Ragdoll Owners/Lovers...please come in :)

I am interested in purchasing a Ragdoll and have been doing tons of research on them. I have never owned a cat before so I am trying to get as much info as I can. I am hoping some readers here can post their Ragdoll experiences. Are there any problems with Ragdolls I should know about? How is their temperment? Do they shed excessively? Thanks!!

I have five ragdolls there tempermant is sweet and not to hyper although some kittens can be crazy. Actually as I am typing this one of my ragdolls is sitting on my lap. Well if you need anymore advice I am sure that there are many ragdoll owners on this site.

Cassidy

I have several Raggies of my own as well, and they are a wonderful and unique breed.
Ragdolls do shed, although it is minimal compared to other breeds. I have never had a Ragdoll mat on me, the grooming of a Ragdoll is very minimal, although they do love being brushed. Each kitty has their own individual personality, but as a whole the Ragdoll breed is known for their loving, laidback personalities. They are known for getting along well with other animals. We have 2 Old English Sheepodgs, that just adore our Ragdolls, and our Raggies adore them right back. They are often found snuggling together. Just like the last post, I have a Raggie supervising me as I type, and one on my lap. They are a very social breed, and I joke and call them them a "Velcro kitty's" as they love to be attached to us at all times. They also have the nickname "puppy cats", we have a few that will fetch little furry micey men, and paper balls. They also follow us from room to room and like "helping" AKA being "nosey", with everything. Most of ours are door greeters and have never met a stranger, but we do have a couple that are more shy towards new people, and they like to stay at a far distance until they get to know the person more.
I am sure there are several Ragdoll breeders, including myself, who think that the breeding cats should be HCM scanned on a routine basis. If you go to the site www.ragdollresearch.org, it will explain a bit about HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyapathy)
I think it is wonderful that you are doing the research before you adopt a Ragdoll. I believe that all cats should be indoors, but Ragdolls in general have a very trusting nature, and if allowed outside without supervision could lead to many problems.
If you would like to be directed to a few Ragdoll specific forums, I would be happy to let you know what they are.
If you have breeders close to you, go and meet them and their kitty family. Cat shows are also a great way to meet breeders, and see examples of their cats. If you check out TICA and CFA's website, you can see the show calendar, to find out if there are any shows near you. When you find a breeder that you feel comfortable with, you might ask for references to find out how their past kittens are doing and how happy the families who adopted them are.
I believe there are other Ragdoll lovers on here as well, that will chime in.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.
Please update us when/if you add a Ragdoll or any kitty to your family, it is always a special moment to celebrate!!

My mom's cat, Manny, is a ragdoll. We didn't know much about them when we got him, but my cousin breeds them. He sheds, but not any more than any other cat I've been around. And yes, he is very laid-back. He also does that characteristic "flopping" on the floor at random times. It's pretty funny.

I have just bought a ragdoll kitten 4 weeks ago. And like yourself, I did a lot of research on what cat would be suit our environment, as we live in an apartment and it would be an indoor cat. We have had absolutely no problems with her at all. She's very sweet, gentle affectionate and well behaved, loves playing with our visitors, enjoys going for drives in the car, she fetches balls of paper and walks around dragging her toys with her in her mouth! She's quite like a dog in a lot of her habits! She follows me from room to room and generally loves to be with you when you are at home. I am thinking of getting another one now... I hope this helps you.

Originally Posted by taralynn0930

I am interested in purchasing a Ragdoll and have been doing tons of research on them. I have never owned a cat before so I am trying to get as much info as I can. I am hoping some readers here can post their Ragdoll experiences. Are there any problems with Ragdolls I should know about? How is their temperment? Do they shed excessively? Thanks!!

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Im pretty predjudice when it comes to cats, I love rags and wouldn't have any other breed now! I raise them because they are just the sweetest cats ever, I have no problems with any of my cats and I have a few. 1 male (8 months but looks like an adult) 1 retired breeder and three breeding queens, 1 is a breeder and the other 2 are kittens still but will be showing soon and are my future queens. I also have 1 kitten, I had a litter of 5 but the 4 sibblings have all been placed in new homes! I have a woman from MO. thinking about adopting this last boy, but is concerned about shipping, and I have never shipped before so I can't reassure her that it's fine for them. 1 of my kittens is in NY. I travelled half way to met her and she absolutly adores him, she said he fit right in and was like he had always been there. Although 1 kitten is in a home with dogs now and was terrified at first because he had never seen one but has now seemed to have adjusted. Just keep researching and you will probly find that you will have the right kitty for you. Im sure there are other breeds that are just as nice (don't want non rag owners to get defensive, lol because all cats are individuals and can be just as capable as being as laid back as rags) feel free to PM me and I can send you pictures of mine, as well as give you links on great sites that will be helpful to you or any thing else.

Our Huggy bear was a bit of a nightmare as a kitten (he's lovely now!) atacking things etc. So as much as everyone says how laid back and placid ragdolls are. It has to be remembered it cant be guaranteed and all cats have differnt personalities bo matter their breed. But overall once Huggy settled down woth some work he is a lovely cat, but still has his mad moments.

Originally Posted by xDx

Our Huggy bear was a bit of a nightmare as a kitten (he's lovely now!) atacking things etc. So as much as everyone says how laid back and placid ragdolls are. It has to be remembered it cant be guaranteed and all cats have differnt personalities bo matter their breed. But overall once Huggy settled down woth some work he is a lovely cat, but still has his mad moments.

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You are right, they all have their individual personalities. On the overall, the Ragdoll breed has the laidback personality. I have had visitors come look at 12 week old kittens, and say they are so active, I thought they would be calmer. We tell them, that Ragdoll kittens are just like any other kitten, they are active, playful, and once they get the energy out, then they may come and choose to relax and be held....LOL Not all of them will enjoy being held, as well. We have some that could relax in our arms as long as we would like them too, and we have others who would prefer us to just let them sit next to us, but still have us give them love. I have noticed that as Ragdolls get older, more of the traits they are known for will begin showing more. Talking with the breeder and letting them know what personality you are looking for can help the breeder choose the best kitten for your family. They are with the kittens for several weeks and can observe the individual temperaments.

hi tara,

i've just got a 5 months old ragdoll gal..
she was very nervous when she first came as she was seperated from her 4 sisters..
took her about a week to begin bonding with the rest in the family...
now she's a great mate to my persian boy..
wrestling over everything...
she seems to prefer me over the rest in the house...
only responds to my calls...
in comparison with the persian, she's definately more of a floor cat
hope these bits help a little...

lotsa meOws,
kikikoko

Originally Posted by kikikoko

hi tara,

i've just got a 5 months old ragdoll gal..
she was very nervous when she first came as she was seperated from her 4 sisters..
took her about a week to begin bonding with the rest in the family...
now she's a great mate to my persian boy..
wrestling over everything...
she seems to prefer me over the rest in the house...
only responds to my calls...
in comparison with the persian, she's definately more of a floor cat
hope these bits help a little...

lotsa meOws,
kikikoko

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Ragdolls tend to choose one member to own, following that person from room to room and prefering their lap. However when their person isn't available any lap will usually due of course! (hope the links and sites were of some help)