Cats And Concertinas

[wayman]

Blue Eyed Sailor mentioned that his cat doesn't much like the sound of the concertina, and neither does mine! He recognizes the case and looks angrily at me whenever I pick it up, especially if he is sitting comfortably in a nearby chair. Then, when I open it, he runs away.

 

He doesn't object to some other musical instruments -- guitar or piano. I will try french horn sometime soon (and could report the results). He also hates button accordion. So it would seem it's something about the free reed sound in particular, but what is it, I wonder?

 

I gather from Blue Eyed Sailor's report that this is true of concertina reeds just as it is of accordion reeds (my concertinas are hybrids, so I've never tried concertina reeds on my cat).

 

Is this a universal among cats, that they hate free reeds? Do free reeds have very high-pitched overtones which annoy the cats, while other instruments have fewer overtones? Is it something else? Any ideas?

 

Do any of you have cats who don't object to the concertina? What about dogs -- do they hate concertinas too?

[Peter Laban]

I'd suggest cats are comfortable with what they are used to. In this house they have always been comfortable with the sounds they grew up with.

 

Here's my son, some years ago, at practice:

 

[Tradewinds Ted]

I saw that same comment, and recognised it immediately. My cat used to avoid us when playing any musical instruments, but over the years has learned to ignore piano, guitar, banjo. The standard high D tin whistle range is still a bit high for him, but the low D whistle is fine.

 

But he looks up with concern when I pull out the concertina case, and leaves the room if I pull the instrument out and begin to play. Generally he will scratch at the carpet at the start of the stairs in protest, then race upstairs in search of a quiet bed. Mine is a Lachenal with steel reeds, so it isn't just the accordion reeds that do it.

 

We have a friend who plays Northumbrian pipes, which is another free a double reed instrument, and the cat doesn't care for these either. This friend also plays banjo. They used to have a dog who didn't object to either instrument, but it turns out the dog was deaf.

 

(edit: Peter - Thanks for pointing out my error)

Edited December 6, 2013 by Tradewinds Ted

[wayman]

I started playing G/D melodeon in 1999, and adopted two young kittens in 2002. So they've known the sound of accordion reeds for pretty much their entire lives.

 

Random (who passed away two years ago) was less averse to the melodeon than Finster (who's still around). I wouldn't say Random *liked* it, but he didn't run away and hide the way Finster always has. I wish Finster would sit on my lap while I practice!

 

Recorded concertina or melodeon doesn't phase him at all, though. Just live.

[Don Taylor]

Our cat also hates the sound of a concertina and would kill it if she could.

 

Except that I recently bought a used Stagi and she does not seem to mind that at all. I like the sound of the Stagi too (poor taste, I know).

 

It seems to have quite a sweet sound with fewer overtones? Although mine has screwed in accordion reeds, I have noticed that behind the reeds, inside the action, is a large block of wax. I have no idea what this is for, but I wonder if it is intended to absorb some of the higher overtones.

 

Just speculation on my part as I have not really investigated this wax block to see if it has any other purpose.

 

Don.

Edited December 5, 2013 by Don Taylor

[Mike Franch]

Two current cats. One doesn't seem to mind, one leaves when he sees me pick up the concertina box.

 

Biggest problem (for me, not them) is the occasional cat hair in the concertina innards. Not as big a problem, I suspect, as Jim Besser's two big, hairy dogs.

[wayman]

I guess that means that if Jim Besser's concertina playing is a bit wonky the morning after a long session with plenty to drink, it's hard to say whether that's because "the hair of the dog" has bitten Jim, or the hair of his dogs has gotten into his concertinas :-)

[Defra]

I'm enjoying this thread. Our cat (a neighbourhood cat that adopted us) is a positive concertina fan. As soon as I play a few notes he comes running from whatever part of the house he's in to jump on my knee, rather like in Peter's great photo. I don't understand this especially as I'm quite a lousy player.

Dean

[Peter Laban]

Northumbrian pipes, which is another free reed instrument

 

 

Eh, no it isn't

[Jim Besser]

Two current cats. One doesn't seem to mind, one leaves when he sees me pick up the concertina box.

 

Biggest problem (for me, not them) is the occasional cat hair in the concertina innards. Not as big a problem, I suspect, as Jim Besser's two big, hairy dogs.

 

Interestingly, while our house is inundated with white dog fur, I've never had a problem with it clogging up concertinas.

 

The cat totally ignores the concertina.

 

The dogs tend to sing along, but only tunes in minor keys. And they seem to prefer melodeon. Given my limited melodeon skills, that suggests they are canines with very limited musical taste.

[RatFace]

I used to live in a very small "house" (it used to be a milking parlour!) attached to a farm in the middle of nowhere (the Isle of Wight, to be more accurate). I had a cat:

 

 

but no cat flap in the door, After a week or two I decided it was time to let the cat, Smokey, out so off he went and explored the neighbourhood (concentrating mainly on the rabbit holes). Unfortunately he didn't come back when I called him, even after 20 minutes, and even though I'd told him I needed to go out. Eventually I gave up, sat down on the bench by my front door, and started to play the accordion (Castagnari, which may be relevant). Two minutes later he came trotting up to me, and after that it was the guaranteed way of getting him home.

 

So this cat, at least, liked accordion reeds. He wasn't fussed about the concertina.

[Geoff Wooff]

Nice pictures !

 

Years ago, when we had Cats, one of them would always jump on my lap when I played my concertina, sitting behind it and cranking her head around to peer in one end and pawing at my fingers.... was she looking for the squeeking mouse or trying to stop me making those noises ?

 

Currently our dog will sing with the concertina, usually only with the Metal ended ones and relating to tunes with plenty of high notes. I think these high notes hurt their ears and the 'singing' is more a 'howling in disgust' reaction.

[Bill N]

My dogs don't mind my D/G Morse, but get quite distressed by my C/G Edgley, whining and barking until I close the parlour doors. I have a Kensington coming, so it will be interesting to see their reaction to that.

[JimLucas]

Some pets seem to like the concertina; others dislike it; still others don't seem to care. Individual pets, quite likely individual instruments, maybe even individual tunes or players.

 

An example of the latter, though with whistle rather than concertina, occurred once when I visited some friends. When I played my whistle (at their request), their cat cocked its head, but neither advanced nor retreated. Then the one friend asked to try it. When he started, the cat looked, walked up, bared its claws and struck... not at the whistle, but at the arm of the player.

Anyway, here are links to a few earlier threads that relate to this topic:

• Pets With Good Taste In Music
• A Dog And A Concertina
• Cat Attacks
• I See No Jealous Dog

[RP3]

We have two Australian Shepherds and the younger one will curl up at my feet while I'm playing my Jeffries. The older one will stay in the room too but she doesn't want to be too close. As for the cat, she's OOH when the concertina comes out -- dogs or no dogs!

 

Ross Schlabach

[SusanW]

I currently have a cat that lives in the barn, so she doesn't count. My dog, however, seems to have a love/hate relationship with my concertina (or perhaps just my playing). She will lay on the sofa nearby, but often with her head under a pillow.

Years ago, I had a dog that "sang" when I played a particular Bach piece on the piano.....wouldn't sing to other tunes, just that one. If I could remember the name of the piece, it was a 2 part invention. ;-)

 

[gcoover]

Most cats have paid little notice, but one in particular would howl loudly and pace very nervously at my feet - perhaps thinking one of its own needed rescuing???

[ceemonster]

omg--i am a lifelong dog person who had hever had a cat until late august, when i took one in off the street at 2:30 AM during a horrific heat wave in my u.s. west-coast city. and this cat does just like in peter's photo when i'm playing. i have been wondering if she thinks the concertina is a rival kitten or small animal of some kind. she inserts herself between me and the concertina and nestles there.....

 

except for when i'm playing the huge, extremely piercing and bright metal-ended crabb crane duet i acquired recently. when that is in action she runs downstairs and puts the "cat" in "caterwaul".....

 

a dog i had for many years, also off the street, was initially afraid of the noise the concertina made, but eventually took the initiative of coming to stand in front of me after i picked it up; staring at me he until he could see i was meeting his eye; and then looking pointedly back and forth from the concertina to me, which meant---"hey, do that thing where you make the concertina make a barking noise; and then i'll jump and run around; and you chase me around while making that noise with the concertina; until i'm tired of it." and i obliged every time he did the pointedly looking back and forth thing, because it was so irresistibly communicative and wacky......his name was "django," and he had the music and devil in him, by golly.....

Edited December 6, 2013 by ceemonster