Beyond a Newbie...

My situation is what I like to call unique. For starters, I've posted a few times on this site, so I'm technically not a newbie based the the definition of the word. Secondly, I don't own a cat (never have)--not yet anyway.

I'm the one craving to share my life with a Ragdoll (and my husband). We have our names on a very reputable breeder's list and will have our choice of two kittens (I didn't get on her list fast enough!). She lives four hours away from us, so I'm hoping she might meet us halfway when it's time to take our kitten home (which won't be for nearly three months). Ack!

In the meantime, I'll be reading everything that I can about Ragdolls. I already know a considerable amount about the available colors/ patterns, as well as the Ragdoll personality.

I'm open to any sage advice from any and all cat lovers.

As a side note: As I type this post, my cockatiel Joey is making kissing noises to one of his favorite toys. Silly boy. Our other bird, a Maximilian Pionus named Holly Moon, is happily chewing up one of my husband's business cards. (He has lots of extras and found that they're good for keeping busy beaks occupied!)

Thanks for reading this far,

Jenk

I'm so glad you were able to get on a breeder's list, Jenks. I'm a bit jealous - I love Ragdolls and would love to be owned by one. Alas, by apartment management rules, I am at my quota of two. From what I understand, Ragdolls are very laid-back cats by nature.

As far as advice for a future new kitten owner, first and foremost take lots of pictures when s/he is little! LOL They grow up so fast.

Kittens are actually not very difficult to train. The key is consistency and positive reinforcement, by everyone in the household. A lot of the training has to be of the people around, though. Keep the first few meetings with the birds positive. If kitty gets *that look* that the birds are toys to play with or starts stalking, say No! firmly and remove kitty immediately. You may want to present the birds and kitty together when kitty just wakes up so s/he isn't hyper playful yet.

Keep us posted, and we certainly welcome any other questions you may have.

Valanhb,

My husband and I live in an apartment. I truly hope that the management office has forgotten that we own two birds (I'm sure they have); I don't want them refusing us our kitten. (And they don't need to know that our cat won't be declawed; as my husband says, " That's what the 'non-refundable' pet deposit is for." ). I still think that's a load of hooey. You should get your pet *deposit* back if your pet causes no damage to the apartment.

Both my husband and I work full-time, but we live very close to home. I don't know how much morning time we'll have for introducing the kitty to the birds, but perhaps during early evening, before kitty goes nocturnal. :tounge2:

Thank you for the advice,

Jenk

I've seen similar interactions between cats and birds, though I wouldn't allow the feathered and furred creatures to get that close. But just today, I saw t.v. star Hallie Eisenburg (sp) interacting with her two dogs, a cat and a green-cheek conure all on one couch! The bird was right by the cat, and nothing happened. The cat couldn't care less.

My plans are to teach the cat that our birds are fellow family members not to be eaten.

BirdTalk magazine won't post pictures of birds having direct interaction with other animals. Apparently, the editorial staff doesn't believe the risk is worth a Kodak moment. But I've heard from cat/ bird owners whose cats can at least be entrusted to around the birds when they're in their cages.

Jenk