable fence and cover it with a suitable cover to deflect cat footprints.
- Plant the herb rue in your garden to keep cats away as they hate it.
- Use plastic carpet runners in the garden.
- Stop the cats from digging by arranging branches in a lattice design.
- Use half-buried chopsticks and pinecones to make non-lethal spikes.
- Cat-repellent plastic mats are also great for the garden, or chicken wire can keep them in check.
- Motion-activated sprinklers can work as cat deterrents.
- Don’t let the dog go to the neighbor’s yard. Place outside litter boxes in your yard.
- You can spay or neuter your pet to maintain the territory.
FAQ
1. Are dog whistles good for training?
Yes, if you can properly use dog whistles, they will be great to command pets like dogs or cats. But as they are high-pitched ultrasounds that are irritating and can affect your pet’s ear.
2. Can a dog whistle harm a dog’s brain?
In general, dogs can hear considerably higher frequencies than humans and are naturally more sensitive to sounds. Ao, the whistle won’t harm the dog’s brain.
3. Do cats hear high-pitched noises like dogs?
Yes, they have more capacity to hear powerful noise than dogs. Cats can hear noises up to 1.6 octaves above the human hearing range and one octave above the dog’s range of hearing.
4. How do I know if a dog can hear a dog whistle?
You have to check the dog’s response after your command with the whistle. If they hear, they will respond accordingly.
Conclusion
We hope there is no need to add more information to the “Do Dog Whistles Work on Cats” topic. Yes, your cat can hear the dog whistles as they have the ability to sense ultrasonic noises. Blow the whistle and you will notice their behavioral changes.
Dog whistles are an essential tool that works for other animals as well. So, if you prefer using dog whistles on your cat, train yourself to teach the best practice that you expect from your pet cat.