Cat hair makes keys 'unmashable'....

Y.L. Prinzel · Apr 5, 2009

I love my cats. No, really I do love my cats. But....the do this thing when they want lovins--they traipse back and forth over my laptop. I can't chastise them for it because they're cats--it's mot like they're going to learn a lesson. Instead, I'll just scar them for life and they'll never wants lovins again.

These little walks across my laptop are causing some bad crap tho'. I've got a sticky keys issue (even after I turned sticky keys off), I've got cat scratches on my laptop (from the kneading they do as they lie down between the laptop and my stomach) and I've got cat hair underneath some of my keys on the laptop keyboard. I've cleaned some of them, but I'd like some ideas on getting it to stop.

I thought about inventing some sort of plastic bridge thing that goes over your keys and your hands can slip under it....but it would have to be so high to accommodate your typing that you'd lose some of your screen.

Does anyone have any ideas that don't involve damaging my cats' delicate psyches?

Rolling Thunder · Apr 5, 2009

I chased my cats off whenever they got close to the computer. It's my territory and they know it. It doesn't seem to have hurt their feelings though. They still own the other 99% of the house as far as they're concerned.

BradyH1861 · Apr 5, 2009

I have four cats, or rather they have me, and I feel your pain. Mine do whatever they want whenever they want. My sole purpose in life is to amuse them. I have to sweep at least three times a week and I swear I collect enough cat hair to make a whole new cat. 4-6 am is apparently the prime time to play and tear through the house like crazy things.

shokadh · Apr 5, 2009

Rolling Thunder said:
I chased my cats off whenever they got close to the computer. It's my territory and they know it. It doesn't seem to have hurt their feelings though. They still own the other 99% of the house as far as they're concerned.

Yup. Mine try to walk around on the keyboard at times but they've been chastised enough now that they know they don't belong there. The kitchen countertops--now that's another story...

Sage · Apr 5, 2009

My cat gets very jealous of the laptop. She can coexist with it when it's on my lap by lying on my free leg, but she'll gradually push herself between me and the laptop, then push the laptop off my lap. She's very sneaky about it.

I have a lot of cat fur under my keys too, and every once in a while I get obsessed about cleaning it out. It's particularly bad when I use gmail, which seems to need for me to press the keys harder than anywhere else, but is okay on other keyboards (like at work). AW is kinda getting bad too. (Word's usually okay).

Clair Dickson · Apr 5, 2009

My cat hides under my easy chair. He still won't come out.

I'd much rather a cat that tries to get in the way to one that hides under the chair.

regdog · Apr 5, 2009

I won't let mine on the computer or kitchen table. They pretty much stay away from the computer, one likes to sleep on the printer though. As for the table, they'll wait until they see me looking, then they march across the table. Rest of the house is theirs.

Well I should say rest of the house, except where one of my dogs sleeps. One of my dogs is very territorial about her bed and snaps at the cats. The other dog could care less, so they snuggle up against him. It's kind of cute, burly, snoring dog, petite snoring cat

nevada · Apr 5, 2009

pantyhose. put it around anything that can collect hair. my cat used to like to sit on the modem. cats like warm butts. if it's really bad consider getting a roll-up keyboard for your computer. it's a touch keyboard so there are no raised keys to get hair under. (or crumbs, but you can't blame your cat for that. I tried.

) good luck.

Y.L. Prinzel · Apr 5, 2009

Nice to know that everyone has this problem--except Clair, and yeah, I agree that keyboard kitty is better than hidey-hole kitty. I will look into the roll up keyboard--thanks nevada!

BradyH1861 · Apr 5, 2009

Clair Dickson said:
My cat hides under my easy chair. He still won't come out.

Is he a new addition to the family? When I got my first cat after getting divorced, he was an older cat (4) and he stayed under the bed for a week before he would come out. I know that he came out to eat and use the litterbox when I was at work, but when I came home he would stay under the bed.

He got over it though. Now he is my constant companion. Wherever I am, he is close by. I know that there is a stereotype of a "Crazy Cat Lady", but is there such thing as a "Crazy Cat Man"? My wife says I am one.

Mel · Apr 5, 2009

What RT said. Cats can be taught some things. My three were taught what No meant. They were allowed on my lap at my desk but not on it, therefore not on the keyboard. Then they learned my laptop is equivalent to my keyboard. Never hurt their feelings and they still love me. For years now they've known they can get on my desk but they never, ever walk or lie on my keyboard.

'Course one of the older ones decided to leave me a present once on my keyboard. Big honking hairball. Hubby and I took it apart and got it cleaned up but couldn't get one tiny part to stay where it belonged. So ended up with a new keyboard, but it's a much nicer one.

Beach Bunny · Apr 5, 2009

I'm not sure where to get them, but they make flexible plastic keyboard covers to keep stuff out of the keyboard. Industries with dusty or wet work environments use them to protect the keyboards used by their employees.

Cats can be trained to stay off something. Whenever they get on whatever it is you don't want them to get on, you pick them up and set them down somewhere else.

threedogpeople · Apr 5, 2009

Worked with dogs but might also work with a cat.

I put some change in an empty soda can. When the dog tried to push my laptop off my lap, or my hands off the keyboard, I would rattle the can and say, "mine" firmly. The dog equivalent of marking territory.

When they did what I wanted, I praised them (cats don't care) and I also gave them a treat. After a few times, dog(s) got the message, leave the laptop alone and get a treat.

A spray bottle filled with water might work too but water + keyboard might not be a good idea.

J

PS I sweep 2 or 3 times a week too and always have enough hair to make another dog.

Deleted member 42 · Apr 5, 2009

There are plastic membranes custom designed to fit laptops; they don't work on all models.

Mostly, keep the cat away. That said, you can buy aerosol cans that blow pressured air at the keyboard. You need to suspend the keyboard/laptop upside down and carefully direct the airspray.

Better still; get a small pad of sticky notes, and gently, carfully run the sticky strip around the keys, lifting the hair out and off. Use a fresh sheet frequently.

zenwriter · Apr 5, 2009

I keep a little cloth baggie of dried lavender hanging from my monitor. Smells yummy. My cat hates it.

Y.L. Prinzel · Apr 5, 2009

Holy crap, you guys have a ton of great ideas. I can't do the change in a can thing though--one of the cats is very sensitive and for months he will be low-butted in any room where he has ever heard a loud noise. Thanks everyone--I'll be looking into or trying most of these

Cat hair makes keys 'unmashable'....

Y.L. Prinzel

Rolling Thunder

BradyH1861

Hold Fast.

shokadh

Now serving Table for 300

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

Clair Dickson

A dark core to every cloud

regdog

The Scavengers

nevada

Y.L. Prinzel

BradyH1861

Hold Fast.

Mel

Never be completely back to normal.

Beach Bunny

The Provocative One

threedogpeople

This is my BEST side!

Deleted member 42

zenwriter

Y.L. Prinzel