Today I am trying to write and do some marketing but my desktop seems to be a bit crowded, more than normal.  Now aside from a lamp, monitor and keyboard, most people have an assortment of office implements: tape despenser, stapler, pen and pencil containers, maybe a photo and other, you know, stuff. Me? I have the lamp, the monitor and the keyboard and mouse.

And cats…

As usual, the two beds on my desk were quickly occupied by

first-come-first-serve opportunistic cats. And not unexpectedly, a third cat arrives to find all the prime beds taken. He was quite miffed so I put a knitted vest in front of the monitor and pulled the keyboard to the edge of the desk. Presto! Two cats has grown to three. But the third cat, Koko, isn’t quite happy with the vest today. Normally, it’s acceptable. So I pull down a small, narrow bed from elsewhere in my office and put it in front of the monitor. Okay, we’re good. Nap time commences and I’m back to working.

Except I’m multitasking on the computer and I’m having trouble seeing the progr

ams on the task bar with the way he’s sleeping.

No problem. Book under monitor takes care of that. Beneath my desk, at my feet, there are two dogs in dog beds and a stool for my shot little legs.

Not long after, a fourth cat decided he was cold and lonely. No room for this big guy who is 25 lbs. So into the “cat drawer” he goes (last time he actually broke the drawer).

This drawer holds my lap robes I keep there in case I get chilly.  Okay, I now have four cats, two dogs.  This is typical of my writing time at my desk.  I’m missing one cat and one very large dog.

No Lonely Writer Club for me.

After lunch, I went back to my desk and the fun began anew.  Fifi retained her pink bed, Molly decided she wanted front and center and Snowy, the  big cat, decided he wanted the big bed. Makes sense.  Then comes Koko, who  had the middle bed before lunch. He’s not happy. He’s not opposed to sharing but his sister Molly gives him a swat to the face. Hmm, not good.

I show him the nice, warm drawer bed. Nope, he wants to be closer to me. So he finds a small bit of space between Molly and Snowy’s bed. I move Molly, bed and all, over a tad, spread the vest out a bit and Koko pours himself into this narrow space and we’re back in business, right?  Well, except for not much space to put my arms to type, anyway.

A week ago, I had all five cats. Four on the desk, and snowy insisting my lap was his perfect place. Let me tell you, there is no writing at the desk with a twenty-five pound cat on your lap. Oh, he’s a good thirty-plus inches long (not counting tail

I’m shaking my head, wondering how come I’m not a mean cat owner who can just toss the lot of them out. I mean, I have a beautiful desk, and it’s huge. I bought it to put all my necessary office supplies there, and maybe my amethyst candle holder, a nice hunk of fluorite that I like to handle while writing or even my pretty, pastel kaleidoscope

. I’m a push-over. The cats want me, they got me.

What’s that you’re thinking?  SHUT THE DOOR!

My office is the family room. With no children at home to make use of both family and living rooms, we literally turned it into a shared office between myself and my husband.  It’s large and has a fireplace which is nice for ambience and warmth in the winter. Unfortunately, there is no door!

No door means my animals know where to find me and most of them are happiest when they are with me. And truthfully, I love my kitties and I’m never lonely when I write, though there are times when I’d love to give “lonely” a shot!

Oh, it’s not just cats on my desk I contend with. One of my pups has caught on to the cat tricks to be close to me. Abby loves to sleep in one of the cat beds. If they are taken, she’s game to curl up in front of the monitor.

Of course, this means that I can’t leave the desk for even a second in case she tries to jump down, and being a yappy, barker, she often has to go see what the other dogs are barking at.

How about you? Do you have writing companions? Do you put your foot down and tell everyone and thing to go away?

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