A dog stretched out beside the desk can change the way you get out of a chair. You look down before rolling it back, then step around the paws. After a while, you leave the chair a little farther from the wall so there's room to pass.
Other adjustments happen near the front door. A leash gets a hook within reach. The shoes shift to one side, leaving enough floor for a dog to stand beside you while you put on your coat.
Let the room get used
Then there are the places your cat chooses. A chair you keep tucked under the table is occupied again. The blanket you folded has been pulled into a heap at one end of the couch. Straightening the room starts to involve a little negotiation.
It can take a few tries to find an arrangement that works. You move the blanket back, then find it rumpled in the same spot later. Eventually it stays there, within reach of a cat who has been using it all along.
When it's time to sit at the table, you bring another chair over. The cat keeps the one by the wall, with enough space behind it for you to walk past.
