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 ☹️

Our kittens were bonkers when kept indoors. When neutered and healed we introduced them outdoors slowly and now they're so much calmer and happier. Let your cats out, its mean to keep any cat inside all the time. Being neutered means they're less likely to stray. We used a bell at mealtimes and rang it outside when we wanted them home.

I have two ragdoll boys who are now two years old. They are not what I expected them to be when I researched the breed and I was shocked by how crazy they were when we first had them after our old rescue moggy. They came from a registered and experienced family breeder. I have had quite a few times when I really wanted to give them back to the breeder.

They do progressively calm down with age but ours still have crazy time a few times a day. These cats LOVE toys and enrichment of their environment is a great tip from a previous poster. This can be done even by rearranging your furniture or moving the sofa cushions onto the floor. Just keep switching things up. Different cats like different toys and you can make your own toys quite easily too. One of ours loves tunnels. One loves anything bright pink.

For our cats interactive toys are not nearly as good as playtime with a person. We do super active playtime with a laser pointer up and down the stairs (3 storey house here too) and using a wand and if you can do this a few times a day it makes the cats a lot more relaxed and chilled.
We also teach them tricks and get them to hunt for snacks in puzzle challenges.

Raggies are prone to having sensitive stomachs, one of ours does a bit too. I feed them three meals a day with a different brand each mealtime and I choose the brands from Zooplus with a high meat content. If they don't eat don't worry too much as they will probably eat when hungry enough especially if you are varying the food. This way they don't get used to just one food then go off it and get upset stomachs when you switch brands. So at the moment ours get Encore, Cosma and Wild Freedom and sometimes a little bit of a dried food too.

We can't open our windows very wide as the cats will jump out and that is annoying. We also have to be careful when opening the front door. And they have a couple of annoying habits. But mostly these days we are happy to have them, they are gorgeous boys.

TLDR They will become calmer with age OP and I feel your pain, it has not been what I expected either.

Haha. This made me snort. When we rescued out cay we had no idea she had some ragdoll in her. I have to say over the past 10years I have sometimes wondered why on earth they breed some cats to be thick as mince. Honestly she is a sight to behold sometimes, you look at her big blue eyes and think there really is nothing in there is there? I remember when we first got her the kids being all excited to play with her but no matter what the toy was that was offered she would always just stare blankly at you(she was 2 or 3 though so maybe that was part of it). She's lovely though and is just part of the furniture now. She really isn't high maintenance at all, she just sits around staring into dimly lit corners or she sleeps.

Meanwhile others would ask what the attraction is of a cat you barely see because it spends all day out and about culling songbirds and using your neighbours gardens as litter trays? And may or may not run up thousands in vet bills when it has a run in with a car?

Cats go out primarily at dusk and dawn- they are usually around at the times humans are up. But if you want a pet that can never leave your sight and is constantly there to entertain you then get a dog.

I really don’t agree with indoor cats. Can you imagine never setting foot outside for 15/20 years? I know they’re safer indoors but I’d rather they led a full life and take the chance. I’ve had 9 cats so far in my life and they’ve all been allowed to come and go through a cat flap.

Here is the problem -

"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!"

Please let them out )or did you just want some expensive, "posh", pretty playthings? I can never understand why anyone buys animals, when there are SO many lovely pets being euthanized because shelters are overflowing.

Had quite a few cats over 40-odd years, every one a rescue cat, every one of them allowed outside during the daytime.

Hi OP,
It will get better. We had the same issues with our gorgeous male ragdoll cat when we first got him. He was a total Houdini and it was a bit stressful. We did let him out in the garden - supervised - when he was a bit older. He's now a lot older, basically an old man, and he is allowed out in the garden unsupervised because he just flops down on the patio and that's it. We have pretty high fences around the garden and he doesn't climb up them.
Give it time!

I also think it will get better, my ragdoll kitten was like this when we first got him, he is now 7 months and has chilled out a lot. We have been leash training him in the garden, this seems to help. He does run to the door when it's opened, but just pokes his head out to look now. They are such loving cats, mine would just let me cuddle him all day every day if I could - but when he was a bit younger he needed playing with all the time!

This is horrible don’t do this to your pets

@user1471494352 you electrocute your cats for trying to be cats? Wtf is wrong with you?

OP, I think you're being very literal on ''they're ragdolls, they're bred to be inside so cannot ever go outside''
Yes, I completely agree that of course they shouldn't be free roaming BUT they do need fresh air and stimulation.
I accept that they have lots of interactive toys and the run of the house, but that cannot replace in entirety the benefit they would get from occasional fresh air and time in an enclosed area of the garden.
You say that the garden is impossible to cat proof.
I get that too, but there are so many creative solutions available to make a small part of it catproof.
This may effect the aesthetics of the garden for you, but it would certainly be in the best interests of the cats.
Re the constantly closed windows, there are many solutions to this, including rigid netting, possibly enclosing an outside windowsill, so they can at the very least have access to fresh air in one room.
Again, aesthetically it may not be pleasing for you, but would be in the best interests of the cats.

They’re not out all day they’re crepuscular which means most active at dusk and dawn. During the day they’re generally inside unless they need to pee. Although it depends on the weather - during the summer they like to lie in the sun. During the cold wet months they tend to go out only when it’s dry.

Or you could just let them go and play outside - a ready-made ‘enriched’ environment.

Mine are half ragdoll and indoor cats, I have two. I have mesh screens that can go into the windows and one on the back door. They do love sitting there and watching things and feeling some breeze on their fur, but have no desire to go further. Mine would definitely not fare well outside. Even in the house they manage to misjudge jumps or fall off things.

I had an outdoor cat before. He came home one day with a front paw half bitten off by a fox. (London, we have a lot of urban foxes here). Once he was better and out again he disappeared.

The thing I'll say about mine is that they need a huge amount of attention. They are not solitary cats. I wfh so I am around for them. I do think yours will calm down a bit once they're out of the kitten stage. Try using some screens on a door or window. You can buy them quite cheaply from Amazon. Also try and interact with them as much as you can. Mine like toys, but they like me to be playing with them. One of mine loves playing fetch with those little mice with feather tails. There is also cats tv on youtube which they like.

I am glad I didn’t read this thread before we got ours as I don’t think we would have. I was after a docile cat to fit in with our menagerie and the breeder was pleased to have someone who wanted the kitten to go outside when older. Fitted the bill fine. Devoted to the child it was bought for. Only problem with the cat is the bringing in of live rodents.

If they have no desire to go further than the door why do you have screens up?