Pet sidecar for an office chair?

Question

When I am working on my computer at home, I like to put my feet up on the desk with a laptop or keyboard on my thighs. This leaves a nice space at my waist for a furry friend to lounge with me while I work.

In my case the friend is a rabbit (actually there are a couple that take turns) but I assume it is the same with a cat or a dog. At first everything is fine, they make themselves comfortable, and I work. After the first few minutes they get more relaxed and start stretching out (side to side), after a while their back side is sliding off my lap. We have to pause for a moment to reposition and then back to work. With my lap rabbits (not all rabbits are lap bunnies) it seems to take about 20 minutes before we need to reposition.

Out of habit we generally position in the same way (face to the right). I thinking what I need is sidecar on my office chair, for the backside to rest on when the bunny starts to stretch out while dozing in my lap. Does anyone have a solution for this issue?

Answer 1

Here is what I've come up with:

The idea is that you would use the bolts on each side to vice it onto the supports of the chair's arms, and part of the top would rest on the arm itself. I thought of having it without the vice (add a lip to catch onto the arm instead), but thinking of how my cats would be jumping up and down on it, I think they'd loosen that arm a bit.

Of course, you'll want to adjust it to your liking, but here are the parts:

1 12x0.5x12 board for the top
2 1.5x3.5x9.5 board for the vertical support
2 1.5x3.5x11 board for the angled support
4 1.5x3.5x12 board for the vice
4 bolts for the vice
However many screws it takes to hold it all together

Answer 2

Fun idea. Good start by Spidercat. But from what OP said - I think the platform, resting above the chair armrest, might be too high. I was picturing something that is more like an extension of the seat surface (maybe a bit higher) - extending forward and to the side, next to the human's near leg. Also the clamping mechanism on to the chair arm may need to be customized per the shape of the arm. For my small dog I was imagining more like a small sidecar bassinet that I could tie on to the arm - it would be softer, but the walls would make it hard to be in both lap and sidecar... Maybe a plastic basin with a pillow. But wood platform would be stiffer.

Answer 3

It has been a couple years, and I tried a few different things. I the end I decided on the "pedestal" solution (because she is goddess on a pedestal, just ask her, she will confirm it)

I have an old milk crate with a relatively smooth bottom, it is turned upside down with a towel folded on top/bottom to make it comfy. This puts her at an optimal height for getting pets. She is able to get up and down on her own easily and frequently. As well as reach up to nuzzle if the has been a prolonged petting deficiency.

The pedestal moves around as needed. In fact I am now using it at the bedside, as getting up and down is getting harder as she ages.

There is a towel on my chair, because when I am not in my chair it is good place for cecotrope consumption, and the towel goes in the washing machine nicely.