Story: Fit to Print: cats love printers
TweetIt’s a recognizable sound, for those of us with printers. Assorted boops and beeps and whirrs. The buzz of the ink cartridges sliding back and forth, the susurration of paper. (Ah, the satisfaction of actually using that word: susurration.) But it’s 2:00 AM, and all the humans are sleeping.
Are there ghosts in the machine?
A quick peek in my office confirms my suspicions. It’s one of the cats, specifically Elsa Clair.
My cats are fascinated with my printers. (I have two–printers, that is. Four cats, two printers.) And I don’t think they’re the only ones; I’ve heard similar tales from other people who are lucky to share their homes–and offices–with cats.
A four-page Excel spreadsheet sent to the printer is a siren call sent out to the felines in my house. They are irresistibly drawn to my office.
I discovered this years ago, snapping one of my favorite pictures of Dawn and Athena:
Last year I posted a version of this with the caption “Copy Cats.”
Elsa Clair goes beyond merely visiting when I’m printing.
Our two printers have lots of buttons that make sounds when you touch them. Or step on them if you’re a cat.
She gets an enormous amount of pleasure out of walking around on top of the machines, playing them with her jelly bean paws like they’re baby grands. If she gets the combination right–hitting a series of buttons that means clean the printer heads for example–Elsa Clair is rewarded with Kitty Printer Music.
If she steps on the wrong button, she shuts off the printer. Alas! The printer sings no more.
Until I turn it on, and once again, cats come from far and near to listen to the Concerto for Canon Printer in B flat.
What happens if I push this button?
I think something’s in there.
I better check.
Real close.
Why did it stop?
You’re out of paper.
Maybe the other one works?
Do your cats like printers, too? Or other machines in your house, like Roombas? What about your other pets? How do they interact with the various electronic devices we have around our homes?
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That’s too funny – never had cats, so this is news to me. Our current dogs are unphased by household appliances. The only one that ever got a reaction was our Sally use to bark and snap at our vacuum.
I still don’t know why the cats are so fascinated, but it’s amusing to watch. And vacuum cleaners? My dogs think they’re evil beasts.
Lol! We don’t have cats but if we did I’m sure they would find the printer entertaining if I didn’t have so many papers covering it!
Oh don’t worry. Cats find ways of knocking papers (and pens and cups and books) to the floor. Then they can get to the printer, or whatever place interests them. 😉
guys..we haza ipad sew noe attached equipmint but werd on de streets iz ya knead a …….
COPEE MASHEEN…..
just think oh de possa billateez !!!!!!!
🙂
Of course the humans use the copy machine, but my cats would tell you I bought it for them to play with. 😉
These photos are FANTASTIC! Our cat loves ice water. He’ll sit on the dining room table and stare at me until I put ice in the water bowl that sits on the table. When it melts, I water the plants with it.
Aw, thanks! Cats are funny creatures, aren’t they? And it’s amazing how they train us.
Haha! Our printer is so rarely used and in a cat-free room, so I’m sure our two cats are oblivious. To other appliances, like the vacuume, they are a little wary. Love warm laptops, though – specifically the keyboard part, which is super convenient.
Yeah, cats do tend to be “helpful” by being completely in the way. Warm laptops are really nothing more than expensive kitty beds. I can’t count how many times I’ll be writing and the next sentence will look something like this:
p,;vjl0hvokmg9hnuhcghyyyyt vds6ab5rfF#@$!ccccccccccccccddddddddexzswZAQ
That’s a cat walking across the keyboard, stopping to rub her head on the screen and standing there looking offended when I ask her to move. 😀
I like the printer…but it stopped working. We gotta get a new one!
Ernie
Of course you need a new one! Cat’s gotta play, right?
LOL, that’s too funny! They’re so adorable. Our cats prefer the keyboards. The love the irritated sound the computer makes when they step on too many keys at once. They love the annoyed sound my Dad makes even more. ;P
LOL! There’s a certain look on a cat’s face when he or she sits or stands on a keyboard and it makes that thrubbing sound. The look is a mix between “Hey, what’s that sound?” and “Why are you yelling at me?” and “You want me to move?”
How fascinating – I can’t say I’ve ever bothered with the printer, but I’m a dog, I just sleep through it – now if she gets the vacuum out, that’s another story! 🙂
Wags to all,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
Vacuums are a whole ‘nother story. 😉
Oh wow! That’s so interesting! I didn’t know cat is that curious with printer…but then again cats are always curious 😉
Very true. Before I had cats, I wouldn’t have thought about cats and printers, but now I know. They’re very curious (and strange) animals indeed!