I cannot cope with these kittens anymore

[raggeddolls]

I’m at my wits end. Please be kind because I am trying my best but just don’t know what to do for the best.

We used to have 2 male cats (brothers) who recently passed away within months of each other at age 15. They were Burmese and only ever went to the vets for their annual check which vets said had to be done to get flea/worm treatment.

We missed them so much that we got 2 new kittens, ragdolls. We have had them 3 months and I just can’t cope with the constant stress. They are house cats so can’t go out. Except they are both desperate to go out and sit at the door crying. We got them harnesses and took them out in the garden but that isnt enough they try to break free etc I don’t blame them why would they want to be on a lead when they want to be free!

They have so many interactive toys to try and keep them entertained but they get bored of them easily. I have another toy coming from Amazon today but they have a basket full already.

They are always trying to escape. We cannot leave the house and cannot get into the house without them trying to flee. They know the sound of the door & know putting our shoes on means we’re going out so the door will be open. Even hanging out washing is a nightmare as they sit waiting by the door for their chance.

We can no longer have any windows open. We had our bedroom window open a fraction and one of them got out and jumped. Luckily he landed in a tree and we were there at 1 in the morning on a step ladder rescuing him. Amazingly he had no injuries.

They are so fussy with their food. I have bought all the recommended Ragdoll wet food and dry food but sometimes they refuse it & then I keep trying different foods which they eat for a big then they go off it. It’s a nightmare as I get so anxious they are not eating enough.

Worst of all is that they seem to be ill
so often. They both had a sickness bug when they were 4 months old. Huge vets bill but worse was trying to get the medication down them. They look like ragdolls but neither have the relaxed temperament. Last week one of them had an eye infection, another trip to the vets. Trying to give him an eye drop twice a day is horrendous as he fights it and gets so distressed which distresses me. Just noticed the other kitten now also has picked up same eye infection which means another trip to the vets. I looked up the eye drop online which costs £4.50 but it is prescription only and the vets charge £20 just for the drop and £40 consultation fee. I have rung vets to see if they will just give me the drops without seeing him as he obviously got it from his brother but they said they need to see him. So all the stress of getting an appointment and the stress taking him to vets. They both cry and howl when they go.

I am just so stressed and wishing I’d never bought them. The vet bills are huge but more than that it’s the constant anxiety about them always being unwell, always trying to escape and trying to find something they will eat.

Ragdolls are meant to be placid creatures yet these ones are not. We visited the kittens mum and dad several times who are both friendly and viewed these kittens several times and again seemed friendly until we got them home!

Before getting these kittens I followed several Ragdoll owners on social media and their kittens are placid and gentle whereas mine are not and even cutting their nails is a struggle.

Will it get better? If I could give them back I would. The problem is I love them so much but they cause me constant anxiety. Never had this with my previous cats ☹️

But OP’s cats aren’t happy, are they? They’re totally miserable.

I’m sure some cats are happy enough inside, if they’ve never had the choice. But as other posters have said, animals are generally designed to go outside. It’s a very unnatural existence.

That’s just a picture of a cat! 😂

Australia and many other countries have their cats indoor. They aren't unhappy as they aren't spraying / peeing all over the house they are meerly curious to getting outside as they have been out- the curiosity will stop.

@Namddf I've got Persians who are similar. They are wonderful!

Assume that one doesn't sit and cry daily to go outside though.

My Ragdoll is an outdoor cat and general pain in the arse. A really loud and annoying breed but also very loving. Cat proof your garden

OP says they are desperate to go out, they are bored of their toys, they are constantly looking at the window, crying to go out, they’re getting infections, they’re not eating properly, distressed due to medication etc etc. So yes, they are unhappy.

I’ve had loads of kittens over the years and they really shouldn’t be this hard work.

Most cats in Australia have access to catios or cat-proof gardens, though, which is very different to them just being indoors.

The topic is OP’s cats.

You cannot breed cats to be “indoor” - it’s meaningless. The idea that genes are responsible for the desire to go outside is the height of stupidity.

Ragdolls are generally held to be slightly lower in intelligence than breeds like Burmese and Siamese, less inclined to roam far, and prone to panic, but that’s true of many cats.

How streetwise a cat is actually very dependent on its experience. A stray ragdoll would wise up fast.

Only very rarely do foxes attack cats, but they do so whether the cat is aggressive or not. That cat was just unlucky it, the breed wasn’t to blame.

We have a ragdoll mix. She is a rescue so we didn't have the kitten stage but there is no way we could let her outside. Fortunately, she would sit by an open door and never even attempt to leave but it would be cruel to let her out. We don't live by a busy road but she would be eaten alive by the neighbourhood cats. She could be picked up by anyone who wanted to. She would probably walk in front of a moving car. She is not very bright at all and god only knows what messes she would find herself in. She is 12 or 13 now so it's a sofa life for her but if we had let her out 10 years ago when she came to us there is no way she would still be here.

My ragdoll is “allowed” outside. In reality, we leave the windows and doors open in summer but she’ll only go out if we are in the garden. And she slinks out almost on her belly and finds a spot in the flowers to go and sit, looking incredibly uncomfortable and out of her depth.

She prefers a good cupboard.

So my advice is let them out but go with them and watch them.

Yes- some cats are pretty stupid, it isn’t breed dependent. I’ve had loads of cats, all mixed breed. They have ranged from incredibly clever and trainable to do tricks to absolutely pudding brained.

I honestly think one of my current ones has something wrong with him. The hoover is smarter than him. He still goes out though and is fine.

Let the poor buggers out, they have millions of years of evolutionary development telling them to roam!

A catio can be almost any design. You could make one, for example, to be accessed via an upstairs window and then have various ledges and posts so they can make their way down to ground level. I've seen one built in a split-level garden to reach several feet up to the decking outside the house (the decking fence was netted). Why not look at some designs?

What about something like this leading down the stairs to a catio? Would need to be from a window I'd think.

Most cat proofing companies do free standing panels to go in front of hedges etc. Depends on how much budget you have to throw at it.

@Mirabai I would disagree that breed has nothing to do with that cat being killed by a fox, I have a moggy and recently got two ragdoll kittens. The moggy as a kitten was like cats I had as a child, curious but still cat-like and wasn't too forward when meeting my dogs. These kittens are something else, upon first meeting of my huge dogs they walked up to them and flopped over on their side belly up to a strange dog they'd never met before. The breeder didn't have dogs either. My moggy was a bit displeased by new kittens at first and they did the same to her, she slapped them hard for it in quick succession and they just laid there looking dazed and confused, but didn't move. Accidentally stepped on tails a couple of times and they also don't make a fuss or try to move like a normal cat would.
They also seem to lack good sense around heights and don't land on their feet that much, have had a few tumbles through my stair railings and jump and miss things frequently, they just don't seem as nimble and smart as most cats I've known. They're 7 months old now and still act as dopey as when they were tiny kittens. Fortunately my garden is cat proofed, I'd never let cats like this wander the streets but perhaps some are dopier than others.

Regardless of breed I think it’s cruel to keep cats indoors when they are clearly desperate to go out. The comparison with toddlers doesn’t make sense. Yes of course toddlers are kept in, but only while they’re young. Once they’re older they’re allowed out. Try stopping an adult going out when they want to - that’s called prison!

If you want an indoor cat, surely it’s best to get an elderly rescue cat who’ll sit peacefully on your lap all day .

Just because some cats come to a sticky end outside doesn't mean they should be kept indoors! Some risks are worth taking! Most cats die of old age, not the outdoors! Some children come to a sticky end but we don't keep them all indoors 'just in case'.

Our Ragdolls were outdoor cats. Rocky would have managed as an indoor cat but Gizmo wouldn’t have. We kept them in for a few weeks after moving house, Gizmo was miserable and refused to play, refused to wash himself etc and he was only 8 years old. From the moment he was allowed back out again he was back to his old self and lived till he was 16. Rocky lived till he was 14. Both boys ended up with kidney failure.

How is a catio much better than them being kept inside? They can’t exactly roam freely as cats are supposed to.

Honestly what is the point of these high-maintenance dim-witted animals? They don’t even sound like real cats. What’s the attraction?

These kittens are something else, upon first meeting of my huge dogs they walked up to them and flopped over on their side belly up to a strange dog they'd never met before.

They’re kittens. I’ve had a rescue moggie do that who was brought up with Alsatians. It’s personality dependent not the breed per se. I’ve had a moggie who fell out of a tree and fell off the roof - he wasn’t very bright and a bit accident prone - like some humans. We didn’t stop him going out though and he lived til old age.

IKR.

Cats needs grass, trees, running around, sunlight and fresh air just like humans. A life in a captivity is no life - even zoo animals are allowed outside. All these poor indoor moggies are like kept women - trapped in a small apartments and stroked at whim.

How streetwise a cat is actually very dependent on its experience. A stray ragdoll would wise up fast.

I rescued a stray Maine Coon. He wised up because he had no choice.

The difference between my moggies and my ragdoll is that the moggies kill the animals they bring in from the fields and leave the bodies on the floor whereas the ragdoll brings them in live and let’s them run round the house. The ragdoll catches more in the fields which is why we have humane traps all around the house. The ragdoll also carries round hair bobbles and flops a lot and is really attached to my Dd but runs away from most people. And eats much more of any food left out by our other animals (even human food) until fat. The breeder had an outdoor ragdoll and said she wanted the kittens to be outdoor cats too.

So lots of people let ragdolls outside and they are fine, as a PP said you could get a tracker or make your garden escape proof and they would be happier. But - they are what 6 months old, do they really need their nails trimmed? If they have a scratching post surely that gets their claws in check.