Debit and Credit are two rescue kittens who were adopted by the finance team of a small transportation company in Ohio and given a permanent home in the office. Their names come from the department that took them in. Credit is an orange male; Debit is a tabby-and-white female. Rather than going home with an employee each night, they live at the workplace full-time, with a cosy overnight setup, and staff drop in on weekends to cuddle and play with them.
They became internet favourites in November 2018, when an employee posting as carenl shared a short clip on Reddit's r/aww forum. In it, the kittens hide under an empty box lid and wrestle beneath it while the lid skids around the floor. The post took off, and the pair soon had their own Instagram account, @ourofficekittens, where co-workers documented naps on paperwork, ambushes from recycling boxes and plenty of keyboard interruptions.
Below is a tour of their working life in pictures, a look at what readers said, and some practical points for any business thinking about an office cat of its own.
A day in the finance department
The two kittens share an office chair, Credit in front and Debit peeking over his shoulder. Office chairs, warm and slightly bouncy, quickly became one of their favourite spots.
Debit peers over the top of a monitor showing an Excel spreadsheet. For a finance team, a cat checking the numbers is about as on-brand as it gets.
Only a pair of white paws sticks out from under a red Staples box lid. This is the game that made them famous: hiding under a lid and scooting it across the floor.
Debit wedged inside a box marked "Recycling only" beneath a desk. Her co-workers joked that she supported the office's recycling efforts.
Both kittens asleep in a supply box, paws tangled together. Cats love snug boxes because enclosed spaces feel safe and hold body heat.
Credit dozes on a desk right beside the keyboard, pressed against a colleague's arm. Staff said he often fell asleep in front of computer screens, which did nothing for productivity.
The pair curled up together on a stack of papers in a desk tray. Paperwork, warm and conveniently placed, makes an irresistible bed.
Credit tucked into the front pocket of a colleague's red hoodie. Kittens handled gently and often by different people usually grow into confident, sociable adult cats.
Name tags for the new hires
Custom collars with "Hello, my name is" tags: pink for Debit and blue for Credit. According to local news coverage, they started wearing them in March 2019 so they could introduce themselves to visitors.
Credit, tag on, mid-yawn in front of a computer. By now he had grown from a tiny kitten into a long, lanky young cat.
Debit poses with her pink tag, wide-eyed and alert. Her white chest and tabby patches make her easy to tell apart from her orange companion.
Both cats on top of a carpeted cat tree. Climbing posts give indoor cats exercise and a high lookout, which matters when they live in an office rather than a house.
Debit peeks out of a fabric cat cave. Hiding spots let office cats retreat when the workplace gets busy or noisy.
Credit fast asleep on a lap, one paw stretched out. A sleeping cat on your knee is a strong argument for staying at your desk.
Credit stands on his hind legs on a desk, perhaps eyeing something on a shelf. A colleague's hand rests on the mouse beside him as work carries on.
Credit grooms Debit as they snuggle on a cushion. Mutual grooming is a sign of a strong bond between cats.
Credit sprawls on the carpet with a patterned necktie wrapped around him. Business dress code, office-cat style.
The pair sit side by side at a glass door, watching the grass outside. Window watching is a favourite pastime for indoor cats and a good way to keep them stimulated.
Photos: ourofficekittens on Instagram.
The clips that went viral
The first posts on their Instagram account, from early November 2018, show the box-lid game that started it all, along with more chaotic play between desks.
Debit and Credit (@ourofficekittens) on
Debit and Credit (@ourofficekittens) on
Debit and Credit (@ourofficekittens) on
What readers had to say
The Reddit thread filled with jokes, envy and job applications. The original poster summed up the hazard of working next to two kittens: "It is so hard not to play and snuggle all. Day. Long."
The most common reaction: the kittens are adorable and nobody would ever get any work done with them around.
The original poster, carenl, admitting that the hardest part of the job is resisting the urge to play all day.
One commenter imagined the office adding puppies named Checks and Balances to the team.
A reader asked where the company was and whether it was hiring, a question that came up again and again.
A simple vote of approval for the names, written in capitals.
Another wished for a live feed so they could watch the kittens for days.
An allergic reader said they would put up with it for these two and suggested names for their own workplace: Cardio and Vascular, or Claim and Denial.
Thinking about an office cat? What to plan for
Workplace cats are an old tradition, from shop cats to the mousers kept in libraries, museums and government buildings. Many people find that a resident animal makes a workplace friendlier, though the effect depends on the team and the animal. A cat that lives at work still needs the same care as one at home, and the Debit and Credit team share it out: everyone takes a turn cleaning the litter box, and people visit on days off.
- Ask everyone first. Allergies, phobias and cultural or personal objections all matter, and a few staff may need cat-free areas.
- Agree a care rota. Food, water, litter, play and weekend and holiday visits need clear owners.
- Book a vet. Vaccinations, neutering, microchipping and flea treatment should be in place before the cats start roaming the office.
- Make it safe. Secure cables, close off gaps behind cabinets, keep toxic plants and cleaning products out of reach, and check that doors to the outside stay shut.
- Get permission. Landlords, insurers and local rules may restrict animals in commercial premises.
- Give them somewhere to hide. Cat trees, caves and quiet corners let them escape busy periods.
Two cats are often happier than one, because they keep each other company when the office empties out at night. Debit and Credit, sleeping in a heap after a day of supervising spreadsheets, make a good case for that.
Sources: TMJ4 / Simplemost: This company has two adorable office kittens named Debit and Credit; Original Reddit post by carenl; @ourofficekittens on Instagram.
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