Vent: Lost a $12k client because my cat walked on the keyboard during a Zoom call

Paul Miller · 2026-05-05T12:40:02.863131+00:00

I was in a final contract review call last Tuesday and my cat jumped up and sent a bunch of random characters in the chat. Client thought I was hacked and pulled out. Has anyone else had pets sabotage a deal mid-meeting?

finley_walker574mo ago

12 grand over a keyboard smash? That client must have been looking for any reason to back out. A normal person would just laugh it off or ask if you can turn off cat mode. Sounds like they were getting cold feet and used your cat as an excuse.

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kellymurphy4mo ago

Oh wow, I actually gotta push back on that a little bit. It's not about "finding an excuse" - in some industries, especially finance or legal stuff, a sudden burst of random characters in the chat can legit trigger their IT security protocols. Like, if they're under compliance rules (think HIPAA or PCI DSS), they can't just shrug off a potential breach. I've seen colleagues lose deals over way smaller weirdness because the client's hands are tied by their own risk management policies. Not saying your cat deserves the blame (poor kitty), but in certain circles that keyboard smash is a red flag they can't ignore. Just a different way to look at it though, hope you bounce back from the loss quick.

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luna_wells574mo ago

Wait, just typing random characters was enough for them to cancel a 12k deal? That's wild. Sounds like they were looking for an excuse honestly.

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