TV Channels for Dogs and Cats: Finding the Best Pet Television Options
Deciding what to put on TV for your pet may be a deeper question than you think. Dogs and cats are drawn to different things, and your goal when selecting a program will make an impact on your decision.
Can They Even See It?
Back in the day, the answer would have been no. Pet MD says that dogs are faced with the Flicker Barrier, meaning they only see individual flickers for movements slower than 75 hertz. Luckily, modern TVs solve this issue, since most screens now operate well over 100 Hertz.
Another thing to note is that dogs cannot perceive as many colors as humans.
What Does Your Pet Want to Watch?
You wouldn’t want to put on Game of Thrones for your friend whose taste slants toward Emily in Paris, so why would you do that to your pet?
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Dogs want to see real animals moving and making noises the way they would in the wild. Since you cannot appeal to all of their senses via TV, when you select a program, you might as well give them auditory and visual stimulation they’ll enjoy.
Cats, meanwhile, rely on their natural prey instincts. They tend to be drawn to the screen by birds, fish, rodents, and other animals moving the way they would in the wild.
But before you decide what videos to show your furry friends, you should assess what you want it to achieve for a watch session.
What Do You Want to Accomplish for Your Pet?
Maybe your cat is due for a relaxing spa day, or your dog needs videos to help fill a lonely stretch of time. Thinking through your goals will help you land on the right program for the job.
- DOGSTV – With no credit card or sign-in required, DOGTV can be accessed via browser, the DOGTV app, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and most cable providers. It provides videos for all three jobs listed above, and colors are adjusted to appeal to dogs’ eyesight. Both a free version with ads and an ad-free subscription model are available.
- Relax My Dog – This YouTube channel features calming music and videos for easing anxiety, reducing loneliness, mitigating boredom, and promoting sleep.
- Calm Your Dog – This is a YouTube channel, but its content can also be accessed on Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. It consists of relaxation music and virtual walking videos.
- Paul Dinning – This creator on YouTube posts 4k videos of virtual walks and wildlife in Cornwall, England.
- Paul Dinning – Dinning also posts videos ideal for cats featuring birds, mice, and squirrels filmed in scenic settings around Cornwall, England.
- Handsome Nature – This is a YouTube channel that shows Canadian landscapes and wildlife, with playlists made specifically for cats.
- Birder King – This YouTube channel features long-running live streams of birds, chipmunks, and squirrels.
- TV Bini – These animated, fast-paced cat game videos can be found on YouTube.
| Goal | What the Pet Needs | What to Put On |
|---|---|---|
| Calm | To settle down, often applicable to nervous pets, periods with thunderstorms, and bedtime | Slow ambient scenes, gentle music, water and nature footage |
| Occupy | Something to do, ideal for bored pets or long afternoons alone | Movement and activity – birds and squirrels for cats, animals and play for dogs |
| Prepare | To stop fearing a specific sound | Recordings of fireworks, thunder, doorbells, and traffic, played quietly and gradually |
The bottom line: Playing noises for your pet that they typically fear is a way to help desensitize them and help them adapt to their surroundings. In these scenarios, you will be deliberately playing a scary sound at low volume while the pet is calm, so that over time your pet stops associating the sound with negative feelings.
Now that you have a grasp on what exactly to play for your pet, here are some great free options to work with.
Free TV for Dogs
Free TV for Cats
TV Will Never Replace You!
If the TV has been left on for hours on end, the American Kennel Club says that dogs will simply tune it out as background noise. And, yes, while cats can find entertainment watching a mouse run around the screen, solve real interaction with physical objects is good for their physical and mental health.
Keeping these factors in mind, TV is:
| ✅ | Good for – getting your pet through a quiet afternoon alone |
| ❌ | Not good for hours of unattended background noise |
| ❌ | Never a substitute for your company |
While turning on the TV may help get your pet through a quiet afternoon alone, it will never replace the playful company that human companionship will bring.
Screen Time Is Nice… a Real Play Date Is Better
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