c/cat-got-your-tongue

Can we talk about my dog joining a client meeting I couldn't mute?

I was on a serious Zoom with a vendor in Cleveland last Wednesday, and my golden retriever started barking at the UPS truck right through my closed office door. It took me 20 full minutes to realize my headset was not on mute because I was panicking and clicking the wrong button. Has anyone else had a pet ruin a call and just had to awkwardly wait it out?

Remember when pets just stayed in the other room during calls?

I was on a Zoom meeting with my boss last Tuesday and my cat jumped right onto my keyboard, ended up typing a bunch of nonsense in the chat. Back in the 90s when I started working, we had landlines and the closest thing to a pet interruption was my dog barking at the mailman in the background. Now everyone expects your furry friend to make a cameo during important calls. Has anyone else noticed how pets have just taken over video meetings compared to the old days?

My cat walked across the keyboard during a job interview

I was on a video call for a senior position last Tuesday. Mid-sentence my tabby Mochi jumped up and started typing gibberish into the chat. She sent a message that said "jjjjjjjjj mmkjjjjjj" before I could grab her. The interviewer laughed and said it was the best icebreaker ever. I still got the job but now I lock my door before every call.

My cat sat on my keyboard during a job interview back in 2018 and I still think about it

I was on a Zoom call for a senior design role and my orange tabby decided mid-sentence was the perfect time to jump up and walk across my keyboard. The interviewer just saw a blur of fur and heard this loud meow right as I was talking about my portfolio. I froze and didn't know whether to laugh or apologize. The guy actually laughed and said he had a dog that did the same thing. I got the job somehow. Has anyone else had a pet totally blow their cover during something important like that?

Spent $40 on a noise cancelling headset after my cat crashed a client call

So I'm on a video call with a big client last month, talking about deadlines, and my cat Moose decides to leap onto my desk and knock over my coffee mug. The spill was not the worst part, it was the loud crash that made the client go dead silent for like 10 seconds. I bought a $40 noise cancelling headset on Amazon that same day, and now it blocks out 90% of his chaos. Has anyone else had a pet ruin a work call and did you find a fix that actually stuck?

Spent $35 on a high-end webcam cover and it literally saved my job interview last week

Honestly I thought spending that much on a webcam cover was dumb but my cat kept pawing at the camera during calls. Last Tuesday I had a serious interview for a remote gig and right in the middle my cat jumped up and started batting at the lens. The cover was thick enough that it didn't make noise and the interviewer couldn't see anything just a black screen for a second while I shooed her away. If I had a cheap flimsy one she would have knocked it off and flashed the whole room. Ngl that $35 felt like nothing compared to losing a $60k job offer. Has anyone else had a pet completely ruin a video call because of a flimsy cover or am I the only one who prepped for this?

My client laughed at my pipe bender setup and I switched to a hydraulic model

Last Tuesday I was doing a big repipe job in an old building downtown and this guy walks by my work van while I'm wrestling with my manual bender. He just goes "is that 1980s equipment or are you just slow?" It stung because he was right, I was fighting the bends for 20 minutes each. I looked into electric hydraulic benders that night and grabbed a Milwaukee one for $650 at the supply house. First job after that I cut my time on 10 bends from 3 hours to maybe 45 minutes. Has anyone else had a customer's comment make them totally change their go-to gear?

Wasted $80 on that magnetic window cleaner gadget

I bought one of those magnetic dual-sided window cleaners off Amazon, thinking it'd save me time on my apartment windows in Brooklyn. Worked great for about 3 minutes before the magnet slipped and it fell 4 stories into a bush. Has anyone else had better luck with a different brand, or are they all just overpriced junk?

My cat walked across the keyboard during a job interview and hit mute

I was in the middle of a video interview for a project manager role last Thursday. Everything was going fine until my orange tabby decided to stroll across my laptop and somehow hit the mute button. I didn't notice for a solid 30 seconds because I was too busy trying to shoo him away without looking unprofessional. The interviewer just sat there staring at me while I kept talking to a blank screen. When I finally figured it out and unmuted, I had to apologize and explain that my cat hijacked the call. She laughed it off but I could tell it threw off the whole vibe. Has anyone else had a pet completely tank an important video call like this?

My cat knocked over my webcam right in the middle of a job interview

I was on a Zoom interview for a project manager role last Tuesday, and things were going pretty well. Then my gray tabby, Jasper, decided to jump onto my desk and bat at the camera cord until the whole thing flipped face down. The interviewer just heard a crash and then saw my ceiling for a solid 30 seconds while I fumbled to fix it. I apologized and laughed it off, but I could see her trying not to smile on the screen. After I got the camera back up, she actually asked if Jasper was a good luck charm for candidates. I think the moment broke the ice, but man, I never thought I'd have to explain my cat's acrobatics during a professional call. Has anyone else had a pet totally derail something important like that?

Changed my mind about cats after my orange tabby hit 50 video bomb appearances

Honestly I was counting for fun but when I hit 50 calls where my cat jumped on my keyboard or sat right in front of the webcam, I realized she's basically my co-worker now. Makes me wonder how many times yours has ruined a serious meeting.

PSA: Please mute yourself before you start complaining about your coworkers

I was on a client call last week and my cat jumped on my keyboard, but that's fine. What's not fine is my coworker clearly didn't mute before saying 'I hate this project' while I was presenting - at least blame your pet like the rest of us.

My dog barked at my boss during a call and I learned a weird trick

I had a video call with my boss last Tuesday to go over some tenant complaints and my golden retriever started barking at the mailman right in the middle of me talking. I was so embarrassed I almost hung up but my boss just laughed and said it happens. She told me she gives her dog a frozen peanut butter kong before any important calls now. I tried it on my next call with a property owner and it worked perfectly. The dog was quiet for a full 45 minutes just licking away at it. Now I prep those kongs the night before and keep one in the freezer for emergencies. Anyone else found a solid trick to keep pets quiet during calls?

My cat walked across my keyboard during a job interview and I got the job anyway

Last Tuesday I had a second round video interview for a project manager position I really wanted. Everything was going fine until my cat Oscar decided to jump up on my desk and walk right across the keyboard during a question about my leadership style. My screen went crazy with random characters popping up and I had to apologize while trying to shoo him away. The interviewer just started laughing and said that was the best ice breaker she had seen all week. To my surprise she called me back the next day and said my handling of the situation showed I could stay calm under pressure. I start next Monday and I'm half convinced Oscar deserves some credit for that. Has anyone else had a pet accidentally help them land a job?

My cat walked across the keyboard during a job interview last Tuesday

I was in the middle of answering a question about my strengths when my cat, Mochi, decided to walk across the keyboard and started doing a little dance on the touchpad. The interviewer just stared while I tried to shoo her away, and then she jumped right onto the desk and headbutted the camera. Has anyone else had a pet totally steal the spotlight at the worst possible moment?

Quick hack for keeping pets out of camera view during calls

I overheard a remote worker at my local coffee shop in Austin last Tuesday say they tape a shallow cardboard box to the desk edge near their chair. Their cat hates stepping on cardboard edges, so it stays on the floor. I tried it with my dog who always jumps up during meetings. The box trick actually worked for about 80 percent of interruptions in the first week. Anyone has a cheap fix that works better than this? My dog just learned to step around the box now.

Unpopular opinion: pet interruptions during video calls are not funny

I had a virtual meeting last Tuesday with my boss about a promotion. My cat jumped on the keyboard, closed the whole window, and I got marked as absent for 10 minutes. Everyone in this group laughs about it, but I lost a serious opportunity because of that chaos. Pet interruptions can actually mess up your work reputation in a real way. Has anyone else had a pet cost them something important, not just a funny moment?

Hit 100 video calls with my cat crashing and finally lost count

I started tracking back in March when my cat Mittens jumped on my keyboard during a client meeting. Last Tuesday I hit 100 interruptions on my tally sheet. That number surprised me because I thought I was maybe at 50 or 60. It mattered because I realized my cat is basically part of my remote work setup now. She has a sixth sense for when I'm on a call vs just browsing. I even started leaving a decoy keyboard next to me so she messes with that instead. Has anyone else hit a weird milestone like this with their pet? What was your number?

TIL that 70% of cats react to their owner's voice on video calls but my dog completely ignores me

I think my cat knows how annoying I find it when she interrupts my work calls

Actually I had this one call last Tuesday with my boss about a project deadline and my cat Jinx jumped right on the keyboard and sent a bunch of gibberish in the chat. My boss said it was cute but I could tell she was annoyed because we had to restart the whole conversation. The thing is I think Jinx does it on purpose because she only does it when I'm talking to someone important and not when I'm just chatting with my friend Dave. I told my buddy Mike about it and he said I'm reading too much into it but I've watched her wait by the door until she hears my voice get serious. Has anyone else's cat pulled this specific move where they wait for the worst possible moment?

Warning: my cat started meowing during a job interview right as I talked about my focus skills

Had a virtual interview last Thursday and my cat jumped on the desk mid-sentence, knocked over my coffee and meowed loudly into the mic. I didn't get the job, but the recruiter said my cat's interruption was the most honest part of the call. Anyone else have a pet blow your professional image?

My cat decided my zoom job interview needed a cameo last Thursday

I was nailing a video interview for a decent remote gig, talking about my experience with data entry, when my cat Leo jumped right onto my laptop keyboard. He knocked the camera angle totally sideways and started meowing directly at the screen like he was applying too. The interviewer paused and goes 'is that your hiring manager?' and I just froze for a solid 5 seconds. I managed to laugh it off and grab him, but the whole vibe shifted after that. They actually called me back for a second round though, so maybe the cat helped? Has anyone else had a pet totally steal the show during a serious call?

My cat walked across my keyboard during a serious chat with my insurance adjuster and I think it actually helped my claim

So I'm on the phone with State Farm last Tuesday, trying to explain how that tree branch fell on my fence during the storm. It's tense, I'm frustrated, and mid sentence my orange tabby Mochi just strolls across my laptop and somehow opens my photo folder on screen. The adjuster goes quiet for a second and then says 'Is that your cat? I think I see a paw in your photo. My cat does that too.' We ended up having a 10 minute chat about our pets and the whole mood shifted. I swear he was way more relaxed after that. Got my claim approved that same day. Has anyone else had a pet accidentally smooth things over during a call?

My cat crashed a job interview and the feedback was brutal

I was on a Zoom interview for a project manager role two weeks ago, and my orange tabby jumped right into the camera frame, knocked over a cup of pens, and let out this loud meow. The interviewer paused and said, "Your prioritization seems a bit distracted." That comment stung, but it made me realize I had my desk setup too close to where my cat hangs out. I moved my workspace to a spare bedroom with a door I can close, and now I do a quick 30-second sweep before any call. Has anyone else had their pet wreck an important conversation like that?

My cat walked across my keyboard during a job interview and hit send on a half-typed message

I was in the middle of a Zoom interview for a tech support role last Tuesday when my cat Loki jumped up and walked right across my keyboard. He somehow hit enter on a message in the chat box that just said "hang on, my cat is" with nothing after it. The interviewer paused and said "is that your assistant?" with a straight face. I had to explain that my cat basically typed a ransom note mid-sentence. Has anyone else had a pet completely derail a video call like that?