After thirteen years of working 10-hour days in clinical practice, it has been an absolute treat to indulge my creative side through writing while still being able to help pets and their people navigate the fun and sometimes fraught world of pet ownership. Even more incredible is being able to work from the convenient location of my home, and it is an absolute joy to share my office with my cats.
But do you know what is also a real pain in the butt? Sharing my office with my cats!
Husband and I decided to sidestep the trials and tribulations of having babies, instead (over)filling our home with dependents of the four-legged variety. Sure, they’re always happy to see you, don’t throw tantrums (with the exception of my Chihuahua, Fred), or keep us up all night worrying about what sort of mischief they’re getting up to with their friends, but they also don’t help out with the cleaning, never pick up after themselves, and are always demanding attention.
Office/Cat Room
Because we have dogs and cats, we decided to turn our spare bedroom into a cat haven; somewhere the cats could go to eat, sleep, and poop, without fear of being harassed by inquisitive canines. When I started to do more work from home, this room also became my office.
Fortunately, neither the cats nor their worldly possessions take up a huge amount of space, so I was able to move my desk and computer in without too much complaint from the feline inhabitants, but I did need to make some adjustments to my preferred office setup. It has also meant getting used to a lot of intrusions, interruptions, and infiltrates in my workspace. And by infiltrates, I mean cat litter. In my keyboard.
Take Cyril, for example. For a large cat, he completely lacks spatial awareness or a sense of personal space. His constant need to be near, next to, or on me led to my first desktop alteration, with the purchase of a computer stand. Not for my computer, but to cover my keyboard as I typed, allowing him to roll about over my typing hands without disrupting my work.
Adjusting Expectations
The next adjustment I needed to make was with regard to plants. I have always loved the idea of an indoor jungle, knowing how beneficial it is to work surrounded by oxygen-producing greenery. Of course, with pets in the home, one has to be extremely careful to select plants that are safe for cats. Unfortunately, several of my cats have acquired a penchant for chewing, shredding, and sometimes eating any form of flora that finds its way inside, so while I may not have to worry about toxicity, I still have to deal with the wanton destruction of my indoor vegetation.
Nothing says romance like a scattering of regurgitated rose petals on the bed.
And so, I have to satisfy my desire for an indoor jungle with artificial greenery, succulents, and cactus plants that are just thorny enough to deter inquisitive mouths, but not so sharp and pointy as to be dangerous. At least they are low maintenance!
Sharing an office with cats is also a great motivation for maintaining a clear and clutter-free workspace; if you don’t clear things off your desk, they will either knock them onto the floor, vomit on them, or both. And litter box hygiene is never a problem in our house, not when they are situated 4 ft behind me as I type! And even though I no longer have to worry about the daily detour to the coffee drive-thru, I still get to enjoy my morning caffeine fix from a travel mug…unless I don’t mind sharing.
I DO Love Sharing My Office
Don’t get me wrong, the joys and benefits of sharing my office with my cats FAR outweigh the negatives, and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have such friendly, cuddly, and mostly quiet coworkers who never steal my yogurt from the fridge and are always pleased to see me (even between feeding times!). But it would be great if they would learn to wipe the litter from their feet before walking across my desk!
- Read her previous article: But What About Second Breakfast? When My Cats Think They’re Hobbits