Need Help Staying on Schedule? Get a Cat!
I write about cats three times a week. I've been trying to figure out how to add a blog about cats on here.
Now, if Lucinda the literate cat were here, I'm sure she'd think of something to say. (She does the book reviews on my blog.) She could tell you why cats are superior animals.
Actually, I do have a cat behavior comparison that might be helpful. I believe we could learn quite a bit from our feline compadres about how to organize our day and set up a schedule.
Cats don't need clocks. They have one built in. Once they set up a routine, their clock tells them all sorts of things. For example, they know when it's time to get up. Kitty doesn't keep it to himself. He cajoles you in all sorts of ways to get out of bed your own self.
The reason? Why, to feed him breakfast, of course. The cat knows that regular meals are necessary to keep up your health.
He knows the time for the morning meal, the time for the noon snack, and especially supper time. He will alert you to every one of these important events.
Since the cat has set up the framework for my day, then I can divide up the hours in between as the times to do my work, either on the computer or around the house.
Kitty likes to supervise to make sure I don't waste time. He liked sitting on my desk next to the computer, but this spot was not ideal. He sat on half my mouse pad in the process. So, I had to bring in a separate chair for him.
The kitchen table chairs have a comfy pad, so I set one of these right next to my desk chair. When I am on the computer, he spends most of his time napping on his very own chair.
As he also liked to get on my desk chair as soon as I vacated it, it was helpful to let him have his own assigned seat.
We had to alter the schedule he set up for bedtime, as at first he would come in at 8:00 p.m. to tell me to go to bed. Perhaps that was the acceptable bedtime hour at the shelter. Now I've managed to get him to change his bedtime setting to around 10:30.
Thus, I can get a couple more hours' work done after supper. Then, when we finally go to bed, I often come up with some of my best ideas. So, I keep a pencil and notebook in the headboard shelf so I can write them down. If I don't, they are forgotten in the morning.
The cat likes it when I read to him, so sometimes I'll read a post out loud. Doing so can help you find the awkward spots in your writing. Then you can do a little smoothing to make your content flow better.
It is a treat to have him with me. I can stop and pet his amazingly soft fur and listen to his loud purr. This soothing sound can clear cobwebs from my mind and help me relax into my task.
My conclusion: If you want to stay on track with your WA work, get a cat!
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That's my cat. Wake up call every day for breakfast. He knows the morning routine. Let's me know snack time and dinner. Same every day. Likes to supervise and is a chair stealer too. We wouldn't have it any other way. 🐱❤
Yep, just finished supper and came in here, and the cat had moved to my chair. It's a little softer than his.
When I had my shop in Kodiak, I'd get home about 7 at night and the cat would always be on the front step waiting for me.
My last cat did that, too, and he knew exactly where to sit on the hall rug so the door wouldn't hit him when it opened.
Hi,
That is really very true. They do keep a very refined schedule never ever thought of it like that as it goes.
My dad has a cat and I know his schedule and his cats schedule too. :)
I have dog and I would say they have schedules but never down to a fine art like cats do though. What an awesome post Fran.
Debs :)
Hi Fran, I agree with you I had a cat back home in Jamaica her name was miss Tibbs I think she ruled the house she slept where she wanted and she knew just what to do to get her way. wishing you all the best
That's pretty cool and funny cats
are pretty cool and independent and hide their poo no dog does that 😜
The last cat i had was a
Bout 2 years ago and she lived 17 years a Ferrell cat and very smart, i called her my ninja cat ,she was jet black but when the sun shined on her fur you could see tiger stripes .
Great post Fran !
Bye the way did you ever play duelling banjos on the banjo ?
You know, I resisted it because everybody wanted me to play it. I did do "Foggy Mountain Breakdown." I probably did more frailing instrumentals.
Claw hammer or frailing. It's playing without picks; you strike strings or chords with the back of your fingernails.
Ok It's been a long time since I took guitar lessons, ha ha never heard it explained that way 😎
Is your literate cat the one who walks on the keyboard to help you with typing? I've got one of those.
Bravo fellow cat lover. Mine (3) take turns to keep me company and as you say, on schedule. I really enjoyed this read. thanks, Mike
Ya know, I've never had a more reasonable explanation to get a cat! I used to have cats all the time when I was growing up. We were never far away from one. But, my adult life, things just didn't work out with one.
I do like cats well enough. My parents have had a couple that I enjoy going over there for and having them around.
Thanks for sharing this amazing article! Seriously giving it some thought to get one now - Now, I just need to convince my husband! :)
Get one from a shelter. There are so many great animals in shelters that would be so much happier in a home.
I agree with you Fran, but saying that, my Kati is not a writer and has no interest but she sure keeps me company. However, she has to share her time between myself and wife showing no favourites.
Bedtime is 9 pm and she lets us no but only the wife can do it except when I am the only one then she reluctantly lets me.
Peter H
I had a friend who lived with me on Spruce Island for a few years. One of my kitty twins loved him, and considered him her bed partner. My friend and I played cribbage most evenings before bed, and when the cat thought it was bedtime, she'd come down and tap him on the knee and meow at him a few times, just to let him know it was time. Then she'd go to bed. When he finally turned in for the night, he slept on his back and the cat slept on his chest. What funny little critters!
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Fran, how did my cat end up at your place?
Hahaha!
These cats can be so sneaky,can't they?
Hahaha! They are! They really are.