Rat + Music

Question
Hi, I have 7 rats @ home and I was told that rats enjoy "classical" music rather than loud distortion.. is this true?

Answer
Hi Natasha
    
Rats have a very keen sense of hearing. In fact, they rely heavily on their hearing than they do their vision.

Rats can hear ultrasound, which is higher frequency than humans are able to hear.  

As for the enjoying classical music over loud distortion, I think that would apply to any species really that they would prefer something more pleasing to the ear than loud distortion, but that is also doesn't mean that classical music is pleasing to another species just because it is soothing and calming to most people. I say most people because I know plenty of people (mostly my teenager and his friends!)  that would prefer loud distortion over classical music hands down.

That said, I have extensive training in rat behavior and can tell you that rats do enjoy calm and soothing surroundings and their surroundings are better to be slow moving rather than sudden,  jolting movements or loud noises that come out of the blue and change the noise from a more calm noise to what you called "loud distortion"  

Now I don't know classic music from Adam but lets just say that for example, there is a song playing with lovely harps and soft flutes, and the tone is breezy and easy.  All of a sudden the next song comes on with loud thunderous clashes of the cymbals, deep thrustings of the tuba and even a loud trumpet.  That would send any rat running to the nearest hidey house mainly because the tone went from calm to...well, loud.


Sooooo....to sum it all up and answer your question as you asked:
Is it true rats prefer classical music?
As long as its calm and even toned...probably.