Terra the Cat wants to be my study buddy, but is VERY distracting…

[thefishyone]

So I am attending classes at an online college. I’m legally blind, so I have to be st my PC so that it can read my assignments to mr. My computer is located in the mid tier of a stairwell, so my options for catifyimg this space are limited to non-existent (Terra is my faithful companion and losee her mojo if we are separated for any length of time). I’ve tried letting he sit on my desk, but she often starts playing with the cord to my mouse or walking in front of my screen for attention.

These behaviorss are serious distractions for me when I sm supposed to be studying. I’ve tried locking he in my room (the place Jackson Galaxy might call “baae camp”) where she has a cat tower to climb, but will sit patiently in front of the door waiting for me to return.

I feel absolutely horrible about putting her there, but at the same timr she makes for a very distracting study buddy. Does anyone have any ideas for ways I could train her to sit still at my computer? Am I really being a bastard by kerping her in my room? It’s important that I can study without distractions, but I love Terra like she was my furry and fluffy daughter and want her to be happy.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

If it comes down to it, she'll adjust to being in your room. Take a few breaks that you spend with her, it will do you both good.

It is possible to put a Terra-sized shelf on the wall by your computer? Somewhere that she could lounge and watch without actually being in the middle of your workspace? Some landings will allow that, others won't. That would be ideal.

 

[susanm9006]

I think putting her in your room is just fine. When you do that I would give her a cat treat or two so that she gets something positive out of the experience. But be assured, she may be annoyed but she isn’t suffering. Once she learns the routine, room, treat, shut door, she will adjust and start napping until she is allowed out. And when you do let her out, give her attention and play time.

 

[LTS3]

There are cat beds / shelves you can attach to the desk so your cat can, in theory, be near you and just sleep.

A shelf or two attached to the wall behind or near the desk may work just as well.

A friend of mine has a desk-height cat tree that one of her cats lounges on when she works from home. It's similar to this: FRISCO 24.8-in Heavy Duty Faux Fur Cat Tree, Gray - Chewy.com

I’ve tried locking he in my room (the place Jackson Galaxy might call “baae camp”) where she has a cat tower to climb, but will sit patiently in front of the door waiting for me to return.

Well at least she's not screaming her head off and / or scratching at the door like mad like most other cats Keeping your cat in your bedroom while you attend classes is fine and doesn't mean your cat will hate you or that you are a bad person.

 

[ArtNJ]

The possible problem with the cat bed idea is that if the cat was willing to chill by you, you'd know it, as the cat would find the most inconvenient place to lay down, such as a keyboard. Yours sounds like it wants attention, not to chill out. So probably the other room, which as others have said, isn't so bad.

 

[Caspers Human]

A friend of mine is a computer programmer who also has three cats. They often hang out with him at his desk as he works.

One of them likes to lay on the desk, behind the monitor. The second lays on top of the laser printer, to his left. The third hangs out in the lower, right desk drawer. Occasionally, they'll move in for some petting or some lap time but, generally, they stay in their places.

Basically, he lets each cat pick a space to hang out in. As long as they stay in their "hangout spots" they can stay as long as they want. If they start getting in the way, first they are ignored then, if they don't get the hint, they get picked up and put on the floor. If that doesn't work, they are put out of the room and the door gets closed.

It didn't take long for the cats to learn the rules. In fact, there really aren't any "rules," per se, any more. This is just the way life is. If humans and cats coexist, peacefully, everybody is happy. If a cat starts getting out of hand, first they get "sent down" then, if they continue to misbehave, they get "sent out." The cats even know the words, "down" and "out." If one of them misbehaves, all he has to do is say "get down" and the cat hops down, off the desk and goes some place else.

You just need to set the rules then stick to them. Decide where your cat is allowed to hang out or, better, let her pick a spot to hang out where it doesn't bother you too much. If she stays there and doesn't misbehave, she can stay as long as she wants. If she gets in your way she gets put down and, if she still doesn't get the message, she gets sent out.

Do it like that, each time, all the time and don't waver. If you keep it up and always act consistently, your cat will learn the rules and, eventually, there won't have to be "rules" anymore. It'll just turn into "this is how the cat hangs out with me while I'm working."

 

[Mamanyt1953]

There are also several variations of this, which could help a LOT!

 

[lollie]

You may not have any room in front of you, but I have found that the problem with cats is not being able to be in your line of sight when at a desk. I ended up putting a basket next to my computer that fixed the problem, but as others have said, anywhere you could stick a shelf would work.