The results suggest that cats under general anaesthesia are likely to perform auditory sensory stimuli processing. The exposure to music induces RR and PD variations modulated by the genre of music and is associated with autonomic nervous system activity. The use of music in the surgical theatre may contribute to allowing a reduced anaesthetic dose, minimising undesirable side effects and thus promoting patient safety.

Our results indicate that the development of sensory processing of acoustic stimuli is maintained by cats under general anaesthesia and reveal the influence of music on the autonomous nervous system, as measured using HR and SBP.