No I\u2019m not talking about the supervisor in the cubical across from yours who looks like a walrus or the creepy boss who can\u2019t keep his hands to himself. I\u2019m referring to our pets\u2014those sweet souls we invite into our homes and who adore us in return. For those of us with pets who write full-time at home, our world is filled with purrs, wagging tails and affection.<\/p>\n
Sometimes sharing office space with a dog or cat can be challenging. They want to be where you are, and they mark their territory with fur, toys, chewed bones and worse. Some of them become so comfortable in your office space that they begin claiming some of the furnishings and supplies as their own.<\/p>\n
I have cats in my life. I even write about cats, include them in my fictionalized stories and photograph them. There\u2019s usually one on my spacious desk and one in my lap. As long as I\u2019m in my office, they are in here, too. They sleep in here, play with things in here, bring their toys in here, eat in here and just hang out.<\/p>\n
But they do more than that. They keep me smiling. They provide me with inspiration, ideas and material for my writing. They entertain me during those dry spells. And they bring me comfort.<\/p>\n
They help to give me perspective when I\u2019m faced with a frustrating technological challenge and sooth my ego when my work is rejected.<\/p>\n
Animals in the workplace? Sure they can be distracting. They always fall asleep on the very paperwork you need to reference next. If given the opportunity, they will walk across your keyboard and delete the chapter you\u2019ve worked on all week or they\u2019ll spill your paperclips and scatter them across the floor. I\u2019ve had cats type when I left the room and I\u2019ve almost sent the article with the cat\u2019s message. Animals in the workspace may mean that you\u2019ll have to give up that cup of coffee you like to have at your elbow while you\u2019re working. And you\u2019ll soon learn never to leave important paperwork lying around where a kitty is apt to urp up a fur ball.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had cats run off with faxes, shred $20 bills and post-its with vital contact information, vomit on a set of photos ready to go to a magazine, knock the phone off the hook when I\u2019m waiting for an important call, erase an entire manuscript from my computer and more. Yet, like millions of others, I still invite cats into my office. Because they won\u2019t follow rules, however\u2014no matter what language I post them in: Siamese, Tonkinese, Himalayan, alley cat, etc., I have done some kitty-proofing. I devised a keyboard cover that I put over my ergonomic keyboard anytime I leave the office. I carry my coffee cup out of the office when I leave. They\u2019ve taught me to never, ever leave anything I don\u2019t want urped on, shredded or mangled where they can get to it. So far, so good\u2014most of the time.<\/p>\n
Now that I write novels involving cats, it is even more beneficial for me to have cats around me. As I observe them\u2014the way they behave, move, react, sleep, interact with other cats and all\u2014I can more accurately describe them in my stories. People tell me that they love my cat characters. They are so realistic and have such purrsonality.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019d like to check out my first two novels\u2014both of them involving cats\u2014they are Catnapped<\/i> and Cat-Eye Witness<\/i> from the Klepto Cat Mystery Series. They are for Kindle only–$2.99. Check them out here: http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/Klepto-Cat-Mysteries\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" No I\u2019m not talking about the supervisor in the cubical across from yours who looks like a walrus or the creepy boss who can\u2019t keep his hands to himself. I\u2019m referring to our pets\u2014those sweet souls we invite into our homes and who adore us in return. For those of us with pets who write […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t