Gus is the only wee boy from a litter of three I brought in from a farm along with their domestic, sweet-natured, young mother. I'm reliably informed by their foster mum and dad that, of the three, Gus is the boisterous one. The girls are more placid and gentle, but Gus is a boy and seems to think that gives him the right to chase his sisters around the generally be a torment. In other words, he's like brothers everywhere. (I know - sexist, eh?)

If you've been reading Faith and Allie's stories, you'll know that Gus, too, is still shy with people he doesn't know well so he needs to be homed with a family who will expect and understand why he would want to hide away for a time and who will give him the space, time and patience needed to help him feel safe again. Gus, like his sisters, constantly witnesses his trusting mother, Hope, being fussed and cared for and that helps so much because humans just seem less of a threat and barriers are broken down. Having said that, being rehomed is a scary experience and especially so for the shy ones. Their mother is no longer there, nor are their wee siblings; the environment doesn't feel or smell the same; the familiar humans are gone too, replaced with others who are just ....strangers. Everything's suddenly different and no-one can explain why. I'd be scared in that situation too.

A home with very young children isn't the right one for shy cats or kittens but one with older gentle and understanding children can actually be beneficial with such children being able to encourage unthreatening play. Before homing a shyer cat or kitten we provide a list of suggestions to help the cat settle, and encourage people interested to take some time after meeting the cat or kitten before making a decision. We want everyone to be happy - the kitten or cat, and the people - because that's what leads to a successful and lifetime homing. Gus would love a garden or other safe outdoor place to play in and explore once very well settled. A few trees to climb would probably be especially welcome!  He's due to be neutered on November 14th, at which point he'll also finish his vaccination course and be microchipped. Then the real adventure begins. If you think you could be the family or person to help Gus enter the next phase of his young life please get in touch.