The Reality of Working From Home with Cats

Hi everyone,

We recently wrote this article for teletext holidays and thought it would be great to share it with you as well. 🙂

We all know how much we love our cat companions, but how easy is it to be with them 24/7 while you are meant to be working from home during a lockdown?

The Morning Routine

You’d think there shouldn’t be much difference with this as you get up as normal, serve your cat overlords their breakfasts and have a shower to get ready for work as usual despite, of course, not leaving your home.

But alas not
 so you’ve just had your shower and are thinking Ah I could really do with a coffee before starting to work – you know, just like the coffee you’d pick up on the way to work. Just as you settle down at your PC with your nice hot coffee one of your little companions will pop up on the desk and demand breakfast part two.

But hold on a second
 who gives them the second breakfast after the humans have left for work?!? Well, apparently no work is to be permitted until the second serving has been put out
 so downstairs we go again to put out some more wet food before heading back to the now not so hot coffee.

Lunchtime

After a morning filled with Zoom calls it time to pack up some marketing samples before grabbing some lunch.

Well, easier said than done
 because your companion decided that the envelopes were put out for him as the newest addition to his collection of cat beds!

So you change your plans and have lunch first, thinking since he is asleep you can have your lunch in peace and quiet – but of course human food is far more interesting than anything else so he demands to join you for lunch!

Mind you that dry food was available this whole time but hasn’t been touched by any of your four companions. Why would they eat dry food when they have the humans around 24/7 to give them wet food on demand!

The Afternoon Work Meeting

After a slightly disrupted morning keeping the feline overlords happy it’s time for an important call with your boss. However
 this is when Mr. Renegade decides that it’s not enough that you know that you are his human. He also has to make sure that everyone else on the other end of the telephone knows as well!

It’s just as well that I work for a cat company and my boss loves cats, otherwise I am not sure he would find his conversation with Renegade as much fun as little Rennie did.

How to Work from Home with Your Pets

But now on a more serious note
 what can you do to ensure that you get your work done during lockdown while not falling out with your beloved companion over constantly needing attention?

Whether your companion is a cat or a dog, I would recommend creating a nice little resting place for them that is near you. This could be under your desk, in a corner or even a section on your desk if it’s big enough.

I opted for a nice comfy memory foam cushion just next to the printer for a little cosy area! And it certainly has made it a lot easier to work with the cats around as they tend to sleep there or watch me (or the birds outside!) from their cushion while I am able to get some work done.

You can also provide your companion with extra stimulation through toys and puzzle feeders, which will help keep them entertained while you are busy with your work.

And don’t worry
 we still love each other. But I am sure, like us, the cats are looking forward to a return to normality!

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7 thoughts on “The Reality of Working From Home with Cats

  1. Liz says:

    For me, as much as I love my cats, based on how my previous one was, I would have to be in a room separate from the cat to work. I had to do this when one time studying because regardless she had her favourite spot she wanted my lap.

  2. maryltonks says:

    Having special boxes and baskets that my cats can use for “supervisory” posts has worked very nicely. They would still prefer my drinking from my water glass rather than get down for their bowl! Your essay was very close to home for me and I’ve been retired 5 years! They just love us!

  3. iamthesunking says:

    I had issues with Louis Catorze walking up to the screen, screaming at the kids I was online-teaching and then walking away again. Just so bizarre. No point in even trying to manage the class’s behaviour after that.

  4. Rohvannyn says:

    Oh dear. My kittens are constantly climbing up to my shoulders to have a look at whatever I’m doing at work. My boy Hiroshi is attracted to loud voices on my phone so when certain people are talking he’s pawing and sniffing at the phone. Then there are the famous fights over who gets to use the office chair! And constant knee patting from Old Boy Shinji. It’s quite the zoo at times.

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