No salary, great benefits, lots of nap time

I mentioned before that this newsroom has several unusual features. Guys who bring you coffee and a ceiling that rains, for instance.

And then there are the cats. They live in the courtyard directly behind my desk--a grassy area with a shaded lounge where the paper's many smokers go to inhale North Carolina tar. There is a bag of food and treats, and always a big bowl of water for them to sip on.

As cats tend to do, they mostly just lounge around and meow at things. Sometimes they wander into the newsroom for a nap or a bout of sustained yowling, usually about the time someone orders in something that smells delicious.

I have yet to get a good picture of them wandering among The National's work stations, but here they are in their most common pose:

Giving me the cold shoulder and keeping an eye on the water dish.

Snoozing away the afternoon in a way that would make a hungover journalist proud.

I don't think they have names or anything, but they are a nice addition to the experience. At least you can count on them to bathe regularly, which is more than you can say for most journalists.