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.

Gus portrait

I was just thinking...

Encounter of the feline kind!

This is a very short clip where you hear more than you see..of Gus meeting next door's cat Ted on the top of a high fence. Ted's are the glowing eyes on the right.

Face off!

Gus responds to coaxing out of doors late evening. However Billy (a neighbouring cat) was out and about too. I saw Billy run across the way and hurtled out myself to keep an eye on things and there the two of them were: in the middle of the High Street facing each other down. No traffic and dead quiet but I knew a car would come along at some point. So I shooed them. Anxious wait as Billy gave up hanging around and Gus eventually came back all wide-eyed, fluffy, relaxed and having had a good time I hope.

He was in such a happy relaxed mood he let me pick him up and place his head and shoulders in catflap tunnel and even tried to nudge the flap as if he got the idea of what I was up to. But like I said in previous post, flap isn't working properly.

Right now he is asleep under the covers. Whether he'll be up for another midnight wander tonight...but then maybe I want an early night!

Cat flap blues

Seems I owe Gus an apology: The cat flap catch isn't working properly. He has been pushing up against it, it just hasn't been releasing for some reason. It clicks but seems stuck. I have reset it back to factory default and I shall start the registering process again. Maybe this time...! I need it on selective enter because next door's Billy has been in whilst it's been on manual! No, no, no!

in/out Gus

I opened the front door and coaxed Gus out late this evening. He scuttled along the pavement and across the dead quiet road. Well, nothing for it but to wait. I watched from an upstairs window and saw him run in the drive as traffic went by behind him. Hope he learned from the experience. He then went off in safe direction across the garden.

I was still unsure as to whether I had in fact successfully programmed his microchip into new cat flap. I decided to set it to record for when Gus came through and to prop it open with the hall light left on to make it as easy for him as possible, and in case pushing the flap itself might be an issue.

Bingo! Gus came through okay, the indicator light switched off so the flap should recognise him next time. As long as he pushes the flap to get back in. So, when I have witnessed him coming in from outside pushing the flap I can be sure that all is working as it should and that Gus has mastered the technique.

He came in from outside and dived into his cave under the bed. Five minutes later and he is on open windowsill avidly watching I know not what! Clearly the night is exciting.

He is sleeping all afternoon at the moment. Obviously got siesta genes...! Cuddly, affectionate and wary when up and about.

Gus evening!

Gus's second outing tonight! Me sitting outside front door and calling to him was all the encouragement he needed. Shoots across into next door's garden & vanished. Well I spotted him but he definitely was feeling bold and staying out longer than first time. I kept calling every now and again so he'd be aware of me. It started raining. I went in.

Decision: do I leave door ajar or close it to encourage Gus to use cat flap? He'd not used yet so would he "get it"? I watched out from an upstairs window and eventually saw him scurrying up to front door. He turned away so I ran down and pushed the flap open calling him and he came through. Result!

There had been some miaowing - a territorial skirmish probably. Gus was in one piece, relaxed and happy. I feel he is properly launched. The cat flap is set to open so he can start coming and going at will.

Gus was wet and had dirty paws. Bet he loved it!

Indiana Gus...!

In case you may be wondering about my letting Gus explore first floor windowsills and ledges, I shall explain. Since his Gus-capade the other week he was freaking out at the front door. He'd be looking at it and twitching his tail. And if I was going out he shot under the bed into his cave. This didn't bode well for encouraging him outside and using the catflap if he wouldn't even go near the front door.

I sensed he is curious and wants to go out but is nervous and the front door seemed a no-go area. So the windows were a half-way house. Trying to tip the balance in favour of excitement and curiosity over nerves and fear.

I decided that this weekend might be "lets try and get Gus out the front door to explore" time. I am thinking that the catflap will be too traumatic for him, so how about just opening the door and me sitting there and let him come down in his own time. Yesterday nothing doing. I opened the door he skedaddled into hiding. He is quite lively and playful in the mornings and on a Sunday street is a lot quiter, so Round Two. The sun was shining, puffy white clouds breezing across a blue sky... time to sit out and try again. I sat in my folding picnic chair by the front door with a cup of tea (could be a long wait, I figured).

He'd disappeared into hiding, of course, as soon as I picked up my front door keys. I came back in to do some coaxing and he decided to go out with me in close pursuit.

He was exploring in next door's garden away from the road. So far so good. He did a round I think of next door then came back and looked like he was heading for the road via open driveway, I headed him off, he went indoors, back into hiding!

I sat there and waited. I called out to him. Eventually a sneaky peak told me he was top of the stairs. He came down and went out again and had a bit more mooch about. Then he decided he'd had enough and came indoors.

Gus went out. Gus came back in, safe and sound.

Oh happy Gus!

Gus got over his fright. Total fun muffin now! Running about the flat, very affectionate, playing, watching out the windows - lots of bird action which he watches avidly. My idea of putting up mesh at two of my windows with different views so Gus could experience the sounds and smells and get used to them before venturing outdoors seems to have gone down well.

We've had a week of him behaving very relaxed and at ease. Experiments with open upstairs windows (no mesh) went well if a little tense for me. But he came towards me and let me reach and take hold of him and bring him in off the top of window frame!!!! Talk about balancing act! My previous cat used to do something similar. He was calm as a cucumber and relaxed in my arms so that was all good.

I decided that was quite enough excitement for the both of us for one day!

Spooked Gus

Over the Bank Holiday Gus met my mum, who came over to visit. He was friendly sociable and at ease. Relaxed Gus.

Then it was the first work day on the street since Gus came home with me. Lots of noise and activity as next door were having builders in too as well as general traffic. Spooked Gus.

Under the covers and didn't come out all day!!!! I put some biscuits in my hand and went under covers as I was sure he must be hungry. He gobble them up. I kept feeding him some until he stopped eating. Later that night he did emerge and played and played and scampered about, to my relief. However next morning straight back under covers.

This went on for a few days. A friend visited, and not sociable this time! Under covers again! So I decided no more visitors till Gus recovers.

He was coming out at night when the outside environment was calmer quieter and less busy. He would cuddle up to me on the bed and come into the kitchen for food. He was also lively and frolicking about in the early morning before the road got busy when it was back under covers. So I wasn't unduly worried.

I just gave him space and time and let him be and stroked him now and again from outside the covers and occasionally slipping my hand under to fuss him. We wait. Patience. Slow... trust  isn't won quickly. He is one nervous pussycat.