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Hi, I’m Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Miki, the kitten who made me a cat person.
Since getting a kitten, I always imagined he would be sleeping in my lap while I was working on my laptop. And the first time he did it, just a few days after arriving at my home and becoming my favorite four-legged family member, I was thrilled. He was the picture of feline perfection. Purring and napping in my lap, making biscuits, seeking reassurance and comfort from the touch of my hand, and resting calmly.
Then Miki Discovered The Laptop
It was like a life in paradise for the first few weeks. Lap naps and cuddles, while I was working remotely. Then Miki slowly became more confident and curious. He realized the laptop is a source of strange noise and moving pictures. And to make this worse, I couldn’t resist not showing him YouTube videos of mice and squirrels. He soon became obsessed and he loved it. His little face following the movement on the screen and his paws trying to catch whatever was moving. Soon I realized, I made a cardinal mistake.
Oops, What Happened
A few months passed and Miki and I enjoyed YouTube videos without a worry in the world, as part of our daily bonding sessions. The laptop’s case was Miki’s favorite sleeping spot and he would keep me company while I was working. He would groom himself and lean against the laptop. He was a good distraction, and when he fell asleep, I didn’t want to move, not to wake him.
And then a strange thing happened. One day as I was watching something on the laptop, Miki suddenly rubbed his head against the corner of the screen and a second later, he bit into it. Gently, same as he sometimes gives me a love bite on the wrist or ankle, but the laptop didn’t take it as well as I do. A small crack on the screen formed.
Two Repairs Later
Well, these things happen, I thought to myself. After all, it was my fault, and not Miki’s. We slowly reduced our joined screen time and Miki didn’t seem too fussed with his lack of YouTube. The laptop screen got repaired and it was all good for a little while.
Until the same thing happened again a few months later. Let’s just say the tech guys who did the first repair weren’t too impressed with my story that the cat bit into the screen. Twice. Well, either way, they repaired it again.
It’s All About Enrichment
Living with a cat, every day is a lesson. It can be as simple as enjoying little things in life, such as a good morning whole body stretch or watching birds on a nearby tree. But it’s also those types of lessons that reduce the chances of silly mishaps. Miki and me now have our little laptop moments under supervision, as he clearly has a fetish towards the laptop screen.
Although he goes outside and has an opportunity to stalk and pounce, exhibiting all the feline natural behaviors, I still give him the chance to enjoy some constructive screen time, watching squirrels build nests and collect nuts.
Miki’s Happiness Comes First After All
To be completely honest, I found the whole situation kind of funny, both times. Probably because I took up a basic insurance when I bought the laptop, so the cost of repairs wasn’t too dramatic. What’s the chance of something like that happening twice? Well, quite high it seems.
So, my dream of having Miki co-nap in my lap while I work, hasn’t actually come true in the sense that I wished for. But we still have our daily bonding sessions and it seems better, at least for the laptop’s sake, that Miki isn’t that keen on remote co-working.
This article is a part of Dr. Maja and Miki’s series.
