Have you ever missed an important call because you’re pinned down by a snuggly cat?
Or, have you experienced body parts falling asleep thanks to a comfy feline in your lap?
As a cat lover, you surely know these pains, but you still give your cat control of your lap and suffer through the discomfort just so kitty dear won’t be disturbed.
Now, there’s a solution for clingy lap cat!
Meet the artificial “lap”, courtesy of the May family.
And while this faux perch isn’t available for purchase, it’s certainly a smashing idea when one is ruled by a cat always seeking a lap. In a purrfect world, our laps would be available for our kitties at all times, but sometimes, business calls and cat parents have to get inventive. Which is exactly how the idea for the “lap” came about.
What Do You With A Super-Snuggle Bug?
Rebecca May and her husband adopted Ziggy and Harley from a London animal shelter about three years ago. Both are kitties are good girls, but as senior cats, they’re used to getting their way.
Especially 10-year-old Ziggy.
Ziggy can be shy, but she’s a love bug above all else. Rebecca said, “When she bonds with someone it’s just really intense.”
“She absolutely has to be sat on you.”
And Ziggy won’t take no for an answer. If you don’t give her your lap, she improvises. “She will sit squarely on your back or balance precariously on your arm or shoulder. She just has to be on you.”
Image Courtesy of Rebecca May
When Ziggy’s mom and dad began working from home recently, Ziggy thought the change was meant just for her. Though her parents tried to convince her otherwise, she wouldn’t have their explanations and continued walking all over Rebecca’s desk. But cats and keyboards don’t always mix when it comes to being on the clock at home.
Images Courtesy of Rebecca May
So, she tried a cat bed on the desk, but no, it wasn’t the lap Ziggy prefers.
Rebecca’s theory?
“She needs warmth and to feel protected, we think.”
Would a Fake Lap Work?
The couple tried to convince Ziggy she was still a business partner even if she wasn’t in a lap, but she refused to believe it. But, one day her dad had an idea.
What about a fake “lap”?
Images Courtesy of Rebecca May
Armed with pair of lounge pants, the dedicated cat dad crafted a solution.
Ziggy’s dad stuffed the pants to make them super comfy as well as adding a heating pad for that added warmth Ziggy sought. For good measure, he completed the setup with tennis shoes!
“He thought that creating a decoy would be funny, but I don’t think he expected it to actually work,” Rebecca reported. “Harley was totally uninterested, but Ziggy loved it.”
Images Courtesy of Rebecca May
In fact, Ziggy loved her fake “lap” so much, she spent four hours sitting on it that first day. On Reddit, where the photo was originally posted, Rebecca wrote, “no claws in my leg for attention!” So, the invention proved a success.
And while the Mays don’t always use the lap because sitting with Ziggy is actually a favorite pastime, it’s a great solution for getting things done when your cat is a pro-snuggle star!
H/T: www.thedodo.com
Featured Images Courtesy of Rebecca May