Are you thinking about buying a Ragdoll kitten? These cats are renowned for their laid-back character and they are pretty to look at, but before you acquire one you should know a few things about them.
Breed Characteristics
Ragdoll cats belong to larger cat breeds with their body weight ranging from 10 to 20 lb. The breed came to existence in California in 1960 by crossbreeding Persian, Birman and Burmese cats.
Kittens are born with a white coat that later develops into various colors: seal, chocolate, lilac, blue and less common lynx, tortoiseshell, or red color. The coat is thick, semi-long, and doesn’t require any special grooming care, as it doesn’t tend to form mats.
Ragdoll cats are very affectionate and good-natured pets. They are so placid that you can manipulate and pull them around in almost any way; when picked up, they go floppy and relax their body in any position.
Their trusting and easygoing nature makes them an ideal family pet. They are great companions with almost dog-like affection and gentle with children.
However, their lack of aggression works against them, as they don’t tend to defend themselves.
They simply lack fighting instincts. The implication is that Ragdolls, when left to go out in the wild may get beaten up by other cats and sustains ugly injuries.
Ragdoll cats should be kept indoors!
Anyway, it is not a bad idea to keep any cat indoors as there are just too many dangers lurking out there. On the other hand, cats need some stimulation so they don’t become bored and depressed. Just like dogs, they need the taste of the outdoor life. Therefore, to keep it fit and happy you should get your Ragdoll used to walk on a leash.
Ragdoll cats are intelligent and can be easily trained. They love human company and respond well to rewards so it is quite easy to teach them many tricks.
It is not always a good idea to acquire a Ragdoll kitten if you already have other cats and especially cats displaying aggressive behavior.
In this case, you would need to keep them separated. However, the Ragdoll will not look for conflicts, so if your other cats have amicable nature it may not be a problem at all.
Ragdoll Care
They don’t require any special care or intensive maintenance. The breed doesn’t suffer with any special medical conditions and they live to a good age. Many people are hesitant to acquire a Ragdoll because of its longhaired thick coat.
Compared to Persians and other longhaired breeds, their coat can be easily maintained by brushing it once a week to remove dead hair.
To sum it up, this blue-eyed beauty will make a perfect pet if you have nothing against keeping cats indoors. Give it enough attention, an occasional brush, a walk on a leash and your Ragdoll will be a happy pet that will love you to bits.
