Yarn Tales Tuesday

Working from Home with Pets

A few tips, no matter what your job or hobby is...

  Every crocheter/knitter has cats, right? Well, that's what some people say... But we all know it's not always true. Maybe your pet is a dog or a bird; maybe it's a possum or a rock. Or, maybe you don't knit or crochet, and you found yourself here on accident while searching "work from home". And, I suppose you could be a human that hasn't been adopted by a pet. No matter who you are, you may find this post helpful.

  Feel free to replace the distractions here to fit your own situation, as needed: For you, it might be kids instead of cats. That's pretty close, since both think they require the same amount of attention. Perhaps you have a needy boyfriend instead of a dog - close enough - Either way, you might find yourself listening to lots of whining and often giving back scratches. If you have a needy boyfriend along with a dog, you may find it easier to crate train them at the same time... 

  And even if you don't work from home, you might still relate to some of this. It could be bill paying, cleaning out the fridge, or trying to share your latest project on social media - We all know we love them, but let's admit it: Pets/kids/needy boyfriends can get in the way of what you're trying to do. That's life as an adult human. Here's some ways you can deal with it: 

Before we begin, let me introduce you to the star of today's post, in case you haven't met her before: Lucky is my daughter's cat, aka the Queen of the Cats, aka the Spoiled Brat, aka Mama. But for me, she only answers to "treats".  

Specifically, if you're a cat owner, you know this look: "This is mine!"
"No, that's not yours. That's a charity donation, and you need to get your butt off of it."
Having someone or something to distract your pet, or a separate area to remove them to while taking photos is a must! Unless you have a weird cat that doesn't stick it's nose into all your business. If so: What's wrong with your cat? Doesn't it know it's supposed to be messing up what you're doing?

And we know this look, too: "You're not paying attention to me".
"Never mind the 20 minutes I spent brushing you this morning, and the treats, and the catnip..."
Know when to choose your battles. If kitty decides that a foot is all she wants, then give kitty a foot. You'll get more work done this way than if you're fighting with the distraction.

"Hey... Hey... Yo, human! Why aren't you paying attention to me?"
"Because it's computer time. I'm writing and I don't need your claws in my leg while you knead."
If you have a choice, make your office in a place that is removed from pets or other distractions. My "office" is my living room, right next to the dog's bed and the other half's television. It makes for some pretty unproductive time.

"It doesn't matter if you try your new fish-eye lens while I stick my tongue out. I'm still not getting off of you."
"Okay!"
Make an opportunity of distractions, if possible. Your boss at your corporate job probably wouldn't appreciate cute cat pictures along with your next quarterly report. But if your work is artistic, and especially if you're a fellow blogger, never underestimate the power of silly pet pictures. It doesn't matter if you write the most detailed, informative article about the most popular subject: You'll probably get more comments over the post with the adorable kitten in it.

"Okay, now you're just using me to promote your business."
"Sorry. I promise I'll give you 5 extra minutes of brushing in return."
If your distraction wants to be part of what you're doing, try to work them into it! Let's say that I wanted to create an ad that has the phrase "Learn crochet with Crochet is the Way!" over a display photo. Which would grab more attention - A plain motif on a white background, or a cat wearing the motif as a hat? The cat ad WINS.

"Oh, you dropped this paper... Let me hold it down for you!"
"Why?"
I really have no solution for this problem. Cats like paper. Some dogs and needy boyfriends do, too. Just give them their own piece of paper and hope that it distracts them long enough.

"Please can I go chase the turtle? Please, please, please?"
"NO."
"Okay, I'm gonna go chase the turtle anyways!"
Don't let planned breaks become a day off. The dog gets three 15 minute outside breaks during my workday - But he can't tell time! I can let him run loose on my fenced five acres, but he often gets into trouble. A 15 minute walk can turn into half an hour of getting him away from the tortoise hole, or an emergency bath, or even worse: A neighbor that doesn't understand that working from home means working, and wants to talk. Sometimes, putting the dog on a leash and walking him where I want to go is easier. 

"I may or may not be plotting your death because you included the dog in this post. I'm at least planning on taking over the world. And you'll find me in your clean laundry later today. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"Just remember where your dinner comes from."
(Try to) teach them some respect, but at the same time, make sure they're well taken care of. If you know your distraction is going to bother you for breakfast when you sit down to check your email, then get feeding time out of the way before you think about starting. Changing your schedule a little can save you more time in the end.

  In conclusion: If you work from home and you have pets, there's really no hope for you - Animals don't understand what "work" is! When you need to work and they distract you, remember that they have needs, too. Besides food, water, and shelter, your pet wants mental stimulation and love. Unless your pet is a rock - then you might get away with moving it once in a while to keep it happy. 

To keep your sanity: 

• Use your spare time to share cute cat pictures on social media. 

• Dress your pets up in your creations to promote your business.  

• Try to get your pet on a schedule - And by that, I mean completely adjust your schedule to comply with the pets demands.

• Four words: Videos For Your Cat.

  On a serious note: If you're a fiber artist and you sell your work, make sure your customers know that you have pets! I treat my creations with an anti-allergen cleaner, then follow up with a dye-free, fragrance-free detergent, but I still make sure people know that my household isn't pet-free. Pet fur and dander can still get onto your work, even if you keep it away from their areas. People with allergies or asthma need to know of the possible exposure.

  We all have work to get done. But please, don't ignore your pet. An extensive study has shown that neglecting your cat can result in disappearance of crochet tools and attempts at world domination. Other studies have shown that neglecting your dog may cause mysterious holes to appear in your yard or make area rugs flip over. A recent experiment even proved that neglecting your pet rock can result in severe dust collection.

...And by "studies" and "experiment", I mean that's what happens at my house, but I'm pretty confident that my studies could have similar results elsewhere.

Happy Crocheting!