Cat Owners Create Fake Lap To Keep Their Pet Happy

London-based couple Rebecca and Alex May, who both work from home, found their clingy cat was demanding more attention than they could provide. Luckily they devised the perfect solution - a fake lap for the needy feline to cuddle up on.

The husband and wife adopted 10-year-old Ziggy from a London shelter three years ago, and coaxed the shy feline into becoming a healthy and adoring kitty. The problem is, Ziggy has grown to love them just a little bit too much.

Rebecca May

Rebecca, 29, told Metro: "When she bonds with someone it's just really intense. She absolutely has to sit on you. She's almost on you before you've even sat down - she'll see that you're near the sofa and her eyes go black, her ears go flat like you're a target. Once you're down, she's there."

Which all sounds lovely, but if you're trying to work, it can make things difficult.

And for Rebecca, a freelance marketing consultant, and her 32-year-old husband, a retouch artist, that's what happened. Ziggy began climbing over the desk and laptop, interrupting conference calls and pawing at headset cords and keyboards.

Rebecca said: "Even if you're not sitting, she'll find some way to be on you, whether it's your back or your shoulder. When we're both sat at our desks, she will sit behind you and yell until she has your attention."

It was then that the couple came up with the ingenious idea of making a false lap for Ziggy to sit in when her affection becomes too distracting.

Rebecca May

What's more - it worked. Made from a pair of trousers stuffed with a duvet cover and a pair of trainers for extra realism, the fake lap also includes a heating pad to simulate what a real human lap feels like.

It was something of a last resort for the couple, who had tried to ignore Ziggy's demands for attentions but found it was occasionally impossible to do so.

Now, though, it seems like everybody's happy.

Rebecca told The Dodo: "Ziggy loved it. He [Alex] thought that creating a decoy would be funny, but I don't think he expected it to actually work."

Rebecca shared her ruse on Reddit, where it received more than 34,000 up-votes.

One person commented: "Spectacular. Wholesome. Warms my heart. Please give her an extra smooch tonight, from me."

Another said: "That is great! Kudos for such a good idea. The cat is happy, and it made me LOL."

Topics: UK News, Feels, Animals

Mischa Pearlmen

Mischa is a freelance journalist usually based in either New York or London. He has written for Kerrang!, Record Collector, NME, the New York Observer and FLOOD magazine, among others. Contact him at [email protected]