Working from home comes with its own set of daily surprises but few are as heart‑melting as the moment one woman discovered her cat quietly waiting outside her office door.
Arianne (@arianne.mich) was deep into her workday when she heard a faint noise. Curious, she opened her office door and found her ragdoll cat, Lyla, sitting on the floor with a ball neatly placed beside her—ready for playtime the moment Arianne logged off. The sweet interaction was captured on video, which Arianne later shared on TikTok.
Text over the clip reads: “How am I supposed to work when she just waits there for ages[?]”
With 43.1 million U.S. households owning a cat, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, it’s no surprise that many remote workers find themselves with furry “colleagues.” And with approximately 34.3 million people working from home in April 2025, based on Current Population Survey data, moments like Arianne’s—opening the door to find Lyla waiting with a toy—are becoming a familiar (and adorable) part of the workday for millions.
The video has since earned over 73,000 views and 18,000 likes after being posted on February 3.
In the comments, Arianne admitted the scene nearly derailed her productivity, writing: “I don’t think you understand how hard it was having to get back to work after that.”
She even joked: “I did debate whether work would accept ‘playing with my cat’ as a valid comment on my timesheet.”
TikTok Reacts
Viewers quickly flooded the comments with their own stories and a lot of encouragement for Arianne to call it a day and play with Lyla.
One amused user wrote: “My cat LOVES straws, and I always wake up with straws in my bed.”
Arianne replied: “That’s so sweet. Lyla likes to play fetch so she always brings her tin foil toy or her other ones we use for fetch and literally just drops it in front of you and stares until you throw it.”
Another commenter urged: “I hope you stopped work for the rest of the day and played with her.”
Some wondered why Lyla wasn’t simply allowed into the office. Arianne explained that the family recently moved: “She usually would be allowed to! But we recently moved houses so there are boxes and Lego all around the office so it’s not super safe for her… She’s such a curious girl she wants to investigate and climb on everything and would probably eat a Lego piece in the process.”
For many remote workers, the new reality includes pets vying for attention, interrupting meetings, or—like Lyla—waiting patiently for a chance to play. While those moments may test productivity, they also reinforce why pets feel like family.
Newsweek reached out to @arianne.mich for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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