Unusual home working jobs – Spud the home working cat

A home working cat on his busy routine

We all know how much animals contribute to a happy home working life, and I’ve been lucky enough to interview Winnie the greyhound, Danilon the grey Spanish stallion, and Lily the kitten, and to be introduced to Rudolph the home office rabbit.

Spud, the pure white home working cat at Ednovean Farm B&B in Cornwall, has often been too busy to speak to me, but this week he found a gap in his diary.

Hello, Spud, it’s nice to catch up with you. Perhaps you’d like to start by telling us how you came to be a B&B home working cat?
Good afternoon, Judy – I am now ready for you after a good morning patrolling the farm – my PA human has briefed me about your work from home site and I can fit you in before my afternoon nap.

Tip one for the home working cat – recognise you are important to the team and make a valuable contribution. Never, ever accept an inferior brand of cat food.

So, my career choice – well, I selected the house carefully after a strange dark journey in one of those automotive monsters – shooed, would you believe, out into the darkness – no food – no shelter – I shudder still to think of it… and so I had to come up with a plan FAST!

I needed to select the right home and humans and then consider the role I would be able to offer in the household. As it was, the retiring cat Ollie briefed me fully about the extent of my duties and helped me to settle into the role of home working cat.

What special skills do you need to carry out your role?
Well, my natural charisma and good looks do pay a part, of course, and I’ve gained in confidence as the years go by. My sunny personality is also important along with good manners and my instinctive discretion. (Although I must admit I can still go to pieces if I smell a kipper and have to go on private retreat to the shower room).

What is your home working routine?
Up early is my motto – I call the humans about 5.00 am and set off to patrol the farm, normally returning for morning stables and to eat my cat meat with the horses. After that I do like to turn out the young horses – I can usually get them to move much faster if I suddenly dive out of the hedge too, such fun.

I’m not required in the dining room in the morning – the humans like to do that on their own, so normally I fit an extra hunting expedition in then, but keep a sharp lookout for any guests that may need escorting around the garden…….. although I must say they do tend to scare the rabbits.

By mid morning I’m ready for my snooze, and I have a specially selected spot for this, or the courtyard on sunny days [see above]. I’m always available through the day for guests to admire and the highlight of the day is when new guests arrive to greet me – it’s marvellous, they come from all over the world to stroke me, you know. I normally patrol until about 9 pm and then it’s second supper and bed. With snacks through the night, of course – unless I decide on an all-night mousing session.

Do you find your coworkers are generally helpful, or do they tend to interfere?
Generally good, although I really don’t know why they ask if people are allergic to me, when I’m about to introduce myself. The insistence on a bedtime regime is a bind but as I say I sometimes bend the rules and stay out for an all-night session.

How easy do you find it to switch off?
Purrfectly simple, just plenty of food, a good safe bed, a light purr, and boing – I’m chasing rabbits across the clouds.

Do you have any advice for other home working cats?
Well, as I said before, don’t underestimate yourself and what you can give to people. Why, when Ollie finally climbed the rainbow the humans had so many messages. One e-mail from New York said how they had followed him over the years in the Ednovean Farm blog and they just liked to think of a tom cat snoozing in the sunshine in Cornwall.

That lady visited this year and she said Ollie’s death made her realise she should get on and do the things she really wanted to do – oh and keep your fur clean, and always check……… Just a minute I’ll itemise a list for you:

• Keep your fur in pristine condition at all times. You never know who may come or what photo opportunities there may be (although don’t be too helpful if posing for the camera – keep them wanting more).
• Do not look behind the computer desks – the humans worry about the wires.
• Do not sleep on the computer keyboard or the out tray for the printer.
• Keep to a regular routine so that your humans can concentrate on their work.
• Employ a human PA.

Well, Judy, I’ve enjoyed our little chat. Just sign on the way out, won’t you, there’s a dear, and if there’s anything else my PA is always available. Marvellous – when I want to come in at two in the morning she never complains – door opened and dish filled – I sometimes think she could do it in her sleep.

Should you wish to visit Spud, he is Chief Greeter at Ednovean Farm near Penzance, a five gold star B&B with spectacular views of St Michael’s Mount, which was featured this year in The Telegraph’s Best Hotels in Cornwall.