# The Cat won't let me work **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 12, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938 "2016-01-12T16:21:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![slightly\_askew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@slightly\_askew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slightly_askew)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/21 "2016-01-13T21:19:21Z")
I can’t tell you how many times one of our cat “buried” my husband’s dissertation before he finished it. We don’t _think_ that it was an editorial comment. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2016, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/22 "2016-01-13T23:51:54Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > Where do you work?! :eek: I had no idea such a place existed. It sounds awesome! 😃 Based on her male despair is funny mug and the fact there’s 20 cats, probably [here](http://now.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/23 "2016-01-14T00:01:38Z")
The warmest place in my condo turns out to be directly in front of my computer screen. Unlike the good old days when a cat could sleep on _top_ of the CRT screen, with only a flicking tail to block your view, now the cat has to stand parallel to the screen. This both maximizes warmth transfer and completely prevents me from getting any work done. My only recourse is to pet the cat, which of course makes the problem worse. Should I buy another screen, mounted horizontally, for Nibbler to sleep on? I’m not sure it would work. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/24 "2016-01-14T00:07:39Z")
Just put an old CRT monitor on your desk for the cat. My parents still have two, so they’re around. Somebody would probably pay you to take one. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/25 "2016-01-14T00:12:22Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > The warmest place in my condo turns out to be directly in front of my computer screen. Unlike the good old days when a cat could sleep on _top_ of the CRT screen, with only a flicking tail to block your view, now the cat has to stand parallel to the screen. This both maximizes warmth transfer and completely prevents me from getting any work done. My only recourse is to pet the cat, which of course makes the problem worse. > > Should I buy another screen, mounted horizontally, for Nibbler to sleep on? I’m not sure it would work. Yes. That is your obvious solution. Or get a second monitor but don’t extend them. IOW you see the same thing on both screens at the same time. This will solve your problem unless your cat has figured out how to be in two places at once. Whichever screen he’s standing in front of, you look at the other one. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/26 "2016-01-14T00:17:14Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Or get a second monitor but don’t extend them. IOW you see the same thing on both screens at the same time. This will solve your problem unless your cat has figured out how to be in two places at once. Whichever screen he’s standing in front of, you look at the other one. What if the cat can be both in front of Monitor A and in front of Monitor B until you collapse the probabilities by actually attempting to stare at one or the other, at which point the cat’s position resolves to being in front of the one you attempt to look at? ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/27 "2016-01-14T00:21:08Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > What if the cat can be both in front of Monitor A and in front of Monitor B until you collapse the probabilities by actually attempting to stare at one or the other, at which point the cat’s position resolves to being in front of the one you attempt to look at? Get a third monitor? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/28 "2016-01-14T01:38:25Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Get a third monitor? Yes!! ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/29 "2016-01-14T02:09:04Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Our cats are weird. They don’t like sitting in boxes. Hmm. Are you sure you don’t have a small, weirdly flexible dog? ---
**Author:** ![contradancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@contradancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/contradancer)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/30 "2016-01-14T08:42:10Z")
Cats. Along with their mates, dogs. What sweet, wonderful little creatures that make all of our lives better and make us better people. they try to show us what is most important in life, but do we observe and follow? No. We insist on “working”. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/31 "2016-01-14T18:46:50Z")
Cattius Maximus loves to ‘help’ me work. He begins his supervision of my labors by sitting on my right shoulder like a pirate’s parrot, but he quickly becomes bored and soon is draped over my shoulder like a dishwasher’s hand towel. Problem is, he is a 14-lb cat, so it doesnt take long before I am typing lefthanded, spelling as atrociously as one could imagine, and eventually give up the attempt to work. As usual, kitty’s nefarious plan has come to full fruition. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/32 "2016-01-15T17:33:34Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > Where do you work?! :eek: I had no idea such a place existed. It sounds awesome! 😃 I’m betting an animal shelter or vet’s office. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/33 "2016-01-17T17:19:15Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Try putting some catnip (or a magazine) in the box 🙂 Or clean laundry in a contrasting color from the cat hair. ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/34 "2016-01-20T12:01:34Z")
Oh so pretty cat, ME WANT! My next cat will be a long hair African-American! I have always loved that color of cat! ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/35 "2016-01-20T14:41:10Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I guess I have to take the day off. [Tonka won’t let me see my data notebook](http://s107.photobucket.com/user/llaaksonen/media/Tonka%20helping.jpg.html). We have somewhat the same problem, except Danthee likes to occasionally [play computer games.](http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/Clothahump/DantheeAtTheComputer_zpsbf3srrdc.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Calla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Calla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calla)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2016, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/36 "2016-01-20T15:20:53Z")
Beautiful cat! Our kitty has zero respect for personal and workspace boundaries, or schedules and deadlines. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/37 "2016-01-21T02:26:04Z")
My cat won’t let me work either. The funny thing is, I am now retired, so the actual work I do is housework. When I’m walking about, and especially when I’m in the kitchen, she is likely to come in and yell at me. If I don’t stop, she progresses to yowls and pitiful moans. This is only ended if I pay attention to her, follow her into the dining room, pick her up and let her sit on my shoulder for a while. So, it’s not my fault if the house is messy (which it is). ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/38 "2016-01-21T18:22:53Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > You need a [cat-apult](https://www.youtube.com/embed/1ggzvZ8Kxbk?vndclient=mv-google&vndapp=youtube_mobile&vndel=watch&vnddnc=1)! I’m going straight to hell for laughing at that, aren’t I? > [@April](#): > > “Because I made Fluffy fly?” ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938/39 "2016-01-22T23:16:16Z")
I used to have a problem with Charley lying across the nice, warm laptop keyboard when I was (trying to) work at home. She still likes to have my attention when I’m working at home, since nothing I’m doing could ever be as important as petting the most beautiful kitty in the whole world. But I can usually get her to sit in my lap rather than on the laptop these days, or if I put an old towel down on the table on the back side of the flip-up monitor, she’ll sleep there; sometimes, she’ll be so quiet for so long that I forget she’s there–then I’ll be using the mouse and this white paw will suddenly shoot out from behind the monitor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cat-wont-let-me-work/742938.md?page=1)