Everything you need to know before getting a Ragdoll cat

Animal lovers unite! Spring and Summer are dubbed as puppy & kitten season due to the many litters being born. Pets and animals bring so much love and luck to a household and truly complete families. My partner and I are living in a spacious apartment and did not have any pets yet. We both love dogs and I was the one who also adores cats. After months of conversations my partner and I decided that getting a dog would not be ideal in our current situation. However, an indoor cat would fit perfect to our lifestyle. The tricky thing is that my partner did not enjoy cats at all. After some extensive research I found the adorable Ragdoll breed with the supposedly ”puppy-like” personality. Which is totally the case for the Ragdoll kitten we brought home some months ago! When you are thinking about getting a Ragdoll cat or kitten this post will give you all the bits and bobs about the breed, apartment life, lifestyle adjustments and more!

Personality & Attention

My partner and I decided we would love to bring home a kitten over an older cat. We love to see the kitten grow up with us without all the emotional bagage older cats might have. Kittens still adjust their routines to the owners lifestyle, while older cats can be very set in their ways. Personally for me, the bonding with the kitten is also extremely important since I wanted a real affectionate companion. And truth is, kittens tend to bond better to a new family than older cats. So my partner and I brought the cutest Ragdoll kitten home. We got him when we was 14 weeks old and already sprayed. His personality began shining through quickly. We called him Sapphire, because Sapphire is my birthstone and matches the color of the kitten’s eyes. Sapphire is a very affectionate, cuddly kitten. He loves to play fetch, morning cuddles, snacks and being carried. His personality matches the breed’s description top notch. Sapphire is so adorable, I love him so much! Even my partner loves him deeply and snuggles and kisses Sapphire with every possibility. Sapphire is now almost 8 months old and has never shown a sign of aggression that I have definitely seen with other cats. Sapphire has never hissed, clawed, scratched or bitten violently. Sapphire does give soft play bites, which I read could be kitten love bites. He pulls his nails in toys while playing and loves to bunny kick and I am over the moon that Sapphire has not shown one ounce of aggression. Sapphire has been introduced to strangers, young children and small dogs, who were all fine for Sapphire. I have never seen such a docile cat. Ragdolls do need a lot of attention, just as much as dogs, and preferably you should get two kittens so they can play together. Ragdolls crave human interaction and should never be left alone for long hours, because you can really notice they get lonely quickly. So I highly recommend the Ragdoll breed for almost any responsible family situation.

Apartment life for a Ragdoll

Spacious apartments are incredibly suited for Ragdolls since their nature is so docile that being outside can be a hazard for them. Sapphire would not know how to defend himself against hostile behavior and could get picked up by strangers easily. Ragdolls are beautiful purebred cats that cost a big amount of money and unfortunately cats do get stolen. For this reason, it is extremely favorable to keep your Ragdoll inside. When you have a balcony, you do have to be extremely careful of the cat not falling down. Cats are extremely curious little creatures and like the saying goes: ”curiosity killed the cat”. No one wants to go through the trauma of finding their cat dead. So making the balcony a safe environment is a must. Ragdolls do love to run around, play with many toys and have multiple napping spots, preferably at different heights. All cats love to climb and keeping your pet happy is what every owner should do. Oh and my Sapphire loves to follow me everywhere! In the bathroom, in the shower, so privacy is out of the question.

Lifestyle adjustments

Cats are truly creatures of habit and love their routine to be exactly the same everyday. This means feeding your cat at a minimum of four moments a day at set times. I feed Sapphire at 9 am, 12 pm, 5 pm and 11 pm otherwise Sapphire gets really grumpy. Sapphire requires morning cuddles everyday right before breakfast. After breakfast he likes to have a play session, which follows with more food and a nap. The same routine we have in the evening. We also adjusted our lifestyle in not staying away for super long and we take Sapphire with when we spend the night somewhere. We are looking into some luxurious and lovely cat & kitten hotels to bring Sapphire when we go on a holiday. Also I adjusted my lifestyle by having a curious little companion by my side at all times. He likes to play with my legs and hair when I am working out, tries to help me in the fridge and dishwasher, and Sapphire loves to sit on my lap when I am putting on make-up at my vanity. Sapphire is quite demanding with love and attention.

Furthermore, you need to take your Ragdoll to the vet regularly and provide high quality & high protein food for optimal health. Ragdolls do require weekly brushing and grooming and with their long haired coat I also bath my Sapphire every now and then.

Ragdoll fur

Ragdolls come in different colors and patterns. Our Sapphire is a seal colorpoint which means that the points of his body are colored in a deep brown color, called seal.

I love my Ragdoll and would definitely love a second one! Maybe a little girlfriend! For a second Ragdoll kitten I would love a bicolor in lilac or blue.