I’ve worked as a freelance writer for a few years now, and the shift from an away-from-home office to a home one has been interesting. Overall, I love it. I can create a schedule that works for me, which is key because of health issues that sometimes come into play. Plus, I get two feline interns. Cosmo and Phoebe are enthusiastic “assistants” and find lots of ways to share my workspace. Usually, it’s a comfort to have them around, but sometimes they try to take on projects that weren’t assigned to them. Go figure, right? Cats are natural CEOs, so they should probably be assigning me projects.

Here are seven positions my cats hold in my at-home workplace.

1. Adjoining “office”

Cosmo is my lead assistant, so he gets his own “office.” That’s another way of saying I can’t always have him in my lap, but he seems pacified if I provide a space for him beside my desk. I like to think of him as my executive assistant. The trouble is, he doesn’t answer phone calls or help with any administrative tasks. So I suppose he’s more of an exe-cute-tive assistant.

2. On my laptop

Okay, it’s fairly challenging to work on my laptop when it’s occupied by a cat butt. I get it — cats like to lie on top of any interesting surface. Who am I kidding? They like any type of surface. A recently used laptop fulfills the desire for “surface,” plus it’s warm. If I were a cat butt, I’d want it, too.

3. On my paperwork

Again with cats lying on top of stuff. Even if they don’t have their entire body parked on top of an object, they at least have a paw or two stretched across it. Sure, it’s easy to move them so I can reclaim my work papers, but they look so cute. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the cat lovers’ conundrum, and one reason why I take lots of breaks.

4. On my lap

Of course the most obvious place a cat might want to be is on a lap. Even as I type this, Phoebe is meowing, wanting to jump onto me. Usually, this is welcome. There’s not much better than having a warm, purring cat in your lap. Who’s gonna argue with that? Don’t even try because you won’t win. The thing about my holding lap cats, however, is that my legs start falling asleep, I’m frozen in one position, and eventually have to visit the restroom. Do you think my cats care about any of that? No way. In fact, they act completely put out when I have to move them. Naturally, I let them stay longer than my legs and bladder would like.

5. Attempting to climb onto my lap

If one of my cats isn’t already on my lap, he or she is attempting to get there. They sometimes pull sneaky moves like crouching around the laptop like a secret agent. Other times they pounce with no warning.

6. Supervisory perch

I’ve worked in office jobs where I felt I was micromanaged, so I suppose I should be used to a pair of eyes looking over my shoulder while I work. Phoebe and Cosmo like to stand on various perches around my desk and stare at me. They don’t show any desire to hop onto my lap — they simply want to watch me. Maybe they’re keeping tabs on which one I write about most often. I expect I’ll hear all about it in my annual review.

7. On my desk

If there’s an opportunity, Phoebe loiters on top of my desk. She used to do it more often when I had a bigger desk, but the smaller surface doesn’t seem to deter her too much. She typically enjoys this spot when she’s looking for trouble. You know the look — they get it when they’re wandering around, their eyes scanning the immediate area, hoping to find something to swat or steal. This is the reason I find so many pens underneath my furniture.

When you’re working at home, where does your cat like to sit? Tell us in the comments!