Dandy (CaV18-382)

Hi my name is Dandy and I'm a super special lad. I'm going to tell you a bit of my story then I'll tell you more about me and what sort of home I need.
As you can see, I'm a purebred ragdoll. I have been used all my life as a breeding stud and it hasn't really been a nice life. It's terrible when people think you are only worth something because of what you can do for them - rather than your own inherent value.
The breeder who owned me described me as "a double grand champion worth $5,000". None of those words mean anything to me. All I know is that I was kept in a cage attached to the end of her verandah. When I came into care, my entire body was one solid matt of fur - it has been a LONG time since I saw a grooming brush. If that wasn't uncomfortable enough, there were little grass seeds caught up all through my coat, scratching my skin. The vets pulled one grass seed out of my ear and another one from the side of my body where it had embedded itself. You can see the video of me being shaved while I was sedated - my hair just comes off in one huge chunk!
I also have a head tilt - my head kind of always leans to one side. The vets thought it might be a problem with my ears but (apart from that grass seed!) my ears are great! Very clean, ear drums intact. There is no indication of the cause of the head tilt at this stage and I'm otherwise very healthy. It's very minor and not causing me any issues. So it's really nothing to worry about! It's just an adorable part of what makes me who I am.
Sadly, it's not uncommon for stud cats to be badly neglected like me. We are only useful when it's time to put us with a female and the rest of the time we are ignored.
But I'm a social, friendly boy who wants to be part of a real family!
Because of my life experiences, I need my new family to understand that I will need time, patience and understanding to help me settle in. I need a home where I will be a strictly indoor-only cat (or with access to a secure cat run). I do not want to live outside anymore!
I'm probably not suited to a home that small children live in (though if they come to visit sometimes that would be okay). I'm a big lad who has only just been castrated and I'm not fond of other male cats at all, though I may be okay to be introduced to a friendly desexed lady cat. I haven't ever met dogs and they don't look appealing. If your dog is very calm and will leave me alone, I might be able to learn to get along. I am friendly and loving and just want to be valued and respected and treasured for the special boy that I am. Going to a new place is going to be really scary and I might take some time to settle in so please know that if I don't seem to love you straight away it's just because I'm overwhelmed. The fact that I am a ragdoll does not mean that I am a floppy cuddle bunny all the time so please don't expect that from me.
Also, I'm all nakey now but my hair will grow back long and thick so you'll need to be prepared to groom me regularly.

I'm a truly wonderful cat. I hope that you can see past my imperfections and adore me for who I am!