First day report!

Cat joy all round!

Yesterday I went to the RSPCA centre and brought my newly adopted cat home. Gus, formerly known as Junior, is named after St Augustine whose Saint's Day happens to fall in this month of August. A good boy cat name I feel. Of course, he'll get endearingly called Gussy, Gustinius, Gussy Gus Gus and who knows what else!

I live in a first floor flat and plan to keep Gus in for a while as is usual. Before he arrived I got some wire mesh and made mesh frames for two windows so Gus can see, hear, smell and take in the sounds of the neighbourhood whilst being kept safe and me being able to have my windows open to let the cool breeze in.

ARRIVAL
Well, we arrived home about 3.30 in the afternoon and I placed Gus in his carrier box in my bedroom. I decided to leave the box closed up at first just to allow him to calm down and adjust a bit. After about half an hour I removed the grill door and left him there still. He was tucked up nose buried in the cat bed that was in the box with him. I have a technique for getting a cat in a box in a quick swift few moves with minimal distress to all concerned. It worked very well with my previous cat - who had necessitated my developing and perfecting this skill! Took a few goes with Gus and may need to adapt the technique. The cat bed is integral to the technique.

QUIET TIME
I popped my head in the room every now and again to check on him give him a little stroke or head rub. He stayed put.

Then I went in and he was not in the cat box. Where is Gus? I found him under the chest of drawers. He'd found himself a cave. Ahhh. Stayed there for a few hours. He moved around a bit. I put a couple of his toys that he'd liked from his previous owner nearby which he rested his paw on. He would alternate disapearing right under the drawers to creeping to the front just enough so I could see an ear and he could see me. I'd occasionally give him a little fuss if he was near the front. I decided to leave him for a while and was busy in the other room.

ACTION TIME
About nine o'clock in the evening, I went in and lay down on the floor beside the chest of drawers and stetched my hand in to find Gus and give him some fussing. As I rubbed and stroked his head behind his ears, under his chin, he began to purr. Result! I decided to persevere. He then pulled himself on the carpet a bit closer to me and the edge of the chest of drawers. Then inch by inch he moved himself forward:l first an ear came out, then half his head, then all of his head, his shoulders, then hey presto he came out, stood up, stretched and it was full on rubbing and purring and love for almost an hour!!!!

LOVE & FUN TIME
I sat on the bed and patted it and with barely any hesitation he was up and in like Flinn! Much more comfortable for me than lying on the floor. He was rubbing against me like I needed polishing and what purrs! They got rumblier and louder as the evening wore on. I got some toys out and encouraged him into the living room and to explore the flat. He was wary of the kitchen for some reason. He found the litter tray in the bathrroom okay and used it. So all good there.

The mesh at the windows has been a great hit. He bounced from one windowsilll to the other in great excitement for ages. A moth fluttered against the outside which was of great interest to Gus.

BED TIME
Well, it was jump on the bed, rub rub rub, jump off the bed, jump on the windowsill, then back again, then under the covers, then out, then all of it all over again! He flopped at the foot of the bed by my feet in between all this activity. I don't know where he slept most of the night but I awoke in the morning to find him at my feet on the bed nestled beside me.

I think he is happy to live here with me. I already love him to bits.

:D
Angelfish