I (28F) recently had an online job interview, and it was a big deal for me. I’d been applying and searching for months, and this company was my dream employer—exactly the kind of role I wanted in my field, with good growth potential and a collaborative team. I’ve always been nervous in interviews, especially virtual ones where everything feels amplified and so much depends on a stable, professional presence.
The interview started well. I was calm, answering questions thoroughly, giving examples from my experience, and feeling confident that this was going great. Then, about halfway through, in came my cat. She’s normally reserved and cautious but that day she apparently sensed I wasn’t paying attention to her, so she decided to make herself the center of attention. She jumped onto the desk where I had my laptop.
At first, there were little meows—soft and almost inaudible—but as she realized I was ignoring her, the meowing became louder. Then, she started knocking things around, hitting the keyboard, and even brushing against the camera so her face briefly obscured the screen. I felt my heart pounding in my chest. I could see the interviewers trying not to react, but honestly, I was mortified.
I immediately apologized several times, trying to soothe her out of the room, but she was relentless. There was no way to pretend it wasn’t happening. I’m fairly sure one of the interviewers was trying to hold back a chuckle, which only made me feel worse. It felt unprofessional. Like I was letting my pet get in the way of my future.
After the interview ended, I worried non-stop. Had I just lost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because my cat interrupted my Zoom call? I thought about following up with a serious apology email, but then I wondered if I should lean into it with humor, lighten the mood by acknowledging the chaos, and show that I’m human. Would it make me look more relatable or just more unprofessional?
Despite the embarrassment, I eventually sent a thank-you email where I mentioned the interruption with a lighthearted tone. Something like: “Apologies again for the unexpected feline cameo—clearly, she’s enthusiastic about this opportunity, too!” I hoped they’d appreciate the honesty and humor.
A few days later, I received an offer. They said the cat interruption was memorable—in a good way—and that they admired how I handled the situation calmly under pressure. Turns out, sometimes a little chaos shows adaptability and personality rather than incompetence.
I’m sharing this because anyone working from home knows how unpredictable pets can be, and sometimes these interruptions are out of our control. I was terrified it would ruin my chances, but being upfront and sincere helped.
So Reddit, AITAH for letting my cat take over my interview and then trying to make light of it? Should I have pretended it didn’t happen, or was honesty and humor the right approach?
