June 22, 2012 is Take Your Dog to Work Day. To the best of my knowledge, there is no Take Your Cat to Work Day, perhaps with good reason. Most cats don’t like upheavals in their routines. They’d much prefer to stick to the same routine every day. So, most of our cats would probably be much happier being left at home to lounge and relax rather than being exposed to the stress of being transported to a new, scary environment and being surrounded by strangers.
Of course, there are exceptions, and some cats might actually enjoy the attention of sharing a workspace with their owner. However, many workplaces that are dog-friendly are not necessarily cat-friendly.
That doesn’t mean that your cat can’t celebrate Take Your Dog to Work Day though.
CAT Stanley, the official “spokescat” of the CATalyst Council, offers ten reasons why cats should celebrate Take Your Dog to Work Day. Take a moment to read Stanley’s thoughts. You’ll get a laugh out of them.
My favorite part of Stanley’s advice is this tip:
"I must offer one caution, however: you must remember that if the dog is at work with your person, you can no longer frame the dog for any of your transgressions. Tread carefully, my fine feline friends."
Good advice for any feline, don’t you think? And don’t forget to take Dr. Jane Brunt’s advice also. Schedule a Take Your Cat to the Veterinarian Day. Cats require the same level of care that dogs do when it comes to veterinary health care.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. I’ve had the pleasure of sharing my workplace with cats on a couple of different occasions. Of course, I work in a veterinary hospital so it’s a bit different than most other workplaces.
First was Rusty. Rusty was roughly 8 weeks old when he first came to us. He was very ill with an upper respiratory infection and was scheduled to be euthanized by the local animal control facility as a result. So our hospital took him and he lived with us at the hospital for the next couple months of his life while he recovered. Though he spent a lot of his time caged, he was allowed the run of the hospital when we could ensure his safety while doing so. Some of his favorite activities were riding on top of the vacuum cleaner and chasing the mop as our staff cleaned the floors. Eventually, Rusty came home with me and he still shares my home.
Frankie was the second cat who lived, for a time, at our office. He came to us originally with a horrible wound on his face. At first, he looked pretty awful, which is how he got his name. Frankie was originally short for Frankenstein. Fortunately for Frankie, his face healed completely and he ended up being a handsome boy.
During our downtimes, Frankie used to come into one of the exam rooms with me and hang out. Frequently, he simply rested on the counter but he also had several toys he played with there as well. His favorite past-time was playing in the sink. He loved trying to catch the water from the faucet as it dripped into the sink. He was always pleasant company and I still miss having him around the office. But he found a forever home where he is happy and well-cared for and he shares his home with a feline sibling that he absolutely adores. So, I’m happy for him.
Dr. Lorie Huston
Image: kitten at work by Jacob Davies / via Flickr