Gus and Oliver—A Family Tale

Ollie is a vocal cat and he can meow whole conversations. He likes to say hello and tell me about his day, and he always has a cheerful response for me when I tell him about mine. He cherishes conversations and can be a very good listener! Ollie will sometimes try to be dominant, so it is helpful for me to remind him about respecting Gus’ and other people’s needs, and learning to patiently wait. He is very good for trying and is getting much better at sharing. Ollie likes to know there is a routine. He likes to sit on the bathroom cabinet when I brush my teeth in the morning; and, when I brush my teeth at night before bedtime. He also knows that a special treat for him is lots of pats with my free hand! Gus loves cupboard doors and asks me to open them by scratching on them. When they are open, he checks inside to see if anything has changed. He always looks amazed when something has! Gus has grown to realise that change is ok; and that it can even provide new moments of magic in his world! Gus was adopted when he was two, and has bravely learned that he can trust how safe and wonderful love is. He used to communicate only by touching me with the tip of his tail, but now he meows! Gus is also very soothing if you are sad, and he will sit beside you to make sure that you are alright. Sometimes Gus has a little trouble working things out. When we got the cat door, Gus took time to learn how to go outside through it, but then did not think he could come back in! He eventually realised what to do and had the courage to try and succeed. Letting Gus learn and grow in his own time has allowed him to flourish and become a more confident cat! Sometimes we can feel frustrated with each other, but we know how lucky we are to have one another; where all that we experience is shared, understood, forgiven, and fun. We are a family, and together we have learned how to be ourselves, be with each other and be best friends.