Recently, many cat owners have begun working from home. If you’ve resumed your in-office work duties remotely from home, your cat has likely noticed that you’ve been available much more to them now than before. But creating that balance between work and play can be a challenge, especially if you have a young kitten or a curious and attention-loving feline. Here are some helpful things to consider in order to get your work accomplished while still enjoying additional time with your furry pal.
Picking a Workspace
If you already have a personal office set up in your home, you won’t have to worry about finding the best spot to work. But many employees are now working remotely without ever having needed to before. Hitting the couch each morning with a cozy blanket and cup of coffee, laptop in tow, may seem like the best way to spend this extra time at home, but working remotely will likely require concentration and dedicated focus – without many distractions. If your work hours have not changed, just your location, you’re going to be spending hours on your computer, phone, or laptop.
Our inherent desire for comfort, especially in our own home, is what probably tells us to opt for the couch in the first place, but setting up a workspace that ensures productivity and focus is essential. If you don’t have a spare room or den where you can work interruption-free, it’s good to at least set yourself up at a table somewhere in your home. The kitchen table, island, or patio dining table (weather permitting!) can offer a space where you can sit upright, prop up your laptop, and lay out any documents you need to work with. Even though you’re not at the office, you still need to have an office mindset.
Will Your Cat be a Distraction?
Every cat has their own personality and habits, just as their owners have different household rules and care routines for them. It should be easy to assume whether or not your cat will be a distraction when you are working from home. If any of the following is true for you and your cat, some additional measures may need to be taken to ensure you can get into the distraction-free and focused mindset:
- Your cat is young and highly active throughout the day.
- You give your cat free roam of the house 24/7.
- Your cat is highly affectionate towards you.
- Your cat becomes playful and excited when seeing a quickly repeating motion (i.e. typing on your computer) or hearing a repetitive sound.
- You don’t have rules or restrictions for where your cat sits, sleeps, or climbs in your home.
- You do have household rules for your cat, but they’re not the best at following them.
All of the above are common for felines and their owners, and there’s nothing wrong with any of them! In fact, these are some of the things we love most about having cats as pets. This is just to say that normal behaviors and house rules simply need to be considered and acknowledged when you’re trying to get essential work done from home.
More on Working From Home With Your Cat
Be sure to look out for next week’s blog, where we’ll be continuing our Working from Home with Cats discussion and going over additional cat care tips that are helpful when you find yourself with more time at home!
Catonsville Cat Clinic is a veterinary practice located in Catonsville, MD specializing in feline health and wellness care. For concerns regarding your cat’s behavior or health, or other assistance with caring for your furry friend during the global health crisis, give our cat health specialists a call today.