Rag doll/ indoor cat - advice

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I'm looking at getting us a cat in the next few weeks and I've been considering a rag doll/indoor cat and wondered if anyone had experience or some advice.

The reason we're thinking of an indoor cat is because we live on a very busy road and many of of neighbours have lost cats due to the speed people drive - as we're out in the sticks there's not much street lighting so drivers just don't see the cats.

We have a big house over 4 floors so plenty of space plus a garden at the back where it could go out on a leash. We also have a cat obsessed 4 year old who will play for hours with any animal.

Does anyone have comments or advice. I know they're big outlay initially but I'd rather have the peace of mind that it's not going to get run over - we've only lived here a year and 4 neighbours have lost cats.

Thanks for reading

If it's just an indoor cat you are after you don't NEED to go for a particular breed. I've had 5 rescue cats who were all perfectly happy indoor cats. I did get them as kittens though, and they always had another for company.
Ragdolls are lush though

Could you consider a rescue who needs to be an indoor cat for health/safety reasons other than the road?

I wanted an indoor cat for the same reasons as you so adopted a FIV+ rescue who needs to be indoors. He also walks in a lead, but we go out and about rather than just the garden.

That's a really good point. I hadn't necessarily considered that... I guess I thought it would be easier to have a breed that was meant to be indoor. Plus I remember a friend having a rag doll when I was younger and it was super cute.

There's a fab rescue centre near us I might go and look today. Thank you!

I also adopted adult indoor only cats from a rescue, there were actually a few there who needed to be in for various reasons, so I ended up with the pair who were hardest for them to home (and who claimed me anyway! ).

Unless you're likely to be around all day every day, 2 would be better for indoor cats as they keep each other company. I managed to get a bonded pair (brother & sister), and worth checking with a rescue if the ones you want do get on together.

You could also consider a breed rescue. Toddlerteaplase got her Persian indoor cats from one and I gather a lot of breeders like to rehome their queens once they've bred them a few times.

You can get gardens cat proofed - expensive but you get the best of both worlds that way with the cat able to go out at will with some freedom, but safe from the cars etc. You can also get screens for the windows so you can have them open in the summer without the cats escaping; I use a brand called Flat Cats.

Great advice- thank you!

I got an indoor adult cat from a rescue charity three years ago. She is lovely and spends alot of time with my ds. Though she is not very playful. I guess a kitten or young cat would be more playful. Our cat is around 10years old now.

I would love a ragdoll. They are lovely.

Yes. My beautiful girls came from St Francis Persian rescue. They had a terrible start in life. The advantage of a ragdoll or a Persian is that they are much more lazy and docile and less likely to escape. (Persians are obviously superior to Ragdolls)
My parents adopted a Scottish fold x from the same rescue as he was supposed to be indoors. As soon as he saw the outside that was that, he is definitely not an indoor cat!

Gorgeous!! Definitely looking for a kitten as my DS would like a playful cat.

I’ve got a ragdoll and they are absolutely wonderful cats! They are happy to be indoors mostly but do like to ponder about in the garden so an enclosed garden is a must. They are not very good at jumping so a basic fence is all you need.

They are extremely fluffy though so be prepared to need to brush a lot. They also need a lot of attention, more so than other cats imo. They are almost dog like in their needs, will follow you everywhere and flop on to the floor for your attention!

You could contact ragdoll rescue as they often have some in need of rehoming. If you do buy from a breeder be very careful. It would be a shame to spend all that money to end up with a poorly cat. Have a look on this list of registered breeders and be sure to ask a lot of questions eg why do they breed, what are they looking for etc. A good breeder won’t sell you a cat until you have been to visit. Mum and dad should be there and the breeder should have clear paperwork of their line and papers. They also shouldn’t let kitten come home to you until around 14 weeks of age and will either neuter/spay themselves or make you sign a contract to.

Here is my baby.

That's so much - this is really useful. I'm going to make sure I do lots of research first .

Gorgeous picture!

If you do go to a breeder. Make sure they've had a heart scan. You don't want to end up with a cat with heart disease. As one of mine has. A responsible breeder should have had her cats screened and not be needing from a cat with heart issues.
Don't overlook older cats O.P., they can be just as much fun as a kitten.