The story behind TaskTabby

The little companion that started it all.

TaskTabby was inspired by LittleOne, the cat who sat with me while I worked, interrupted me when I needed it, and reminded me that progress was worth celebrating.

See How TaskTabby Works Meet LittleOne

Inspired by a real companionBuilt for focusDesigned to feel gentle

Close portrait of LittleOne, the cat who inspired TaskTabby. — **LittleOne**The original Task Tabby.

Origin story

He was my original Task Tabby.

Long before TaskTabby was an app, there was LittleOne.

Whenever I sat down at my PC to work, he would find his way onto my lap, near my keyboard, or directly into whatever I was trying to do. Sometimes it was distracting. Most of the time, it was exactly what I needed.

When I finally solved a bug, got some code working, or pushed through a task I had been stuck on, he would purr, nudge me, or demand a few pets like he had been part of the work the whole time.

And in a way, he was.

He gave me small breaks. He pulled me out of spirals. He reminded me to breathe, reset, and come back to the task in front of me.

The problem

Focus can feel lonely.

A lot of productivity tools are built around pressure: timers, streaks, charts, warnings, and lists that keep getting longer.

Those tools can help, but they do not always make the work feel easier to return to.

For people who spend long hours at a computer, especially people who struggle with staying on task, sometimes the missing piece is not another dashboard. Sometimes it is a small reason to care about the next few minutes.

The idea

So I started building that feeling into an app.

TaskTabby is a desktop focus companion that reacts to your work sessions, celebrates progress, and turns focused time into care and rewards for your virtual cat.

The goal is not to shame you into productivity. It is to give you a softer, more personal way to come back when your attention drifts.

You set the task. TaskTabby stays nearby. As you focus, your companion grows with you.

Who it is for

Built for people who need a gentler way to stay on task.

TaskTabby is for long computer sessions, messy tasks, and the kind of focus that needs encouragement instead of pressure.

Coding sessions

Stay with the bug a little longer. Let progress feel visible, even when the work is messy.

Schoolwork

Turn study sessions into small wins instead of one giant mountain of unfinished work.

Remote work

Add a little presence to long hours at a computer without turning productivity into punishment.

Focus struggles

Use small nudges, visible progress, and emotional reward to help return to the task in front of you.

In memory of LittleOne

A small companion nearby. A reason to pause. A reminder that progress counts.

LittleOne was with my family for years, from high school into adulthood, through a lot of life and a lot of late nights at the computer.

He passed away on March 19, 2026, but the way he helped me work stayed with me.

TaskTabby is not meant to replace him. Nothing could. It is a way to carry forward the feeling he gave me: a companion nearby, a small reset when attention drifts, and a reason to keep going.

LittleOne enjoying time outside in the garden.

Follow the journey

TaskTabby is being built with care.

Part focus tool, part desktop companion, part reminder that work feels better when it does not feel so lonely.

See the Focus Loop Contact