Bismarck

AVAILABLE NOW

The living teddy bear Bismarck is the smoochiest boy with a heart as big as his enormous head. ❤️❤️

This very special lad is available to adopt by donation. Bismarck has several health conditions that will severely limit his lifespan. We have no way of predicting how long he will be around so he needs a family who are willing to take him and love him in the here and now, who know that giving him a wonderful time, however much time that might be, is essential.

Here's the few key points to know:
- Bismarck must be the only cat in the home (cat-social dog would be fine)
- He must be very strictly indoor only with no outside time
- A mature home would be his preference with no young kids
- He's a lazy lad who usually snoozes the day away, he won't mind if you're out of the house for long stretches

Bismarck is a carrier of FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus, like a feline version of AIDS) and also FeLV (feline leukaemia virus, another immune condition) and FHV (feline herpes virus, affecting the respiratory system)
We want to make it clear that these conditions cannot pass to people, dogs, rabbits etc - but they can spread to other cats.
Life has been hard for this big boy. He came from the pound into our care so his history is a mystery but we want to write a beautiful story for his future.
Bismarck was already missing a lot of his teeth when he came into care and he's now had nearly all the others removed as they were rotten and broken.
He has a chronic snuffly nose. He has a weird little lick-granuloma on his leg. He was infested with fleas and worms and his coat, though nicer now than it was, is scruffy and rough.

When he first arrived, Bismarck was completely shut down. You could have mistaken him for a rock. He never moved in the presence of a human, though would give a gentle warning growl if you tried to touch him.

The smoochy, role-poly loverboy he is now is pretty much unrecognisable!!

Given his many health issues and his disagreeable personality, we honestly questioned the viability of rehoming Bismarck. We wondered whether he might need to be one of the very very few cats who we chose to humanely euthanise.

But then something happened and a ray of sunshine broke through his cloudy exterior and he let his foster mum start patting him. It was like a switch flicked in his disposition and he realised that he could be affectionate and smoochy and adorable. He will roll over as though he wants belly rubs (he doesn't though) and he will smooch against any surface he can find. He loves good firm pats and scratches. Under the chin and on his big jowly cheeks are preferred locations, along with the base of his tail and his lower back.
Sometimes if you stop smooching prematurely or in the wrong location, Bismarck will give you a little slap.

We estimate that Bismarck is 8 to 10 years old, though it's hard to say for sure. He's actually surprisingly healthy in himself, considering his various issues. He is not currently receiving any medication.
Keeping him on a high-quality diet will help him stay healthy for as long as possible.
We can't predict whether he will love for 6 months or 2 years or 5 years.

Bismarck is an amazing boy. His foster mum would undoubtedly be keeping him if she didn't already have other cats.

If you want to save a cat who is truly in need - whilst also adopting a super sweet teddy bear with lots of character - this is the kitty for you 😻

We're happy to answer any questions about Bismarck's health and ongoing care requirements.
Please message the page or email avonvalley@safe.org.au if this spunky man is your dream kitty.