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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Ragdoll Kitten

14 replies

lilaloves · 07/04/2014 18:00

My ds is desperate for a pet and after some research we have narrowed down the search to the Ragdoll breed of cat/kitten.

There is a litter for sale on our local freeads,should this be avoided at all costs?,the seller states she isn't going to register them,but wants to sell for approx.£380 each,does this sound about right?

Should you always go to a registered breeder?Does the cat need all the papers if its going to be a family pet?

Many Thanks

OP posts:
Clobbered · 07/04/2014 18:02

Why isn't she going to register them? I would avoid. If someone is breeding kittens they should be doing things properly and above board. Pedigree cats are prone to enough health problems without getting one from a dodgy dealer into the bargain.

Wolfiefan · 07/04/2014 18:03

I would avoid freeads. If they aren't registered then they may not be ragdoll. Out of interest why this breed?

Floralnomad · 07/04/2014 18:05

If the kittens are not going to be registered I would no way be paying that for them . My mum has an indoor Ragdoll ,he was £350 11 years ago ,I don't know what they cost now. He came from a breeder who had won loads both in the UK and internationally . He is nice enough but has had numerous medical problems from day 1 ( literally) and is not the most giving of animals IYSWIM. He is very attractive ,I enclose a photo .

Ragdoll Kitten
Original poster
lilaloves · 07/04/2014 18:21

Hi,Thanks for the advice.The fact they are an indoor breed interests us and mainly because of their nature,although I know its not a guarantee.

So how much should we be looking at with a registered breeder?

OP posts:
Original poster
lilaloves · 07/04/2014 18:25

Does it cost the breeder to register a litter?,could this be the reason she isn't doing it.She said the Mother is a family pet and registered and has had three boys in this litter,can't keep them,would like too but is selling them.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 07/04/2014 18:53

Have you considered a breed rescue cat? There are some \link{http://www.ragdoll-rescue.co.uk/\here} if you've set your heart on a Ragdoll.

There's also an interesting section on Buying a Kitten on that site - might be worth your while reading it.

A breed rescue won't be free (I haven't checked that club's specifics) because most of these breed clubs will take on welfare cases and pay for their upkeep or treatment themselves - so need donations for club welfare funds. You could always give them an email or a phone to chat though: many of these rescues know of cats who haven't made it to their site for one reason or another so there are likely to be cats other than those pictured who are looking for homes. (They're also breed enthusiasts so having a chat on the phone could be real useful for you to catch up on the breed.)

Floralnomad · 07/04/2014 19:08

Ragdolls are not necessarily indoor cats ,it very much depends on the cat ,ours chooses not to go out but some are quite adventurous.

WinterWinds · 08/04/2014 17:41

the seller states she isn't going to register them,but wants to sell for approx.£380 each,does this sound about right?

I would be very wary about paying that much for a non registered kitten. If its not registered you are basically buying a rather expensive moggy.
Pedigree papers of parents mean nothing without the registration.

I would also be concerned that parents and kittens haven't had the relevant health checks. HCM is known in the Ragdoll breed and if the parents haven't been tested for the gene then there is a greater chance of kitten developing HCM. Often cats show no symptoms until its too late (I found out the hard way when I lost my boy at 5 years old).

From what I gather it costs very little to register a kitten, I am guessing that one of the parents is not registered that's why the kittens wont be either.
The going rate for a Registered, health checked, vaccinated, flea and worm treated kitten, is about £350-£400.

If the seller doesn't offer all of this then I wouldn't be parting with £380 quid!

cozietoesie · 08/04/2014 17:48

\link{http://www.icatcare.org/advice/cat-breeds/ragdoll\Here's} the ICC page on that, just to underline what WinterWinds said. You'll see the cautionary text.

impatientlywaiting · 08/04/2014 17:53

We have Ragdolls, bought them 6 years ago for £400 each, I'm not sure how much they would be now, but know Pets4homes is a good site for adverts.

They are lovely cats, have so much personality and if you want one and prepared to pay that cost then I would recommend a Ragdoll. Although their hair can be a nightmare. Ours are mainly white in the body and keeping white hair off your clothes is very tricky.

sebsmummy1 · 08/04/2014 18:01

My Mum has a Ragdoll (also partially mine). We bought him as a kitten from a breeder where we could also see the Mum and Dad (who was kept separate from the queens.

He really has been a fantastic cat. We specifically wanted a breed that would happily be an indoor only cat due to the road and as a result of one of our moggies being run down outside the house.

He has two moggies for company, is extremely affectionate and absolutely adores my Mum and is dog-like with her. He tolerates my toddler but would prefer not to be messed with too much. I think it's a misnomer that they like to be messed with and will tolerate being handled all the time. They are basically like any other cat but have a more laid back nature. They do need regular grooming assuming you get one of the fluffy varieties.

We bought our boy from Preloved but I have no idea if that's any better than Freeads! I think we paid around £350 for him and he is not registered.

Serafinaaa · 08/04/2014 18:04

I have a Ragdoll. I got her from a rescue at 3 years old and she cost £100 donation.

Good points - beautiful, gentle, calm, happy to be alone all day, not very adventurous outdoors (although insists on going out on nice days, sits on patio), no health problems so far.

Bad points- white hair on everything I own- can't wear black, have to consider when buying something if it will be a hair magnet, my OH finds her 'boring' as she's so laid back and not the brightest of cats I've owned, lots of knots in coat at this time of year- grooming every day for 15mins or so.

Original poster
lilaloves · 10/04/2014 11:08

Thankyou for all the replies,we have decided against going for this kitten.I must admit my heart totally overruled my head as he was so gorgeous!
It just makes sense now,why would you not register if everything was above board?
We also don't want to pay £££££ for a moggie,but really it's future health problems/genetic conditions we want to avoid if at all possible.

So now we know what to look for,we will try and find a good local
breeder.

Hopefully will be back oneday with news of a new arrival.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 10/04/2014 11:14

That's a good decision, I think. Best of luck in eventually finding the cat for you.

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