Cats communication
The music is said to help calm distressed cats. Mohamed Aymen Bettaieb/Flickr creative commons

Universal Music is to be the first major label to release an album for cats. A five track record, simply titled Music For Cats, will contain varying combinations of sounds and classical music aimed at calming felines "in distress", report the Telegraph.

It is the first time that a major music label has produced an album not designed for humans to listen to.

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The unprecedented venture is the brainchild David Teie, a scientist and cellist with America's National Symphony Orchestra, whose work pricked the ears of chiefs at Universal after selling more than 10,000 copies via a Kickstarter campaign begun in 2009.

Internet users have now pledged more than £181,000 ($240,630) to get the album produced and ensure pets can get their paws on a copy.

Teie believes cats share "critical taste" with humans to equally varying degrees, meaning some cats show little interest, while others reportedly "wrap themselves around the speaker" in contentment.

Previous scientific research into feline musical taste suggests cats tend to appreciate musical sounds an octave or more above human voices, based upon "purring or suckling sounds", according to the Huffington Post.

These sounds have even been classified into genres, from Cat Ballads to Kitty Ditties, described as "sonic catnip" – think Chemical Brothers for felines – claim Gigwise.

Group feline listening sessions – the equivalent of a human musical therapy – have shown feral or previously abused cats are most comforted by Teie's work. As a result, the music is to be given to animal shelters free of charge.

The musician, who once played lead cello for Metallica, revealed his dream to eventually expand his audience exponentially by making music with cross-species appeal: "I hope in 100 years people will have to be taught that music was once only for humans. Reptiles don't have the brain structures for it, but all mammals are ripe for music."

A spokesperson for Universal Music said: "The possibilities are endless for more species-specific 'Music For' albums. Dogs and horses could all be on the cards.

"David Teie's creative ideas, passion and solid research has laid the perfect foundation for success."