Hours of wipes, nasty bugs, and annoying co-players can easily ruin a game night. But that is nothing compared to the cat of our author Jürgen, who consistently kills any fun.
The following situation is my daily routine: I’m happily gaming on my PC and enjoying finally managing a tough challenge in Fortnite or pulling off a perfect stealth mission in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
Suddenly, the screen goes black and the purple lights on the PC go out. I hear a slight tapping from the nearby shelf, from where my cat Cleo suddenly looks at me innocently with her yellow-green eyes.
Why, cat, why?
What just happened? The solution to the PC crash is quickly found. Cleo used the computer as a launching point to reach the shelf.
That in itself wouldn’t be a problem, but unfortunately, my awesome new MeinMMO PC has the power and reset buttons on the top of the case. So the feline steps on them every time she jumps onto the shelf.
The catastrophe repeats itself: And of course, the cat has to eventually come down again, and then the PC is off again in less than an hour. A miserable dilemma that I can only avoid if I randomly catch a glimpse that Cleo is about to jump.
If I get up quickly enough and step beside the shelf, she jumps onto my shoulder like a witch and from there onto another, lower shelf.
If I overlook Cleo’s jumping wish, suddenly the cat lands beside me on the PC and turns it off again!
The problem with the new PC
Why does the cat even jump on the cabinet? Cleo’s favorite spot in the evening is this stupid shelf next to my workspace. She has regularly gone up there in the evening for a long time and can watch me play and work. She even has a cushion up there that she likes to lie on.
Why does the cat have a resting place on the shelf? You might be wondering why Jürgen is so silly and prepares such a comfortable place for the creature up there. That has to do with the fact that until I got my new PC, this was no problem at all.
Because the old computer had the buttons on the front of the panel, and the cat could frolic on the case as much as she wanted.
So at some point, Cleo got used to the fact that the PC is a launching platform, and she is now unimpressed by that. The fact that I experience a complete system crash every time she makes her jumps is of no concern to the cat!
Is there nothing to be done?
How could one solve the problem? So far, not much has helped. Keeping the cat out is not a good idea because she would meow in front of the door all the time and wake my wife up at night. She is a teacher and has to get up very early. So I would both offend the cat and deprive my wife of her sleep (Editor’s note: Note Jürgen’s priority order).
I could build a protective frame around the computer, but I’m lacking the necessary real-life crafting skill. The same goes for an additional shelf on the wall that she could use as a jumping point instead of the computer. With my skills, I’m more likely to tear down the wall.
Relocating the shelf is also not possible because it only fits in that spot in my small workspace. And if I move the PC somewhere else, it will sit with the cool glass side against the wall, and I won’t see the purple LEDs anymore. And I love the purple LEDs!
What sometimes works is a warning “Cleo, NO!” when I see her sneaking around the computer. But Cleo has already figured that out, and now she jumps quickly onto the table and from there onto the computer. Usually, I don’t react quickly enough, and the computer shuts down again.
Solution is in sight
So what can I do? Fortunately, the problem should resolve itself soon. No, not by giving the cat to the animal shelter! Rather, I will be moving again in February, and the new room is much better laid out.
Therefore, I should have the computer and the shelf placed far enough apart so that Cleo no longer uses the PC as a launching pad.
I just hope she doesn’t find another way to annoy me.
So much for my dilemma with my cat. Do you also have a pet that is lovable but causes you a lot of trouble?
