Is anyone else's pets driving you C R A Z Y during WFH?

[myles0]

My cat. My effing cat. I love him. But he's driving me N U T S. I have a home office and am WFH due to the pandemic. I have someone who watches my baby during the day at my house, so I stay in my office for the most part with my door closed so I can focus. Unfortunately before this became my home office this was already my cat's chill zone. It has a deep closet where he likes to sleep, and I've always kept his cat bed there. If you know cats, you know this isn't something that would be easy to take away from him, and really there isn't anywhere else in the house where we could set up a good chill spot for him, so this is it. I don't mind him being in the office with me at all, but the problem is he CONSTANTLY WANTS IN AND OUT ALL DAY AND IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY. Like 10+ times a day he's meowing to get out of the room, then 5 minutes later meowing to get back in the room. It drives me crazy. I mean of course he needs in and out because his food and litter box aren't in here (and no way am I moving the litter box in here). But it's just so mother effing irritating letting him in and out all day.

This is mostly just a vent post. But also, I'm considering getting a new door with a doggy door in it. Would that be crazy? Has anyone done this? Would be awesome if he could just let himself in and out! He's probably over it too!

 

[bart23]

@myles0 No advice because my two cats are currently driving me insane as I work from home. I feel a little better knowing I’m not the only one

 

[sandraovercomer]

@myles0 I can relate. I started working from home permanently about 9 months before COVID because my company moved office locations and my commute was going to double. We have a large parrot and he never really bothered me that much until I had to work from home.

Even though he doesn't vocalize that much at all, when he does it is LOUD. And people can hear him if I'm speaking and he starts squawking from the other side of the house. He also knows how to talk so I'll hear "Hello?" and other phrases over and over and over (that part is actually funny most of the time). If I'm going to be in a long stretch of meetings, I'll usually give him a little snack or treat to keep him quiet. And I have to feed him dinner by a certain time (around 3:45-4:00) or he'll start getting loud. So he's basically a toddler.

 

[myles0]

@sandraovercomer OMG a parrot!! Lol! I can only imagine.

 

[alag]

@myles0 My dogs. They want outside every two minutes but only stay outside for 30 seconds. Then they are back at the door demanding to be let in. Whining, scratching at the door, the whole works. Then repeat cycle all day. Then they start begging for their dinner an hour before their normal feeding time. So today I tried leaving the back door open so they could come in and out as they pleased since the weather was weirdly nice. What did they both do? STAYED INSIDE THE ENTIRE TIME. I can’t win.

No clue what they will do when we go back to the office. Their codependency is at an all time high.

 

[myles0]

@alag oh that sounds so irritating! we were never meant to be trapped with our furry friends 24/7!

 

[goodfaithfellowship]

@myles0 I’m on maternity leave currently, but before I had my second, I was already working from home in the front room, no door. We had a gate to keep my oldest from going and trying to play with the computer cords. So my older dog would sit back there with me to stay safe.

It took WEEKS before the older dog would stop his squinty staring to get me to go back to the desk and work. He was such an asshole boss.

 

[dr_tan]

@myles0 Yes! My dog is driving me bananas! Since I’ve been WFH, she literally sits around and whines at me all day long. I have no idea why. If I walk, then she is under my feet. I trip over her ten times a day.

 

[danzeal]

@myles0 Free! 2 cats. Doesn’t even have to be to a good home.

The 2 cats and dog were already mamas babies. Then the kid came and they were like fine, we’ll share begrudgingly. Now with covid, I’m about to open the door and boot the cats and hope the bobcats get them quick (I kid, mostly).

Husband can be moving around the house and they ignore him. The moment I go anywhere they’re all there. And heaven help me if I go to talk to my husband cause then it’s a fucking parade and he gets annoyed by the room being filled with animals.

 

[justabeggarwhojesuslove]

@myles0 My dog is killing me. We moved and it took a while to get the curtains up and rugs down and it echoed so badly! Every time someone walks by she turns into a barking maniac. we needed all new rugs because the dog pees on them and I have a super sensitive smell sense so if it happens once I can’t get over it so it took forever to dampen the sound. I was going crazy from barks.

 

[myles0]

@justabeggarwhojesuslove Oh that sounds rough. I used to have another cat that peed on everything and it was awful!

 

[primarymay]

@justabeggarwhojesuslove Same. My dog has a bad habit of area rug peeing, it’s exhausting. She has medical issues but she’s also pee pad trained if we aren’t home - so I know some of it is being an asshole

 

[in_crisis]

@myles0 I have a similar issue with one of our two cats, (note to self, when picking out a kitten, do not pick the one literally climbing the walls) and my toddler is also cared for at home while I WFH. But my office is upstairs, like stairs up and directly into one random room. No hall or anything. So we keep a baby gate with a cat door in it at the bottom of the stairs, then I keep the door at the top mostly closed just open enough cats can get through, but with something behind it to make sure it doesn’t swing open all the way. Maybe that’s an option in your doorway? I also got noise canceling headphones so I can focus as even with the door completely closed it doesn’t block the sounds of a toddler protesting nap time.

You can also give them cat nip and they’ll pass out lol

 

[jamesapado]

@myles0 Before I got to your last paragraph I was going to suggest getting cheap door with a doggie door in it and temporarily replace your door. You can always put the solid one back on after WFH is done.

I feel you, though. My dogs are driving me insane.

 

[gg12356]

@myles0 I cut a hole in one of my doors to install a doggy door. 10/10 would recommend, but they can be a little noisy themselves.

 

[jack1998]

@myles0 Totally. My cat feels the need to show off her butt on all video calls. Also has a hatred of closed doors, so will fuss about it, even though she doesn’t want to go out, she just wants the ability to leave if the mood took her. And my toddlers bedroom is right next to my ‘office’ so leaving the door open a crack leads to even greater disruption...

 

[ash_ley4]

@myles0 My cats are driving me insane, today my cat jumped out my window (it was cracked so small!) I’m also pregnant and had to lean out my window half way on my belly to pull him up from the roof underneath. Freaking cats!!!

 

[rockinred2016]

@myles0 My one dog just barks and barks... and is resentful that he can't be with me while I work. The thing is I can't let him hang out with me in the office... because he BARKS for no reason, I am on and off calls all day! Part of the house is also gated off due to another dog who likes to mark on carpeted areas, so a lot of times they're watching me through the gate, because I have monitors set up, my laptop screen is tiny. Every once a while I'll sit in the kitchen or family room, but if I'm talking on the phone or on a webinar call he is so disruptive. I see that other coworkers have quiet dogs in the background.

 

[fleycer1993]

@myles0 Cat door.

 

[magnet21]

@myles0 I think maybe there’s a strain of COVID cats can get that makes them go nuts, because mine has been a food obsessed bloody nightmare since this pandemic begin. He drives us insane.