Little Assistants of XCDS Team Members: Lovely Pets

No one was as happy about the switch to remote work, in early 2020, as pets. Their delight didn’t fizzle out either: the animals of XCDS employees continue to help their owners in their work even now, in the summer of 2021.

Some participate in daily calls, some help to type texts and test the application, and some of our fuzzies just hang out and bring an atmosphere of anti-stress.

In any case, they give us joy and love, and today we decided to share our rays of happiness with our readers!

Julia S, C++ Developer

My cat’s name is Yefim, he is very fluffy and dangerous. :) Of course, he is completely sure that without him I won’t cope with my work, so he starts talking to me with great pleasure during my calls. Also, he won’t let me work without the stretching ritual — I take him under the front paws and pull him up.

Oksana K, HR Lead

Timon is with me at almost all meetings. His tail or muzzle always in front of my face.
He loves to kiss and always climbs to the camera, and I don’t mind. :)
He also rubs against the laptop or sits right on it when he requires attention. This means it’s time for me to pause.

Artem I, QA Engineer

Meet Peach. He usually doesn’t like it when someone touches him, but as soon as any meeting starts, he sits on me and pretends he is the cutest pet in the world. He might even drool on my hands, so I have to wash them after the call. :D
His participation lasts for around 10–15 minutes and then he makes a rather indifferent look and leaves me alone. That’s my daily dose of affection and love.
Sometimes, he even helps me with testing so, naturally, I’m going to request some compensation for him. :D

Dmitry Z, Marketing Lead

This is Tessie. She loves to play, doesn’t like to bathe and dry, and can be whining for an hour or more near my chair until she is picked up.
Sure, she is better than a laptop! Why look at the screen when there is such a cute and great dog in the house! :)

Tina P, Content and PR Manager

Uma, a Canadian Spynx, loves to participate in online meetings and share her opinion even when she is not asked. :)
She is also jealous when I pay too much attention to the computer and sits right on the mouse or on my neck.

Max T, C++ Developer

Amy loves to watch what I’m doing and takes the closest look so that I can’t see the screen. :)
Once she somehow managed to lock my laptop by pressing some keys on the keyboard. I had to figure out how to get back into my laptop after this little hacker’s interference!
Nevertheless, in most cases, she is my best support and anti-stress!

Olena L, HR Manager

This is Semyon, a mega Chihuahua. :) He has two modes: 80% sleeping and 20% jumping! He doesn’t care what I’m doing, his main request is to pet him.
The longer I sit near the computer, the longer he can lie on my knees. Semyon adores it. He is an absolute fan of remote work!

Vladimir M, Marketing Designer

Sam sleeps all day long and doesn’t distract me. His work shift begins at night. When “the city falls asleep — the mafia wakes up!”
In the middle of the day, he can remind me that it is already time for lunch.

Leonid M, C++ Developer

Raja is a Bengal, and Bengals only sit still if nothing happens at all. Since I have two more cats besides him, as soon as they do something, Raja must definitely check what is going on.
As for work, he doesn’t participate in all calls but sometimes comes to take a nap on my knees.

Vladimir K, Marketing and Business Development Director

Last year my family grew up with two new members — little Australian Shepherd (Aussie) puppies Jessica and Den. I have seen these dogs’ tricks in many movies and read several articles about how smart and cheerful they are. Reality exceeded my expectations. Aussies are full of positive energy, they like to spend time with you and learn swiftly.

Additional bonus: I always have a company for jogging, swimming and any outdoor activities :)

Valeriy O, Lawyer

Micky is a Siamese, a hunter and the owner of the house and his entire entourage! We have a private house, and he brings us either a bird or a mouse almost every day. He runs around all the rooms and invites everyone for a meal!
When I work, Micky wants that I pay all my attention to him, not to a computer or pieces of paper.

Kate K, QA Engineer

My cat’s name is Fronya. She likes to sleep with her head on a warm laptop. This cutie wakes up every time she hears voices from Zoom and looks at me with bewilderment, like: “Who is here?” O_O

Inna Y, QA Engineer

Meet Chewbacca! She doesn’t let me sleep through work! She starts running and meowing from about 5:30 AM wanting to play.
Most of all she loves my MacBook, eating wires, and sometimes writing on chats. And, of course, she enjoys digging flowers. In general, she is perfect!

We hope that you are just as comfortable working remotely with animals as our teammates are. They help us keep things real and take breaks from work from time to time. People need that while working remotely, as we all can be glued to the screens so much that we forget about lunchtime! All in all, you can never get bored with these little helpers!