Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five funny cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.
After thirteen years of working 10-hour days in clinical practice, it has been an absolute pleasure to indulge my creative side through writing while still helping pets and their people navigate the happy and sometimes crowded world of pet ownership. Even more incredible is being able to work from the convenient location of my home, and it’s an absolute joy to share my office with my cats.
But do you know what real butt pain is? Sharing my office with my cats!
My husband and I decided to forego the trials and tribulations of having babies, instead filling our home with four-legged dependents. Sure, they’re always happy to see you, don’t throw tantrums (except for my Chihuahua, Fred), or keep us up all night worrying about what kind of pranks they’re doing to their friends, but they’re also not help clean up, no longer pick up after themselves, and always demand attention.
Office/Cat Room
Since we have dogs and cats, we decided to turn our spare bedroom into a cat sanctuary; somewhere cats can go to eat, sleep, and poop, without fear of being harassed by inquisitive dogs. When I started doing more work from home, this room became my office as well.
Fortunately, neither cats nor their worldly possessions take up much space, so I was able to move my desk and computer without too much complaint from the resident cats, but I had to make some adjustments to I want an office setup. . It also means getting used to a lot of intrusions, interruptions, and intrusions into my workspace. And by infiltrates, I mean cat litter. On my keyboard.
Take Cyril, for example. For a big cat, he completely lacks spatial awareness or a sense of personal space. His constant need to be near, next to, or with me led to my first desktop change, the purchase of a computer stand. Not for my computer, but to cover my keyboard while I type, allowing him to move around my typing hands without interrupting my work.
Adjusting Expectations
The next adjustment I had to make was about the plants. I’ve always liked the idea of an indoor jungle, because I know how rewarding it is to work surrounded by oxygen-producing plants. Of course, with pets at home, care must be taken to select plants that are safe for cats. Unfortunately, some of my cats have acquired a penchant for chewing, slicing, and sometimes eating any form of plants found inside, so while I don’t have to worry about toxicity, I have to still have to deal with wanton destruction of my indoor plants.
Nothing says romance like regurgitated rose petals strewn across the bed.
And so, I had to satisfy my desire for an indoor jungle with artificial plants, succulents, and cactus plants just spiky enough to deter prying mouths, but not too sharp and pointy. dangerous. At least they are low maintenance!
Sharing an office with cats is also good motivation for maintaining a clear and clutter-free workspace; if you don’t remove things from your desk, they may knock them on the floor, vomit on them, or both. And litter box cleanliness is never a problem in our house, not when they are standing 4 ft behind me as I type! And even though I don’t have to worry about the daily detour to the coffee drive-thru, I can still enjoy my morning caffeine fix from a travel mug…unless I don’t mind sharing.
I DO Love Share My Office
Don’t get me wrong, the joys and benefits of sharing my office with my cats SIGNIFICANTLY outweigh the negatives, and I consider myself very lucky to have such friendly, warm, and mostly quiet co-workers who don’t ever steals my yogurt from the fridge and is always happy to see me (even between feeding times!). But it would be great if they learned to wipe the trash off their feet before walking to my desk!
This article is part of a series by Dr. Karyn with her five funny cats.
