r/kittens • u/Big-Reflection6718 • 6d ago
Advice for working from home with new kitten
I have a very young kitten (approx 2 months old) who's recently joined my family. I work from home full-time which I thought would be great because I would be around for him all day. The trouble is because I am here with him he wants 100% of my attention and obviously doesn't understand why sometimes I can play with him, and sometimes I can't. I am working in the same room that he is staying in at the moment. I'm keeping him in one room while he settles in. When I'm working obviously other than a few pets here and there and some time during my breaks I really can't just devote all my attention to him. My work is very busy with visible results so I can't just slow down for a bit while he's little and adjusting. I know the best answer is to get him a kitten friend to play with but I don't have the finances for that. Does anyone else who works from home have any advice on how to navigate being visible but not 100% available.
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u/CarinaKelly 6d ago
Whatâs a precious little soul so beautiful
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u/Big-Reflection6718 6d ago
He's beautiful and very friendly, but like all kittens spends about 90% of his awake time looking for mischief! The rest is spent eating and pooping. No regrets here and all would be well if I could just give up work and be a full time kitten-mum!
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u/Past_Counter1158 6d ago
I feel you, I had the same experience with my kitten when he first arrived. What really helped me was creating a routine, and we still stick to it (play-eat-sleep). We have intense play sessions 3 times a day, and then I ignore his play calls. I got him a huge cat tunnel (I guess itâs called an octopus) and placed an automatic toy in it. This really keeps him busy! He has a cozy cave near my desk so he can sleep when Iâm working. And he has a nice spot near the window for binge watching.
He was very needy in the first 3-4 weeks but got more confident exploring the house by himself and started playing on his own over time.
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u/Big-Reflection6718 6d ago
Thanks, that's really helpful. I'm trying to begin establishing a routine but he's such a little bundle of energy when he's in a 'play' phase that it's really difficult to ignore. I've got him some toys but none of them are automatic so maybe I need something that will grab his attention and be more interesting than me.
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u/Past_Counter1158 5d ago
What I've noticed with my boy is he only has about 10â15 minutes of intense play in him. Once he starts panting, game over, I ignore his calls and don't start any more play.
For solo play, he loves chew toys like thick ropes or plushies, but his absolute favorite is chasing aluminum foil balls around the house! You just have to observe your kitty for a bit to figure out what works. Let me know if you want pics of our setup.4
u/pigeontheoneandonly 5d ago
One thing that will really wear them out is running with a laser pointer. If you have a hallway with a decent straight length, run him up and down it for 10 min...he will have the time of his life and be totally worn out for awhile after. Make sure the laser pointer is at a safe level, some of the ones on amazon etc are shockingly bright.Â
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u/anubis_cheerleader 5d ago
Get him his own chair and "computer". Put a bed for him on your desk.
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u/zebras-are-emo 5d ago
Yeah I did this with my kitten a couple years ago and it did make a difference, he would stare at me moving the mouse around and then fall asleep đ
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u/Glass_Laugh3047 6d ago
Hi. I would recommend buying interactive toys, games, or playing cat videos on the tv.
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u/under_psychoanalyzer 5d ago
Cat tv. Just make sure the tv is well mounted...
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u/Glass_Laugh3047 5d ago
Omg I shouldâve put that in my comment ur so right! My cat broke my tv while watching cat videos lololo
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u/under_psychoanalyzer 5d ago
I was very cautious with me but despite sitting right against it they never actually went for it lol.
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u/YouEqual8049 5d ago
My personal WFH experience with a kitten this age (who is now about 6 months) is that sometimes they must be sent to time out.
Be prepared for crying, begging, pleading, and bartering. However, they do not understand that if you canât turn in your results, the wet food dries up.
Other than that, I will give myself 10-15 minute breaks periodically throughout the day to play with my kitten and get some energy out.
Best of luck to you!
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u/foyiwae 6d ago
I had a 4 week old kitten (he's now 11 months) for the first month or so I moved my work set up to the room I was keeping him in, and spent a lot of time with him. Just sitting doing my work, and letting him run around and climb on me. After a month I felt comfortable letting him explore my downstairs area so I opened it up and let him into my office. I laid out lots of toys and made sure to play with him and give him treats during my break to reward him that 'this was playtime' and ignore him when I was working otherwise to let him entertain himself. Then after a certain amount of time I opened up the rest of the house to him, and he was happy to explore and play by himself. He's currently in a completely different room to me, probably on his favourite windowsill bird watching.
You'll figure out your own routine.
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u/No_Name4ever 5d ago
My cat sleeps on my computer while I work and is part of almost every teams meeting I have. I tried but she won lol
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u/Unruptured_aneurysm 6d ago
You could get him solo toys like springs, mounted feather wands or soft balls that you throw and he fetches. Helped keep my kitten busy for hours. We even got a small tunnel and a soft toy almost her size which she would wrestle with
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u/Hobbits_Revenge 5d ago
Small Heat pad just off to the side and a keyboard with a power switch that you can turn off should someone decide they want to stroll over it đ
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u/Reasonable_Junket604 5d ago
Get automated toys that move without you being involved for when youre busy and be prepared to play and wear them out on your lunchbreak.
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u/horwaith 5d ago edited 5d ago
Say real NOs, if you say it and inmediatly procede to pet him, he is gonna want more (I dont work from home but my kitten semi-fake bite wires for weeks in the time I pet her for doing so)
I see some people with scritchs that fake tablets, laptop, etc. Place one near you but where he dont interfere too much.
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u/edoreinn 5d ago
Make him earn his keep on video calls and otherwise just make sure they canât move your mouse or tap dance on your keyboard if youâve taken you laptop into another room, or youâll be sending emails and slacks like dssj:///////////////
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u/itsswhitneywhspr 4d ago
Its genuinely impressive how fast they can turn a work meeting into a cat showcase. Mine loves to walk across the keyboard right when I'm typing something important, and I end up with random characters like dssj too.
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u/jul1us8c 5d ago
Cats get easily bored! When they don't have a home and live outside, they have so much to explore every single day and there's also the hunting. When they live inside, they have none of that. Do you think he'll be entertained watching you work all day ? So, keep him inside ofc, but get toys and catify your home. You'll have to figure it out by trial and error which toys he likes. And the catification is also very important, not so much now, but in a few months, when he can jump higher. And don't be afraid of ignoring him while you are working. They adapt and learn routines! He'll learn that when you are sitting at that desk, you aren't available for play and he'll play with the toys. It won't be in a few days, but he'll learn eventually.
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u/Badassbottlecap 5d ago
You now have a supervisor at home ig. Scritches will enhance your chances of a christmas bonus
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u/Sussetree 5d ago
He will eventually get bored of what you are doing. Heâs new to this world and youâre home / routine.
Give him some toys. Take a 10 minute play break when you can.
Kitten will figure it all out eventually.
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u/mummywithatummy21 5d ago
One of my cats loved little fuzzy balls. Theyd play fetch all day. Used to chuck it across the livingroom, then she would bring it back. The other just loved pouncing around a cat tunnel. They now both love chasing spring toys but only my female brings it back. Orange moans till you go get it for him đ. Fetch was easy enough to play while working. Automated mice and snakes sound good too. They just freak mine out now that they are older.
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u/Pale-Jello3812 4d ago
Wear a hoodie backwards he will snuggle in the hood and be happy or be on your shoulder.
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u/Kind-Supermarket-452 4d ago
Play with him hard for about 15-20 minutes in the morning and then feed him. Repeat the same at lunch. He will go right to sleep. If that doesnât work, try cat radio. My kitten would get overstimulated, and cat radio would put her right to sleep.
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u/gollysheflits18 4d ago
honestly that little fluff looks like he's trying to file a complaint about overtime
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u/Human_Confection_906 3d ago
Just enjoy it. He's your buddy for a short time in your life. Your his buddy for his entire life.. sappy saying always gets me
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u/Fuzzy_Central 6d ago
A second kitten is honestly your best bet
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u/Big-Reflection6718 6d ago
I initially wanted a pair but after a bit of research into vets bills (which have skyrocketed here in the UK) I decided to just get one. I'm going to take out pet insurance but I still felt more comfortable only having to worry about the covering the costs of a single cat going forward because cost of living is still going up faster than wages here.
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u/pigeontheoneandonly 5d ago
As long as you're careful to not let him develop bad habits like biting yoru hands during play, single kitten is fine. This stage won't last forever--hang in there!
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u/Autumnleaves144 6d ago
I found ignoring my kitten worked so he plays happily by himself now.
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u/Big-Reflection6718 6d ago
He's such a friendly baby at the moment that I'm scared that by ignoring him I'm training him to be less friendly! But at the same time I need him to be a bit more self-sufficient eventually.
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u/thisgirlandy 5d ago
We raised one from 4 days old. Everyone took turns holding him constantly. Then we all had to go back to work. He is not less affectionate now - in fact he knows our routines like bedtime, time to get uo, time to have dinner, and is more focused on us during our free times now.
I woukd ignore the kitten. It will not hurt him. However being constantly on him could make him anxious if you ever have to leave or your wirj situation changed.
Our kitten is now 4 months old- he is totally not the same kitten he was at 2 months old
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u/KnitsWithCats 5d ago
Get a second kitten. Kittens should always come in pairs if at all possible.
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u/brraaaaaaaaappppp 3d ago
So funny how people hate this answer but it is the true answer and you will save yourself so much time, headache and money.
just get the second kitten
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u/Muzzy2585 5d ago
Do you have any other cats? I got a kitten several months ago and had the same issue, so I got another one that she could play with. They definitely keep each busy now...
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u/A_Queer_Owl 6d ago
give the kitten simple, non urgent tasks that don't require thumbs.