How not to be distracted by your cat when working from home?
Having your human at home all day, what a godsend for a cat constantly in need of cuddles and attention! But between the incessant solicitations and other calls for food, cats can indeed quickly become the enemies of our ability to concentrate… So here is a short survival guide for people who want to maintain good productivity. and don’t alienate their hairball!
Manage cohabitation
In recent months, the considerable development of telework has led many people to work from home. And if this situation is already complicated to manage in some cases – especially for people who have to take care of the children and the house at the same time – our dear felines sometimes come to add their two cents to our business.
We know it: cats are sometimes devilishly cute little beings who love to be noticed. Putting their charming muzzle 3 centimeters from our face – when it’s not their anus -, improvising a nap on the hot computer keyboard, appearing impromptu on camera during a meeting, climbing on a shoulder…
With this omnipresence, cats can therefore quickly become nice disturbers of our professional tranquility and alter our concentration, even play on our nerves. It is therefore necessary to find the right balance between responding to this request for attention so that they do not feel alone and imposing a few rules on them so that your quality of work does not suffer.
Set some rules
So how do we gently make our cat understand that no, we are not available all day to give hugs and that we have to work hard to be able to fill the bowl with kibble and buy catnip?
Here are some exercises and tips to put in place to put an end to this dictatorship of purring – which we love to hate. Far from chasing your cat or punishing it, it’s about creating new rules in the house through exercises that are for some an opportunity to strengthen your bond!
1. Keep it busy as much as possible
A busy cat is a cat that will not come and land unexpectedly in front of the printer in the middle of work. So you might as well put the odds on your side to keep your mind away from this type of distraction! To do this, it is possible to stock up on toys on this site specializing in online pet stores. We will of course avoid noisy games and bells that may distract you.
2. Give him special moments
If it has the annoying habit of pointing the tip of their muzzle in front of the webcam during meetings, plan for example to play with them for about ten minutes before the start of it when possible. This time just for the two of you will give them all the attention he needs for the solitary moments that will follow.
3. Set up a corner for him near your desk
If it is one of the glue pot cats and you can’t bring himself to keep him away from your workstation at home, set up a dedicated corner for them where it will have plenty of time to see you at work. A cat tree, hammock or basket placed in a small corner of the office will do the trick. Giving them a space just for them may prevent them from squatting on your keyboard without any qualms.
4. Train him to become less dependent
Patience is one of the hardest things to learn – but it’s not impossible. By setting up a precise schedule, you can set up specific break times during the day to play and go outside to get some fresh air with them. These little habits will help them better manage separation anxiety, especially if you plan to return to your workplace soon. At the same time, do not hesitate to put distances that do not prevent them from seeing you, for example by positioning their basket far from you, but always in the same room.
