Many cube-dwellers envy the person who works from home. They imagine a nirvana like atmosphere: no immediate boss, dressing in sweats, trips to the refrigerator, flexible work hours, and pets sleeping peacefully in the corner of the room.
Anyone who has worked from home and has cats can set the record straight. The real taskmaster is never far away, and controls your every move. Cats know the real reason people work from home is to provide entertainment and numerous activities for them.
If this cat controlled scenario sounds much like your life there are some easy steps you can take to keep your work schedule on track, your computers safe and your cats happy.
There are two major “bones of contention” – warmth and attention. Look to any heat source, a computer, laptop, keyboard, external hard drive or your lap, and you’ll find a cat. Cats also vie for attention. If there is a deadline looming, they will place themselves in a strategic spot on your papers. If the printer malfunctions they will sit on the scanner. If you write for too long, they will calmly walk across your keyboard possibly hitting the “send” button.
Here are three coping techniques to make your life easier, while keeping your cats happy.
1 – Make your cats think you are looking at them every time you sit down to work. Use a shelf designed to hold a printer and paper on a desk as a re-purposed cat shelf. Place it just behind your monitor, hopefully with a window backdrop. The added height and ability to gaze at birds, while being the center of your attention will satisfy many cats.
2 – Getting away from your desk any time you want is a perk of working from home. However, the moment you leave, the keyboard becomes a top attraction. Over turn a stackable letter tray and cover your keyboard when you step away for a moment. The slot at the back of the tray even gives you limited accessability if needed.
3 – Dedicate a small blanket of towel to cover your lap when working. You have cats for a reason, so take advantage of their ability to take two hour cat-naps, while curled up tightly on your lap. A cover will protect your legs from being perforated as they settle down, make it easier to get up (use the cover as a hammock to lift them off your lap), and keep some cat hair off your clothes.
4 – When all else fails, take a break, and remember they will never bark when you are telling your boss you are stuck in traffic.