Skip to main content

Cats at the office will become the next craze and we are here for it

With the shift to remote work prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees found themselves working from home, often with their pets by their side. Having a cat supervise your work throughout the day can have many benefits, including stress reduction and companionship. But just because more workers are returning to their offices doesn’t mean this trend of working with a cat alongside has to end. Office cats were already popular before the pandemic, and we think that they’re likely to only gain in popularity. If your workplace doesn’t yet have an office cat, now might be the perfect time to suggest the idea to management. Here’s why.

Cat sleeping on a keyboard
Bogitw / Pixabay

What is an office cat?

There are many versions of office cats, and the right option will really depend on your business model and your cat. Some businesses have open pet policies, allowing employees to bring in their pets. While this model works well with dogs, it’s a bit less common with cats, especially since cats don’t always love car rides or do well in unfamiliar settings.

Recommended Videos

What’s more common is for an office to have an official office cat that lives there most of the time. The cat might go home with an employee on weekends and holidays, but the office largely becomes the cat’s residence. This also works well for stores, where cats move in full-time and provide the perk of mouse control.

What are the benefits of an office cat?

Having an office cat can be beneficial in many ways. According to Business Insider, both cats and dogs can help to reduce stress and increase productivity. When a cat visits your workstation, it can be a reminder to take a break, which supports productivity.

Pets can also encourage office staff to interact with each other, and they’re great conversation-starters. This is ideal when you’re bringing new staff into the office since the pets can act as an icebreaker and help staff get to know each other faster.

An office cat can also be a source of company for workers who may be in their offices alone. The sound of purring can be relaxing, and taking a break to pat or play with a cat can get workers to leave their desks, which can help to relieve stiff muscles and increase worker comfort.

Kitten sitting on an office desk
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Is it okay to have an office cat?

Getting an office cat isn’t a decision that should be made lightly, and it’s important to consider how this arrangement will affect both the cat and the staff. First, make sure that you can provide a cat with a safe and healthy environment. Cats can be very social, and if there are only people in your office from 9 to 5, the cat will be alone most of the night. Would the cat be happy going home with an employee? Can you create an environment where the cat isn’t likely to escape, or are people coming and going throughout the day, and could the cat possibly get out?

If you can create a safe and healthy environment for the cat, then think about how having an office cat might affect your employees. Many people love cats, but that doesn’t mean that all of your employees will enjoy having a cat around all the time. Many people can have allergies to cats, and you don’t want to risk making an employee unsafe or creating a work environment that’s unhealthy for an employee. You’ll also want to think about where the cat will live in the office, where his litter box and food will be located, and how the business will pay for expenses like food and vet bills. You might decide that it’s better to allow employees to bring their cats in periodically, but this will also require careful planning.

If you do decide to bring in an office cat, then plan on having plenty of discussions with employees about the cat in advance. The more details you can identify and problems you can solve ahead of time, the better. Cats can add warmth and plenty of fun to workplaces, but they also need plenty of care and attention. You might need to try out different arrangements and determine which is best for your business, your employees, and the cat, too. With some careful planning, your employees can enjoy the perks of having a cat in the workplace, and the cat can enjoy being the center of attention of an office full of workers.

Paige Cerulli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Paige's work has appeared in American Veterinarian, Business Insider, Healthline, and more. When she's not writing, Paige…
How to take care of a blind cat: The tips and tricks to know
Creating a home that's comfortable and helpful for blind cats
A closeup shot of a one-eyed orange tabby cat.

With over 2 million adoptions taking place at animal shelters in the U.S. every year, pet lovers have every reason to celebrate. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows. The adoption rate is much lower for "special needs" animals like blind cats. It takes a wonderfully special kind of person to adopt a disabled fur baby, but those who do give special needs animals a forever home don't regret it. 

Not only are you saving a life when you adopt a disabled pet, but you're also setting an example for family members, friends, and neighbors. As pet parents of disabled fur babies will tell you, differently abled pets, including blind cats, are just as loving and fun as any other.

Read more
Is your cat a boy or girl? Here’s how to tell
This is important to know for lots of reasons
Two kittens playing on a tile floor

Whether you've adopted a new kitten or you've rescued an adult cat, distinguishing males from females can be tricky, even for professionals. Figuring out how to tell if a cat is a boy or girl is even more difficult with kittens and neutered male cats, especially if you don't have another cat to use for physical reference.

However, there are some physical characteristics — as well as behavioral cues — that can help you determine a cat's sex. We'll walk you through everything you need to know about how to tell kittens' sex and whether you should name your new feline friend Alex or Alexis. 
When can you tell the sex of a cat?

Read more
Do cats really eat mice? Let’s explore the truth
Your feline might be chasing rodents for a completely different reason
Cat playing with toy mouse

One of the unfortunate side effects of being a cat owner is finding the occasional small mammal presented to you as an offering. But if that's where you normally see the rodents, do cats eat mice? The truth is that our felines may catch an animal and play with it, bring it to you as a gift, or eat it. And we aren't just talking about mice here, but also rats, birds, or other mammals, like voles. So why do they have this instinct, and should you allow it to happen? There's a bit more to this ancient drive — read on to get the info.
Why do cats hunt mice?

We domesticated cats about 10,000 years ago, and they probably served as mousers then, too. Even if you keep your kitty indoors, their hunting instinct has been preserved in their DNA this whole time. Without rodents, birds, and small reptiles to chase after, they instead turn to toys. That's why you'll see your pet swipe at and chase their fake mouse, and we highly encourage this activity as it stimulates them physically and mentally.

Read more