I asked my fellow business friends to share their top tips for working at home with their furry friends. I’ll start with a tip from myself. I hope you enjoy our pet stories. Please feel free to share your own working at home with your pets story in the comments.
Amanda Myers
I’m a pet and product photographer, so I actually get to photograph my cats with some pet products such as cat scratchers, cat toys, cat water fountains, and more. My cats love to model since they get extra treats and I have fun photographing them. While I’m editing the photos my cat Summer meows at me and reminds me to get up and give her a pet pet break about every hour. I think she can sense when my legs start to go numb from sitting too long. It doesn’t help that half of the time she sits in my chair with me, so I have to perch on the edge of the chair because she’s behind me. So my tip is to get a cat to remind you to get up and stretch every hour. My cat Gidget like to climb on my shoulder during Zoom calls and say hi. She also likes to walk on my keyboard and press buttons when I’m trying to work. So another tip is that I got a glass cat protector tray so she can sit on top of it instead of on my keyboard.
About Amanda Myers – I am a freelance photographer, and I specialize in photographing Pets, Kids, Family Portraits, Events, Product Photography, stock photography and lots more. I have 5 cats who love to be photographed including Dragon, Summer, Winter, Olive and Gidget.
Connect with Amanda Myers – https://astylephotography.com/ https://createmeow.com/
Kelly McCausey
I brought home George the ‘craigslist cat’ as my family calls him. A tiny kitten from a farm family, he has been my constant companion ever since. He has always been an easy-going co-worker – though he’s talkative and my zoom peeps often wonder if he’s talking to them.
This spring I adopted a tiny 9 week old fluff bomb of a mutt. She’s got pomeranian, shitzu, maltese and more in there. My granddaughter named her Sparkle Twilight and I nicknamed her Sparkie.
My tip is to share my experience with crate training. Working at home means I can be with her all day, but WORKING at home means I can’t give her my attention all day. I bought a kennel crate just the right size for her and I’ve used it to keep her safe and secure when I don’t have my eye on her.
This has helped potty training immensely and given me peace for coaching calls and podcasting interviews. Sparkie is comfy in her little space, filled with toys and access to a water dish – she rarely complains. (And if she does, it’s usually because George has parked himself in her view to stare her down.)
Sparkie is almost six month now and she spends more and more time out of the crate as we’ve got a good schedule down and little accidents are rare. Right now, our biggest challenge is her addiction to playing fetch. She brings me her toys during calls and pesters til I throw something LOL!
Pets are amazing connectors. People love to see George and Sparkie on camera and I love seeing theirs.
About Kelly McCausey – She is a Business & Mindset Coach, Blogger, Podcaster, Affiliate Marketer and Instigator of Communities.
Connect with Kelly McCausey – https://lovepeoplemakemoney.com
Cindy Bidar
Having a dog in the office is a bit like having a toddler. I find that if I want to do really important, focused work (like recording a new course or writing a blog post) I need to do it when Boo is sleeping. If he’s awake, he’s either bringing me toys, chewing on something he’s not supposed to have, or barking at the neighbors, so it’s impossible to get anything done. As you can hear during this recent recording session, he decided my course needed some squeaky sound effects. https://youtu.be/Fvh4ojHF6ak
Boo is a three-ish year old Shih Tzu mix. We Adopted him from Pet Tails Rescue in West Michigan in 2020, and he’s the perfect little work-at-home assistant. Since he refuses to poop in his own yard, I’m forced to take two walk breaks every day, which is good for both of us. He’s friendly and fun-loving (as long as you’re not wearing a hat), and he quickly figured out that when I set up the webcam for a coaching call, it’s time to curl up in my lap for a snooze.
About Cindy Bidar – She got her start online writing content and copy for others, before moving onto marketing and operations management, coaching, and consulting. Today she runs an online training site where she helps her members scale their businesses by creating automated systems to improve conversion rates and increase profits.
Connect with Cindy Bidar – http://cindybidar.com
Karen Miller
My top tip for working at home with a pet is this: give them a “job”. I have a 6 month old lurcher puppy that came to live with us in late May. She’s a typical active, busy puppy. Loves to run and play. She loves to explore….sometimes that means chewed toilet paper, missing socks and assorted other mayhem. We enrolled her in puppy school straight away and she was a star with all the basic commands which has helped out with balancing a new puppy and my work load. But giving her a “job” has been the best part. She knows when we head to my office that it’s work time, so she jumps up to her “desk” (it’s a comfy chair), and she will stay there happy as can be until it’s break time. Afternoons require a game of ball and snacks, but then she’s happy to return to the office and resume her “job”.
Maggie is a lurcher puppy. She’s 6 months old and loves any stuffed toy that squeaks. She loves to chase a ball and will happily do so for hours if we’d let her. She has several “brothers and sisters”. Our family: 2 dogs (Maggie and Bubba), 4 cats (Rowan, Rune, Garth and Buddy) , 3 horses (Ben, Wilson and Levi) and 15 chickens (who don’t all have names).
About Karen Miller – I’m a Reiki Master/Teacher, Spiritual Coach & Certified Moonologer™. Through working with the moon, Reiki energy and coaching, I help women deepen their relationships, especially the one they have with themselves, manifest abundance, and create lives they love filled with meaning, peace, joy and a little magic. I offer online Reiki classes, coaching, moon classes and a free Facebook Community.
Connect with Karen Miller – www.shiftkitchen.com www.facebook.com/groups/moonbeamsandtea
www.instagram.com/moonbeamsandtea
Kelly Crompton
Make sure your pet is not bored. Boredom quickly turns into frustrating or even destructive behavior.
My pet is a dog, so I speak from that perspective.
Giving him a good, long walk helps him settle. Even though he is a senior boy, he still needs exercise or he gets antsy and whiny, making it difficult for me to do my work.
Periodic training breaks are great too! This provides your pet with both physical and mental stimulation. Another benefit is that training gives you a break from your regular work, and you can instead focus on that bond with your best buddy for awhile, and then return to your “office work” refreshed.
Give your pet an area in your office space where they can hang with you. A comfy bed, a toy or two, and a water dish will make them feel comfortable and safe in your shared work space. I’m also a big fan of bribes. I usually have treats on hand, and dole them out for good behavior – like being calm and quiet when I really need to focus.
The biggest tip, though – be patient with them. They’re animals. It’s not like they can go read a book or watch TV when you have to focus on other things. And I’ll bet if you’re on a video call – those people would LOVE to see your furry (or scaly, or feathery, or…) friend. If they don’t, are they people you really want to work with anyway? (Just kidding! Mostly.)
Jackson is an 11 year old Labrador mix. He’ll be 12 on October 23rd, and is the sweetest, quirkiest boy ever.
I rescued him when he was 4 years old, and he was actually returned to the Humane Society right before I adopted him. My boy is a bit of a runner – especially in his younger years – and he apparently jumped the fence of his previous would-be rescuers twice in just the day or two they had him home. So back to the kennel he went. They sure missed out on the very best boy, but lucky me!
He doesn’t do tricks, and is not agile whatsoever (I have no idea how he jumped that fence), but he’s incredibly patient. He’s a dog that little kids can come right up to and hug, and he’ll be fine with it. He even enjoys it most of the time. In another life, he could have been a great therapy dog.
Jackson loves being around other people and dogs, even though at his age he can’t keep up as much as he would like. But he enjoys just being in the middle of it all – at the park or when I have friends over – keeping an eye of everything that’s going on. And every once in awhile he gets a bit of puppy energy and does his best to run and play with his tail happily swooshing behind him.
He’s truly my best buddy, and has been a great co-worker. He’s also what has gotten me through many tough situations, including 2020, and all that year brought for every one of us.
Jackson’s favorite part of having me work from home? Probably being my Head Taste Tester!
About Kelly Crompton – I’m most comfortable around animals – dogs especially, so that’s my focus in life. I walk dogs and sell my treats. I also run a blog called Because of Dogs where I offer stories, tips, and articles about all the ways dogs have improved our lives, and how we can improve theirs in return.
Connect with Kelly Crompton – https://www.instagram.com/because_of_dogs/ https://twitter.com/dogs_because https://www.facebook.com/groups/becauseofdogs/ https://www.etsy.com/shop/BecauseOfDogs
Stephanie Watson-Barry
I have two cats named George and Gracie. George is a chronically sick cat, and Gracie is a feral wannabe. They even have their own Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/GracieGeorgeCats). I’m also a content writer with multiple clients, and I also write for a private label content website, Monthly Content Helpers with Shannon Smith.
I’ve learned over the years of having these cats, especially a sick cat, that like humans, to be at their best, they need a schedule. So, I feed them on a schedule, and I play with them on a schedule. If I play with them right before I sit down to do my writing or computer work for the day, they almost always sleep the entire time – either on my lap or next to me, but they don’t demand pets or get in my way because they’re fed and tired.
George is a grey tabby. He’s a big boy usually weighing about 14 pounds. He is sick with chronic GERD so he’s only about 10 to 12 LBS now. Gracie is a tiny black cat weighing in at 8 Lbs. she thinks she’s on her own and acts feral but she’s really sweet with me.
About Stephanie Watson-Barry – I’ve been working for myself since the 80’s, fully online since 1996, first as a website designer, as a Divorce Coach, as a Virtual Assistant and eventually as a Content Writer starting in 2009 and continuing until today.
I write well researched and written content for high volume clients who need more than 20,000 words each month. In addition, I partnered up with Shannon Smith from Appetite for Design to create Monthly Content Helpers a private label rights (PLR) content website.
Connect with Stephanie Watson-Barry – http://www.monthlycontenthelpers.com
Savanna Westwood
What Are Puzzle Toys, and How Do They Keep Your Pet Busy? Keeping your pet mentally stimulated is incredibly important, especially for hyperactive pets. But how can you do this? It’s easy. Just get a puzzle toy. We explain what puzzle toys are and how they benefit your pet. Learn more by reading this article. Puzzle toys are great for pets. They have many benefits for your pet that promote a healthy and active lifestyle. If you want to find out why check out the list of benefits below. Puzzle toys engage your pet’s mind, preventing boredom. And trust us. The last thing you want is a bored furry friend because boredom could lead to all kinds of behavioral issues, such as chewing, barking, getting into the trash, etc. Puzzle toys keep your pet far too busy for those troublesome behaviors. Your pet’s brain is like a muscle. The more it gets used the stronger it becomes. So, if you want your pet’s brain to stay in tip-top shape, give your four-legged pal a puzzle toy.
Maybe your pet doesn’t have much of an appetite. In that case, puzzle toys that involve food can help. Although eating out of a bowl isn’t very exciting, retrieving food from a puzzle toy is loads of fun. This might motivate your fur baby to eat more, which is beneficial if your pet is underweight. While some pets don’t eat enough, others scarf down their meals. If your pet belongs to the latter category, you probably already know this can cause vomiting and indigestion. The solution? Feed your pet an entire meal in a food-based puzzle toy. This will force your furball to eat more slowly, which will prevent an upset tummy.
Puzzle toys are a must for all pets. Remember, they will keep your fur baby busy and out of trouble, while also adding some fun to your pet’s life. You also will be entertained as you watch your little critter try to solve each puzzle.
About – Savanna Westwood – I am Savanna Owner and Founder of The Savvy Sitter, Pet Sitting and Dog Walking, LLC. I have grown up with animals all my life and enjoy spending time with them. I have lived in the Winter Garden and Windermere Area for over 30 Years. Though I do not have any animals myself, I love taking care of them and giving them the cuddles, playtime, and treats they deserve. I am an active equestrian, big dogs and horses do not frighten me. When I am not taking care of your Fur Friends, you can find me reading, practicing archery, riding, and figuring out ways to provide additional and great services to our clients!
Connect with Savanna Westwood – www.thesavvysitter.org
Melissa Brown, MD
If your dog is a barker, try to anticipate what sets him off before you schedule a Zoom meeting, record a video or podcast audio. If the landscaper always comes on Tuesday at 10 am and you know he goes nuts when the guys get out the leafblowers, don’t schedule that important meeting or recording then. There may be unexpected and unanticipated things that set your co-working canine off and he starts barking anyway. If you’ve got an important meeting or recording that you don’t want canine rap music in the background, take the call elsewhere other than in your home. Alternatively, you could plan to close yourself into a remote part of your house or apartment for that call. I think it’s actually easier to isolate myself than isolate my co-worker in another part of the house since just restricting him to a small space might set off his barking, too.
My ‘co-worker’ Louie (Full name = Louis P. Brown where the P stands for Pooch! and I only use his full name when he’s being scolded) is an 8 year old rescued Maltese. He was 3 years old when we adopted him and he has become my Velcro co-worker! He has to be in the same space with me wherever I’m working in the house. Louie has the most unique way to eat a biscuit. He takes it for a run in the house, flips it multiple times in the air while barking and then lays down on the floor and continues to bark at it! This can go on for a straight 20 minutes before he’s done ‘talking’ to it and eventually eats it!
About Dr. Melissa Brown – 95% of new online business owners and coaches quit in their first year having never signed up enough or (even 1) of their dream clients. Dr. Melissa Brown’s goal is to change that statistic by working with newly graduated or struggling coaches, online teachers, and creatives so they can call in the right people to fill their email list, convert them into paying clients and keep them happily coming back.
Connect with Dr. Melissa Brown – https://shesgotcontent.com https://www.facebook.com/melissabrownmd https://www.facebook.com/groups/shesgotcontent https://www.instagram.com/drmelissabrown/
Thanks for reading our pet stories
Please comment below with your own
Tip for working at home with your furry friend.
Fran Watson says
This was a very interesting read. Although I don’t have a furry companion, my boyfriend does. We picked up 2 rescue cats 4 years ago and they have taken over. Harley loves to crawl up and rest on his shoulder when he is trying to work. Jay loves to be a lap cat whenever he sits in a comfy chair (which often results in both of them having a cat nap!).
Thanks for sharing all these interesting stories.
Amanda Myers says
Thanks for sharing your story.