Loading…
15
Cat decided my job interview was the perfect time to knock over the fish tank, who do I blame?
Okay so this was last Tuesday. I'm in my tiny studio apartment in Portland doing a video call for a manager position at a local bookstore. Everything's going fine, I'm answering questions about inventory stuff. Then my cat Oliver jumps on the desk, walks right in front of the camera, and swipes my 5 gallon fish tank off the edge. Water everywhere, fish flopping on my keyboard, and the interviewer just stares. I yelled 'gotta go' and hung up. I saved the fish but the call was toast. So here's the debate: do I blame the cat for being a cat, or do I blame myself for not securing the tank? I mean, I knew he liked batting at the filter bubbles. But should a pet owner expect chaos in every important moment, or is it on you to cat-proof your setup before a call? Has anyone else had a pet moment that made you question who's really at fault? What did you do after, did you explain to the person or just let it go?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
derek_perez1d ago
The tank was on your desk, not the floor or a shelf, so yeah, that part is on you. Cats knock stuff over, that is just what they do, and you already knew Oliver liked messing with the filter bubbles, so the warning signs were right there. Five gallons of water sitting next to your laptop is a risk even without a cat in the room. I would not blame the cat at all, he was just being a cat. Blaming him is like blaming rain for getting your laundry wet when you left it outside.
That said, the interview thing is not a total loss. You should have emailed the interviewer after and just told them straight up what happened, because a cat knocking a fish tank over mid call is a way better story than most excuses people make up. Most folks would laugh about it and maybe give you another shot. Letting it go and never saying anything is the one move that for sure kills your chances.
2