Diary of a Benefit Scrounger: #esaSOS

Diary of a Benefit Scrounger: #esaSOS: #esaSOS : YOUR HELP NEEDED URGENTLY! On 28 January 2013 the UK government is due to make a set of changes to the Work Capability As...

Gus friends you

Gus is still hiding under the bed or the covers when a new person comes to visit. But I leave him to it and we chat and move around the flat and, in his own time, he emerges and is friendly and sociable and hangs out with us. Allowing visitors to stroke and fuss him and he purrs away. So happy to see him growing in confidence and enjoying himself. Still spooks at the post coming through the letterbox!

Gus conkers

I was enjoying an Autumn walk a little while ago when I came upon my first conker of the season. I picked it up and brought it home and thought, what'll I do with this? Gus knew exactly what to do with it. He enjoys playing with it up and down the corridor, down the stairs... Favourite toy of the moment :D

Acrobatic Gus

 

 

Gus siting on windowsill looking out at all birds flying about. Some nesting in the eaves, others perched on TV aerial, others in buildings and trees nearby. So far, so good.

 

 

THEN:

Gus jumps up onto top of open window-frame!!!!

Balancing calmly surveying the world.

 

I was not calm! I gently manhandled him down off there.

 

However, nothing doing. He loves it up there. I now make sure the window is open the strategic distance. Open enough for him to have a clear jump but not so wide that he'd slip through to the ground below between house and window.

I tried to be clever by only opening the wndow so far so he "couldn't jump up there". So, he stands on his hind paws, gets a grip with his front paws and scrambles up the window onto the edge.

 

I once opened the top window-light to block him getting on the window's edge. Not to be defeated, he swung himself by the front paws on the cross bar of the window frame and using momentum swung himself onto the edge. My eyes nearly popped out my head.

And the Olympic medal for gymnastics on the window-frame goes to......

GUS!

sleepy Gus

 

Just look at this adorable pusskin!

Asleep, out for the count on my bed.

 

 

Now I didn't pose him for this. I walked into the bedroom and from having been buried under the covers he had emerged like this: half tucked in the covers, head next to pillow..ahhh :D

 

 

 

Well, have you seen the like!

All scrunched up and tucked in, paws akimbo.

 

Bold Gus

Well! Lots of going out! Gus is getting a taste for outdoors am happy to say. With me for company still. Up trees, giving the bark a good long scratch, balancing along tops of fences, exploring roof tops. He also climbed up gate post staring up at tree with bird's nest in it. People and a van drove by and he stayed put, alert but not scampering. So definitely gaining confidence.

He ran to the front door which was closed. Borderline spook but I approached in a slow zig zag and he stayed and let me stroke and pick him up. Time to get serious about cat flap. I thought with the door closed he'd not think twice, or if he did think twice he would go through, but he didn't. He was relaxed and quite floppy so I pushed his head in cat flap tunnel but he wasn't getting the idea. And with his paws up he was resisting going through. So I held him in such a way that his front paws were held down against his body and I could push him through head first. This worked! I should note that he wasn't really fighting me and resisting as in earlier days, a gentle token resistance, he was not scared. I opened the door and met him on the inside, perfectly happy.

I really need him to have the confidence and know-how to get in through cat flap. I don't mind letting him out but I want him to run in home through it if something frightens him or he gets out and wants to come in. Freaking because front door is closed is not a plan when cat flap is there working perfectly! Home is always open is the message I want to convey.

So, work in progress. More pushing him through, only from outside in, as he grows in confidence and trust in me. I am thrilled at the progress Gus is showing. And he is so loving going out.

Gus head & shoulders

 

Gus, after a lot of coaxing and encouragement by me crouching by the front door and catflap, deigned to put his head up to his shoulders - no less - through the catflap. Progress! He likes looking out of it as his own personal window. Not going through it by himself yet. He encountered Billy Cat from next door and they had a face off in the middle of the road which I ran out to break up before a car came whizzing along. Billy went one direction, Gus another. Eventually he worked his way home round the back. But he became reluctant from that point to even come down the stairs to the front door.

 

We have however conquered that fear now. We are talking BOLD Gus. I embarked on a campaign of sitting by front door with it open, me on step, patting the side of my leg (the message that Gus understands as come hither). For quite a few days now he has been happy to sit beside me at the open front door surveying the landscape.