It’s not a meme for nothing; cats love keyboards and will get their paws on your precious keyboards without a second thought.

Here are a few ways to save your keyboard and relationship with your cat by keeping him or her from causing damage to your keyboard:

1. Cords

One of the biggest concerns as a cat owner is damaged cords. Cats love to chew on power cords, damaging the keyboard and hurting the cat. Keep cords out of the way by bunching them with Velcro strips. Try to position them to where the cat can’t reach. If your desk is against the wall, putting a barrier such as a board in front of the cords can help with cord protection. Some pet owners have experimented with bitter sprays. After rubbing it on the cords with a soaked cloth, the smell will keep cats from chewing on cords. Of course, if your cat is particularly stubborn, he will keep chewing anyway. You may have to use other methods such as protective covers to dissuade him/her from destroying your equipment .

2. Fur

No matter how careful you are about keeping your cat away from your keyboard, enough fur will find its way in between the keys, impacting keyboard performance. Regular keyboard cleaning can help prevent the build up of fur and pet dander. Check out this guide for the most effective ways to clean your keyboard. If you don’t have time for a deep clean, try using canned air to blow fur out of the keyboard.

3. Sitting on the keyboard

Sitting your cat on the keyboard can be damaging to the keys. It is also annoying if your cat tries hop on your keyboard during a working or gaming session. The cat is often looking to lay near you. You will need to create an ideal spot over your keyboard for the fluffy animal.

Cats like boxes because they provide a safe and comfortable place to sit. Some pet owners find it possible to keep cats away from keyboards by having a small box near their desk. Cats also love to sit in the highest place in the room, you can put a cat condo or shelf near your desk for the cat to access. If the cat condo is accessible and higher than your desk, your cat will most likely ignore the keyboard all together. Your cat may also be feeling neglected if you are spending too much time at the computer working or gaming, try to give Mr. Meowington some extra attention from time to time.

4. When you are away

While you are away from keyboard, your cat may want to sit near your computer as it provides warmth. Close your room or put away your keyboard to prevent catfiltration. It may be tedious to remove your keyboard whenever you are not in the room, but it is probably better than replacing a keyboard and damaging your pet relationship.

5. When your cat thinks it’s playtime

Cats often consider typing as a form of game with its owner. If your cat is feeling frisky, he/she may attack your fingers as you are typing.

Try giving your cat a bit of extra play time to avoid confrontation with your cat while typing.

6. Training

Let’s be honest. Training a cat isn’t the easiest thing to do, but you can try to teach your cat that the desk isn’t a good place to sit by telling your cat “No” and shooing him/her off the desk. Another option is to use a spray bottle to train your cat. Since cats hate being wet, one small spray is usually enough. After the first few times, the bottle will deter the cat even if it is empty. If the problem persists, simply reaching for the bottle will typically scare the cat away. Do you have any tricks for keeping pets away from your keyboard or computer?