Hello and thank you for being a DL contributor. We are changing the login scheme for contributors for simpler login and to better support using multiple devices. Please click here to update your account with a username and password.

Hello. Some features on this site require registration. Please click here to register for free.

Hello and thank you for registering. Please complete the process by verifying your email address. If you can't find the email you can resend it here.

Hello. Some features on this site require a subscription. Please click here to get full access and no ads for $1.99 or less per month.

Thinking about getting a rag doll cat

Anyone have any experiences with this breed? I would prefer to get one from a shelter but I know my chances are slim. Should I get one from a breeder or a pet store? Thanks!

by Anonymousreply 42April 9, 2021 3:12 PM

Yes, he is like a Labrador dog in nature. Very friendly and not street smart so can’t be left to roam the streets. Use a reputable breeder as like any pedigree cat they can be prone to issues from inbreeding. What else do you want to do know?

by Anonymousreply 1April 7, 2021 7:01 PM

I found a cold and hungry ragdoll kitten outside the library in November.

by Anonymousreply 2April 7, 2021 7:03 PM

Can they be left alone for 8 hours a day? Thanks @R1 You and your cat are lucky to have found each other @R2

by Anonymousreply 3April 7, 2021 7:07 PM

I have a 6 mo old rag doll. He is a lovely giant and mostly lazy but still has kitten biting and scratching behaviours that we are working to train out. Got him from a small breeder. He is very healthy and happy. A little piglet and never misses a meal. Playful, loving and cuddly. Gets along with the other cat. Grows at warp speed. He stays indoors for his own health and safety but loves the enclosed patio and also lying by the screen door to take in the outside world.

by Anonymousreply 4April 7, 2021 7:08 PM

R3 It was the oddest thing, because this library is on the outside of town (there's a bigger library in the town), not near any houses, and there was a kitten sitting there. He was tame as can be too. At first I thought someone dumped him, but then wonder if he was someone's pet that got lost because he's so sweet.

by Anonymousreply 5April 7, 2021 7:11 PM

Depends on the cat. Would you consider a companion cat? Mine do well as a pair tho they def still miss their people and run to the door when we come home. I worry less with two together to amuse each other altho really they just sleep mostly when home alone.

by Anonymousreply 6April 7, 2021 7:11 PM

I should add he doesn't shed much and grooming is minimal. Just basic brushing and nail clips. Occasional butt cleaning if there are poop balls due to long hair. He is also very chatty and makes cute squeaks whenever he plays with toys, is trying to figure something out, or jumps up or down from somewhere. He is like a dog and follows us everywhere around the house. Bathroom too. Lol.

by Anonymousreply 7April 7, 2021 7:15 PM

Yes I would.@R6 I would hate for it to be in emotional distress if I’m gone That so heartwarming. I love happy pet stories @R5 Thanks for posting. Sounds great @R4

by Anonymousreply 8April 7, 2021 7:20 PM

I have one that I adopted, found her on petfinder! She is fantastic, very chill, simply wants you to put her a few times a day when she lays on my lap, then goes about her business. She's gorgeous and has quite literally helped me through many depressed days of covid.

by Anonymousreply 9April 7, 2021 7:30 PM

Why can’t you get a real cat? Do you have to buy a doll?

by Anonymousreply 10April 7, 2021 7:33 PM

Those are nice, OP. I once had a paper bird on a stick.

Until someone used it to relight the pilot light.

by Anonymousreply 11April 7, 2021 7:33 PM

Mine is fine for 8-10 hours a day though I’ve now been working from full time for over a year so it will be a shock to the system for him when I go back to the office. He does have an unrelated older cat for company though and they play sometimes. Like others have mentioned, they are very chatty and love human company. He does the rag doll flop too.

by Anonymousreply 12April 7, 2021 7:41 PM

A friend of mine got one from a breeder. The cat will let you hold her, and she tolerates a whole lot of love. Good with kids, too, which I always assume cats won’t be. That cat is spoiled beyond belief, and gorgeous.

by Anonymousreply 13April 7, 2021 7:48 PM

My ragdoll (Cookie) lived to be 15. I called her my little cross eyes.

She was insanely aloof when she had her best friend cat and then my Pom. When they both died and she was the last one standing - she decided she loved me. It was hilariously insulting. She became a sweetheart and loved to cuddle. I’m glad I had that time with her before I lost her though.

by Anonymousreply 14April 7, 2021 7:50 PM

My kitten ragdoll is going for neuter snip on his 6 mo. bday this month. Last weekend I thought he had a poop ball..NOPE! Just a big old BALL on the back of my giant kittenzilla. We were both surprised when a pinch at the back end with a paper towel found the ball attached, and not at all poopy!! I have never had such a giant kitten, and I did not think through the fact that by nearly 6 mo. his balls would be proportional. LOL. My Siamese has very cute balls - they took the nuts, but left the sacs, and he is very much still a boy on viewing. I hope they do the same with Kittenzilla!!

by Anonymousreply 15April 8, 2021 3:38 AM

My sister has one but it's without the traits ragdolls are supposed to have. It was an expensive cat bought from a breeder. I never see the cat because whenever they have company the it hides. It sleeps with them all night though, and apparently is cuddly then.

by Anonymousreply 16April 8, 2021 4:24 AM

They're a super friendly breed and so beautiful with their long hair and bright blue eyes. Better to buy a kitten as the bonding process will be easier.

by Anonymousreply 17April 8, 2021 5:49 AM

I lost my 20 year old ragdolll in January. He was an emergency foster that I took in when he was 8. We bonded immediately and he was my soulmate, no joke. He had a large frame but was so skinny under all his fluff. He loved people food and I would usually fix him a plate and he never weighed more than 8.5 lbs. He would follow me all over the house and would yell if I closed the bathroom door.

I eventually brought in another cat and a dog into the house and he basically ignored them. The other cat hissed at him and he hissed back and that was the one and only time I ever heard him hiss. He acted like he and I were equals and the other cat and dog were pets. He would sit next to me on the couch and if one of the others tried to join us he would sit on me. I worked from home the last year of his life and I set up a bed for him in my office and he spent most of the day hanging out with me. I’m grateful for the extra time with him.

The last year he wasn’t grooming himself well and was getting matts which he patiently let me pick out. He also needed some bathing at the end but he was fine with it.

One thing about Ragdolls is that they often have a genetic heart defect. It can kill kittens quickly. My fella had it and had to be monitored and the vet insisted on a cardiac ultrasound twice for dental work. He died from kidney disease though and had a good long life.

I miss him so much and so do the cat and dog.

by Anonymousreply 18April 8, 2021 6:28 AM

Thank you to those who adopted.

Make sure to get insurance. Healthy Paws is good. It's worth it.

by Anonymousreply 19April 8, 2021 6:42 AM

A friend of mine has four of these cats. I don’t usually like cats but I really like hers. They’re really cool cats.

by Anonymousreply 20April 8, 2021 6:48 AM

One of my favorite threads. Thanks to all who contribute.

by Anonymousreply 21April 8, 2021 7:14 AM

Don’t rag dolls just sit and not be particularly active?

by Anonymousreply 22April 8, 2021 9:53 AM

R22 mine doesn’t. He loves to run about, chase sticks. His name is Bruno. They are very placid but still love to play. Occasionally he will bring a toy mouse and sit looking at you till you get up and throw it around for him. I had always wanted one. My first cat was a foster and when we finally had a bit more space decided to get a ragdoll too. I’m hooked now.

by Anonymousreply 23April 8, 2021 11:16 AM

R22, my boy definitely had a different type of cat mojo but I don’t know if it was breed-typical, and his personality and/or his life before he came to me at 8 years old. He would occasionally play with that wire thing with strips of cardboard on it. There was one game that he played with the other cat, they had to get a ball that went around on a track but he would lose interest and walk away. Just like me, I used to joke that we both have ADD. He did not like to play with toy mice or bell balls. He did like to watch TV.

The funniest thing was when he would run toward either the cat or dog like he was going to tackle them and then make a sharp turn before he reached them. I would always hear “cartoon running music” in my head when he did that. He was such a little clown. He would also walk by the cat or dog and give them a swat on the head for no apparent reason except to remind them that he could. But he never stalked them like some cats will.

by Anonymousreply 24April 8, 2021 3:06 PM

Yesterday there was a baby crying loudy on tv. My ragdoll jumped up next to the tv and went behind looking for the baby. He also watches tv if there are esp birds or cats flashing on screen.

by Anonymousreply 25April 8, 2021 4:27 PM

He also has no transition between walking and jogging/ running and flopping over like a ragdoll. There's no little circle or pawing to make a nest. Its so funny like his limbs lose power. At first I thought he was falling over by accident. But nope...lol. So cute and breed specific.

by Anonymousreply 26April 8, 2021 4:29 PM

I adored my baby Sophie who was the sweetest cat in the world. You could hold her in any position and she’d go limp with happiness. She was quiet but playful and just the best. I really miss her.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 27April 8, 2021 5:12 PM

[quote] took the nuts, but left the sacs, and he is very much still a boy on viewing

You've just described my husband.

by Anonymousreply 28April 8, 2021 5:33 PM

Look for a Rag Doll rescue, or check with cat rescues. NEVER buy a dog or cat from a pet store. They come from puppy mills.

by Anonymousreply 29April 8, 2021 9:41 PM

I confuse them with Scottish folds - anyone ever have one?

by Anonymousreply 30April 8, 2021 10:00 PM

R27 she looks like a real sweetie.❤️

by Anonymousreply 31April 8, 2021 11:09 PM

Taylor Swift has an adorable rag doll called Benjamin. A big cat with huge blue eyes.

by Anonymousreply 32April 8, 2021 11:26 PM

'I confuse them with Scottish folds - anyone ever have one?'

Scottish Folds are much smaller cats with deformed ears that suffer from all kinds of health problems. Taylor Swift has two Scottish Folds and one Rag Doll. The Rag Doll is far more beautiful and natural looking than the Folds.

by Anonymousreply 33April 8, 2021 11:28 PM

Here's a picture of a Scottish Fold. They have grumpy, creased faces.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 34April 8, 2021 11:30 PM

Tiny video of Taylor's beautiful young Rag Doll cat. So fluffy!

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 35April 8, 2021 11:34 PM

Kitten training here...not specific to Ragdolls, but my boy is def. still quite interested in people food. It takes a while, but even tho it is cute to give them something (and I have done with ice cream, chicken because of the cuteness) do NOT do it!! They will be garbage cats forever. My Siamese was a little garbage kitty and once pulled an entire chicken leg off my plate (they looove chicken), but now he is uninterested or at least does not attempt to steal mid-meal or beg. Baby Ragdoll however, is all over the smells and ritual of lunch and dinner (working from home). It takes a bit, but worthwhile to perservere with training. This includes counter jumping! And it's for their safety with hot stove, pans, etc.

by Anonymousreply 36April 9, 2021 2:56 AM

R34 oh I’m sorry that’s the cutest. The ears and super round face do it for me.

by Anonymousreply 37April 9, 2021 3:07 AM

Rescued Elton,, my sweet ragdoll, who made it to 10 years old. Deaf, chatty, Sweet, loyal, most beloved companion. Wonderful breed!

by Anonymousreply 38April 9, 2021 3:19 AM

Ok...last one about Kittenzilla. I don't know if this is a Ragdoll trait, but he has been a very good sleeper since 12 wks old. Friends have no ends of stories abt cats and dogs getting them up at 3 30 am for feeding. ??? We have never had this problem with our tribe. Kittenzilla day one cuddled right up in bed the first night, didn't even have to bring him up with us, he just naturally followed, which was very endearing. And then, even tho we were paranoid about squishing him, he was FINE, purred incessantly if we came close, and noodled around and got comfy whenever we shifted.

by Anonymousreply 39April 9, 2021 6:29 AM

Here’s another pic of Sophie so you get an idea of their blue eyes:

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 40April 9, 2021 7:30 AM

My cat wanted to sleep with me but her purring kept me awake.

by Anonymousreply 41April 9, 2021 9:26 AM

R40 beautiful cat. Maine Coons are great too. I had a Coon mix and he was HUGE: 22lbs and not fat in his prime. He was so gentle, a clown, ate everything like a dog and begged constantly. People who saw him for the first time would always thing we had some sort of wild cat. I miss the old boy everyday. We got him from the used cat center and he already had 8-10 under his belt and we got another nine.

by Anonymousreply 42April 9, 2021 3:12 PM
Loading
Need more help? Click Here.

Yes indeed, we too use "cookies." Take a look at our privacy/terms or if you just want to see the damn site without all this bureaucratic nonsense, click ACCEPT. Otherwise, you'll just have to find some other site for your pointless bitchery needs.

×

Become a contributor - post when you want with no ads!