How to Keep a Cat Off Your Desk

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyPetMyStar #CollectiveBias

I work from home. I have a cat. You probably know the obvious conclusion: the cat is constantly on my desk.

• covering my calendar
• lounging on my notebook
• pinning down my folders
• blocking the printer
• shedding hair that gets trapped in the keyboard
• swishing his tail on my elbow as I type
• bumping my hand in affection as I raise my mug to my mouth

I love him so much. He’s a precious cat. But when a woman has to work, she needs her elbow (and paperwork) room! After some trial and error, I’ve come up with a plan to keep Sony off my desk.

First some methods that don’t work.

Pushing Him Off

Okay, this works temporarily. But he will come back. And I feel guilty when he looks at me with those sad cat eyes. (Yes, it’s not just puppies that have sad animal eyes.)

Begging and Reasoning

I’ve asked Sony dozens of times to sit at my feet or sit on an unused part of the desk. To no avail. He will not listen to reason. Don’t waste your breath with a cat.

Relocating Him

Sometimes in desperation, I have taken Sony to another room where there’s a comfy couch or bed and placed him gingerly upon it. Nope. Not having that. The desk is better than a king size bed in a quiet back bedroom.

How to Get a Cat Off Your Desk So You Can Work at Home

1. Get a Cat Tree

The taller the better! Get a multi-level cat tree with at least two platforms and a scratching area at the bottom. You have to go big or go home when it comes to cats. It’s best if the top level is above the height of your head when you are sitting at your desk. Cats love to feel superior to us, so giving them the advantage of height is very appealing.

2. Place the Cat Tree Adjacent to your Desk

You need a cat tree that you can place strategically close to your desk so that the cat feels like it’s part of your workspace. This is a critical point. The cat tree cannot be discretely in the corner. It cannot be across the room. It must be touching — even overlapping — your desk.

If you can also position your cat tree so that it’s easy for your cat to look out of a window, you are golden. That’s the perfect spot.

3. Adorn the Cat Tree with Beloved Cat Toys

Get your feather on a stick or whatever your cat loves to chase, and put it in the cat tree to make your cat feel at home.

Now these three steps are not enough. So don’t stop here and think you’ve solved the problem. Cats are smart. They want to sleep on paperwork, calendars, mobile phones, ear buds, your favorite highlighter, and that tiny note that is really important. So you still have a couple of things to do.

4. Put “Important” Papers in in the Cat Tree Platform

If you treat the cat tree as a massive, carpet-covered inbox, your cat will love to sit in it. Remember that to your cat, paperwork is the most heavenly cushion known to cat-dom. To gain this effect, you must put some “important” papers in the cat tree. A file folder, notebook, notepad, and even a glue stick may work too. You know your cat’s preferred office supply mattress materials. Choose the most tempting surfaces to entice your cat.

5. Tell Your Cat to Stay Out of Your Special Inbox

Yes, this is reverse psychology. Tell your cat that he can’t sit in the delightful cat tree. When he starts inching towards it, get exasperated, but don’t make any sudden lunges. Just act mildly irritated, and finally with a loving reluctance, tell your cat, “Oh, you are so cute. I guess you can sit there while I work.” Then give him a tender pat and slip into your seat.

VICTORY!!! Your cat is now off your desk and you can work without distraction.

Well, for a while. Cats are persnickety. Your cat will be back on your desk at some point. So you may have to rework this plan, move the cat tree, or find new paperwork for your special cat tree inbox. Of course, you don’t really care. You adore your cat just like I do. And it’s fun to act upset when he’s in your way, but for the most part, he’s a great companion when you are working alone from home.

As a busy WAHM, I value products for my Sony that save me both time and money. It’s great to be able to pop down to my neighborhood Kroger and pick up Tidy Cats® Lightweight cat litter for him. I’m already in there buying items for dinner, so it’s easy to pop a jug of Tidy Cats® Lightweight cat litter into my cart. I mean, literally it’s easy.

This stuff is on the TOP SHELF of the pet aisle. Think about that. If it were heavy, they would not be putting it way up there where people could hurt themselves with it! It’s truly light weight.

Next time you are in Kroger, go trick your kids by going down the pet aisle. Show them how strong you are by pulling down the big jug of cat litter from above your head. Of course, if they can read the label Tidy Cats® Lightweight cat litter, your little stunt just got busted.

It’s so light, you can carry it out to your car without a cart. And that saves me the hassle of running to the cart return area. Bingo! Even more time saved.

TidyLock™ is the latest innovation in litter featured in all Tidy Cats® litter varieties. It is the new and improved formula that now better locks away odors.

Save With These Coupons

• Purina brand coupons — $2 off Dog Chow Naturals dry dog food• $1 Off Tidy Cats Lightweight Litter• $1 Off Tidy Cats Litter
• and other Purina coupons on the Kroger coupon page

Please refer to the featured product as Tidy Cats® Lightweight cat litter with proper trademarking, at all times.