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Remote working has changed not just how people work but how people live. It has its challenges and joys, but one big benefit is how it allows us to spend more time with our pets.
We have more face-to-face time with them, can take our lunch hours to go for walks and can use our breaks for some playtime. But it comes with challenges, too, especially when they're puppies and kittens.
Don't fret; your pet will soon go from a workplace disruptor to your favourite co-worker. From separation anxiety to work interruptions, we're here to help you balance working from home and pet ownership.
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Working from home with a new puppy: setting expectations
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Bringing home a new puppy is a fun time, but it can mean lots of disruption when it comes to work.
The key is in preparation: set your puppy's routine early, plan for training and find time in your day for puppy playtime and loo breaks.
Training a puppy when working from home is similar to training one when you don't anyway. Even if you worked away, you'd spend these crucial few weeks together anyway.
Our guides on puppy housetraining, preparing for vet visits and basic training all apply. But things can get slightly trickier when it comes to preventing separation anxiety since you're home a lot of the time.
Preventing separation anxiety when you work from home
If you're around your puppy all the time, they'll get attached and feel anxious when you're not around. Separation anxiety happens when your puppy, for whatever reason, doesn't gain enough confidence to operate alone and feels afraid and stressed without you.
Naturally, if you work from home, your puppy gets used to you being home all the time. Then, if you're not around, they get more than just a bit sad; they become very stressed.
Some tips when working from home with a new puppy to stop separation anxiety include:
Individual play - Things like puppy-safe puzzle toys can help naturally encourage independent play so your dog becomes less reliant on you.
Teach basic commands - Things like "place" or "sit" can help point your puppy to designated relaxation spots and make them feel more confident and independent.
Working from somewhere else - Work from a cafe or library and have someone else look after your puppy for a while.
Use your puppy's crate - It's essential your puppy gets used to their crate. It becomes a zone for their alone time, and crate training can help your puppy build confidence.
It's even more essential when you work from home that your puppy sleeps in a crate away from you; it's one of the most important aspects of sleep training and helps prevent separation anxiety.
Leaving a puppy alone for eight hours - is it ever okay?
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We don't recommend leaving your puppy alone for eight hours. Here's loose guidance on how long puppies can stay alone:
Under 10 weeks: one hour
10-12 weeks: two hours
Three months: three hours
Four months: four hours
Five months: five hours
Six months: six hours
Over six months: six to eight hours max
A lot of the time, a puppy's alone time is dictated by their bladder. For reference, a puppy will need to urinate this often:
| Age | How often they'll need to go when awake |
|---|---|
| 8-10 weeks | Every 30 to 60 minutes |
| 10-12 weeks | Every hour or two |
| Three-four months | Every three to four hours |
| Four-six months | Every four to six hours |
But remember: all puppies are different, so take things on a case-by-case basis.
It's not ideal for younger puppies to have alone time as they're at risk, but crate training, gradual alone time and general training should make your puppy more confident. Plus, they'll spend some time alone at night in their crate too.
How to gradually increase alone time in puppies
We recommend that you leave your pet alone for short periods to start with. You should leave them in their crate or designated safe space, and use positive reinforcement training when getting them used to things to create a good association with being alone.
Generally, you should:
Start small
Increase time gradually
Use positive reinforcement training
Practice alone time in a safe space
Ensure there are plenty of enrichment opportunities
Practice "pretend" departures, slowly increasing the time
Only react to noise if it's severe or lasts more than a few seconds
Make sure your puppy gets the right amount of exercise and stimulation
Finally, you could consider some tools, like automatic feeders, pet cameras and water dispensers to help.
How to keep a puppy entertained while working from home
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Some ideas to keep a puppy entertained include:
Chew toys
Puzzle feeders
Safe interactive games
Training
But timing is key. A puppy's energy tends to peak during the day, so it's a good time to encourage independent play and introduce enrichment ideas, like training and games, that can tire puppies out at this time.
Unfortunately, this peak in energy usually happens in the middle of the workday, so it may be a good idea to take your lunch break around then. Set realistic expectations: change will be slow, but with enough training, puppy-safe puzzle feeders and games, your puppy should be able to entertain themselves eventually.
Troubleshooting common work-from-home puppy issues
Chewing cables
It's essential to puppy-proof your home and organise cables and wires. You should hide any risky cables or wires away. Use cord protectors, cable wraps and tuck wires out of reach.
Use positive reinforcement training to reward your puppy when they don't chew.
Excessive barking during calls
Our guide on excessive barking gives step-by-step details on how to stop puppy barking the right way.
Potty training accidents
This is a normal part of a puppy growing up, so never express frustration when this happens. Our housetraining guide covers more.
Working from home with a new kitten
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Kittens are naturally curious, and you might find your work-from-home days interrupted by preventing your kitty from wandering into hazards.
But it isn't impossible to manage. Broadly, when figuring out how to make a new kitten feel at home, you should:
Address issues early
Address issues, like excessive meowing and destructive behaviour, early. Don't leave it - use positive reinforcement training principles and speak to your vet if things get excessive.
Create a safe, secure space
Make sure your room is free of hazards like electrical wires, broken glass and toxic plants. You should also secure any doors or windows, and provide a litter box, food or water.
Gradually introduce alone time
Increase a kitten's alone time slowly, but initially keep them in a smaller, safe room when they're younger.
Keep your kitty entertained
Entertainment ideas for kittens when working from home include adding things like kitten-safe cat trees, interactive toys and rotating toys to maintain variety. Typically, it's about fostering independent play.
Maintain socialisation and playtime
Make some time in your work day to play and socialise with your kitten. This keeps them exercised, enriched and will prevent them from engaging in obstructive behaviour due to boredom.
Common work-from-home kitten issues
Kittens have a few common issues, especially when you're working from home.
Attention-seeking
Kittens love attention, and they dote on their owners quite a bit. This can look like a lot of meowing and pawing.
This will naturally mellow out as kittens age, but you should still get into good habits. Establish a routine with dedicated playtime, try out things like kitten-safe puzzle feeders and engage in regular positive reinforcement training to keep your kitten engaged.
Climbing on desks/keyboards
If you're a cat owner and work from home, you'll be well aware of cats jumping on your desk or keyboard at the worst time possible. Work call? They're jumping up. Biggest presentation of your life? They're practically attacking your webcam.
There are a few ways to prevent this, like:
Making your desk less attractive, adding things like citrus smells. Make sure it's not anything too stressful, and don't spray your kitten with water or anything like that to deter them - it's better to use positive reinforcement to reward when they're not jumping on your desk or keyboard.
Redirect your kitten when they jump up - calmly and gently remove them from your desk or keyboard and try not to make a big deal about it.
Provide plenty of exercise and mental stimulation while providing opportunities for independent play.
Use positive reinforcement training to reward your kitten when they're calm and not jumping up on your desk.
Excessive biting and scratching
Our guide on how to stop excessive scratching and biting in cats can help here.
Separation anxiety
Our separation anxiety in cats guide can help with this - it's essential to get it sorted as early as possible.
Zoomies
Zoomies are a normal, healthy part of a kitten's development. But it can get difficult to manage when you're trying to work.
You should focus on exercising and playing with your kitten enough to burn off excess energy and make sure the environment is calm for them.
Can I leave my kitten alone for eight hours?
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Not when it's young. You should only consider it if they're six months or over. A rough timeline for how long to leave a kitten alone is:
Newborn to four-weeks-old - shouldn't be left alone; they need constant care.
Four to eight weeks old - we don't advise leaving kittens of this age alone.
Eight to 12 weeks old - two to four hours maximum, but remember they need frequent meals and supervised playtime.
Three to six months old - four to six hours max.
Six months and older - eight hours or more, provided they have a safe environment, food and water.
Our guide on how long you can leave a kitten alone can help.
Mastering the work-pet balance
Working from home with pets can be deeply rewarding. But it's challenging as well, isn't it? Preparation, patience, and protection are key to making the arrangement work for you and your pet.
As ever, planning for the unexpected, like accidents, illnesses, separation anxiety, is difficult, but puppy insurance and kitten insurance is there for just that.
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