Ragdoll kittens

[Tinytoothpick]

We’ve had regular moggies before - our latest little one sadly passed away aged 18 recently.

it’s left a big gap in our lives and we have decided to have two ragdolls.

I just wondered how these cats cope in a cattery? Our neighbour is excellent and used to look after our previous cats for us by coming in three times a day but ragdolls are a bit different? Usually someone will be home all the time but we tend to go away for 10-14 nights at some point.

Also we are having a male and a female - the male can be neutered from 12 weeks is that correct? We are collecting them at 13 weeks from registered breeders and they have had the tests for hereditary conditions. Parents have pedigree documents and the kittens will be registered as well.

pics for name ideas!

They are absolutely beautiful! I can only comment on my own cats and I'm sure they are all different but I have two rags- a boy and a girl (not litter mates, our girl is a year older) and I know our boy would not cope in a cattery. He is incredibly needy and loves us all being together - will try to 'hoard' us and tends to cry if we're not all in the same room. Going to a cattery would absolutely break his heart. We have family come over and look after them at home but we wouldn't go away for more than a week. Our girl is a bit more independent and would probably be okay but she would still miss us terribly (they both sleep on our bed every night.) I would say from experience, having also had moggies in the past, that ragdolls are more akin to dogs. They love their humans and do need company. If you are going to be travelling a lot, they might not be the cats for you. They are amazing though. I wouldn't have any other breed now.

Can't comment from personal experience but my friend has 4 ragdolls and she leaves them at home when she goes away and a friend goes in once or twice a day to feed and fuss them.
Stunning cats, if i do get another when mine passes away it will definitely be a ragdoll.

We have a single Raggie, she's a house cat and very people orientated. When we're away, she usually stays at home and we have a timed feeder with someone going in daily to fill that, do her water and fill her puzzle board with dry food. She goes to a cattery maybe once a year when we have no alternatives and she invariably gets loose stools from the stress & is very subdued when she comes home. We avoid as much as possible.

If you have a local pet sitting service, that's a much better alternative.

We have 2 Ragdolls - male 3 and a female of 8 months. The male has been to a cattery a couple of times but I wouldn’t take him again as he is always upset when he is back. Last year we used trusted housesitters and a friend stayed for a week too.

the male is a bit aloof generally. He comes to the door when we get home and comes for a cuddle but only manages a minute before he wants his own space, although sleeps on my bed. He’s also not very bright. The female is totally different. She is always sat on me - even when I sit on the loo she sits on my lap. If she doesn’t see me leave the room she cries until I call her name so she knows where I am. She’s very bright and played fetch the day we brought her home. She wouldn’t manage in a cattery.

Are you planning to let them out? My female would be ok intelligence wise but my male wouldn’t last a day. Neither of them try to go out anyway but they are definitely indoor cats.

they are beautiful and lovely cats, but definitely harder than cats I’ve had before and really can’t leave them alone too long.

They are lovely and ragdolls are the best breed ever. You will love them.

We never put our raggies in a cattery but would get a housesitter if we were to go away for more than a few days. If less than that, they coped fine with daily visits (including a good patting session) from a pet sitter. They were indoor only cats - absolutely not made for the outdoors.

They will be indoor cats. We know they can’t go out and that they will need grooming etc.

hmm maybe they would be better with my neighbour coming in three times a day and spending some time with them then. She loves cats. I don’t think she’d want to move in and I’d feel a bit weird about someone being in the house for that long whilst we were away.
We usually only go away once a year - maybe a couple of nights here and there but generally only once a year for any longer than that.

The other option is if they’d go and stay with my parents but I don’t know if that is less stressful than a cattery? I suppose it is.

Oh and any name suggestions appreciated!
We saw the litter and one of the others was the most beautiful cat but she was also the smallest and more timid. She spent most of the visit hiding whereas the two we have chosen were happy to play and be hugged as well. The third one was too actually.
I hope we have made the right choice… our previous regular cats have been extremely soft and would spend all their time lying on us or next to us and would follow us around the house. So we are used to this!

I reckon 3 visits x per day with some interaction would be absolutely fine (assuming they're not still wee kittens when you go away). The rest of the time they'll probably be sleeping anyway, if they are anything like our boys.

I think sending them to your parents is a more stressful option (albeit less stressful than a cattery), plus I would always be fretting over the risk of them being accidentally let outside.

I’m a cat sitter. I look after several ragdolls when their owners are away, going in twice a day for feeding/litter change/playtime/cuddles.

The ones that are allowed out generally cope better that the indoor cats. The indoor cats are needier and seem more distressed, because they have less stimulation.

I had two ragdolls a brother and sister - who both died about 4 years ago. They were lovely. The male was the most affectionate cat I've ever had. The female was much more independent. We treated them just as we had all our previous cats. They went outside during the day, climbed trees, and did all the other things cats do. They went to a cattery a couple of times a year and were absolutely fine.

When I had to take the male to the vet after he had a fight with another cat, I said that people kept telling me they shouldn't go outside. The vet laughed and said that if you shave a ragdoll they are no different from any other cat and, of course, it was fine for them to go outside if they enjoyed it.

The only downside was the constant grooming. I wouldn't get another ragdoll for that reason, lovely though they were.

My daughter has three called Purrcy, Clawdia and Tabifur!

All beautiful but lacking in brain cells. No to Catteries as they really don't like them one bit!

What gorgeous kittens, I ADORE ragdolls and couldn't have anything else, they are just the best, such wonderful personalities. They will really colour up it's fascinating seeing their colours come through as they grow up, they look even more striking

I don't think my Ragdoll, or even DH BSH, both house cats, would cope in a cattery they are too needy and people orientated, I can't even go to the loo without a Ragdoll watching me 😂

We got incredibly lucky before our honeymoon, DH friend, who was due to house and cat sit, pulled out, I was tying myself up in knots at the thought of her in a cattery, and was wary about trusted house sitters especially as it was not long before we went and summer holidays so all the best rated ones were probably booked so out of desperation asked in the neighbourhood what's app if anyone could recommend a pet sitter. Couldn't believe our luck when someone in our close replied that he was qualified pet sitter!

He's had them a couple of times now, we don't go away very much, but it gives such peace of mind when we do, as he also has indoor cats, so understands the worry about them getting out, the need for windows to be shut even if roasting etc. We pay extra for him to sit with them for a prolonged spell in the evening, so they get a good level of the company they are used to. We have now given him a key for in case of emergencies, I'm due to give birth in a couple of months so knowing he can come and tend to them should we suddenly need to get to the hospital is a big relief, my mum would as well but he's a couple of doors down so it's just so handy

I'd definitely start putting feelers out for recommendation by word of mouth, they should be able to provide references etc and proof of being registered or see if you have any family/friends whod be happy to house/cat sit

Another to reiterate they shouldn't go out, they don't sense danger and are at risk of being stolen, and they are generally very trusting which lends them to putting themselves in danger

We put our girl in a cattery from quite a young age to get her used to it. She was fine, she’d meow a bit the day she was back home but then be settled back by the next day. We loved the cattery owners and knew they’d give her lots of fusses.

we still use them for longer trips but for shorter ones we use a time bowl or ask family/friends to pop in.