Hey Google… Bark Like a Dog

Our cat, Peaches, likes to sleep on the receiver for our stereo. It’s nice and warm and tucked into a nook under where our TV is hung — very cozy. This annoys my husband, James, to no end. He’s sure she is filling the receiver up with cat hair, which she probably is. He’s put rolled up tape on top of the receiver, and tried a variety of other ways to keep that from being a hospitable spot, but Peaches keeps finding her way back. She’s very determined. Until now.

We got a Google Home for Christmas. It sits on the corner of the receiver. James put it there on purpose. I pretty much only use it to ask what the weather is like or perhaps to mute the TV if the phone rings, but for James, it’s got a new and wonderful purpose.

Now whenever Peaches jumps up on the receiver he says to it, “Hey Google… bark like a dog.” If she still doesn’t move, he tries again. “Hey Google… turn the volume up to 8 and growl like a mountain lion. That one usually does the trick. Poor Peaches. But at least our new Google Home is really turning out to be useful.