Buying a Ragdoll Cat

by admin on January 28, 2010

Buying a Ragdoll Cat? Floppycats.com will provide you with all the information you need to know before you approach a rescue group or a breeder about your future housemate!

If you are interested in adopting a Rescue Ragdoll, then you can go. to Floppycats.com’s Ragdoll Rescue page . From there, you will want to locate a Ragdoll of your liking. You will then email or phone the appropriate rescue group expressing your interest in buying a Ragdoll cat (make sure to write down the cat’s name or ID number before contacting the rescue and reference that name or ID number when you call or email them). They will then respond and most likely, ask you to fill out a questionnaire about yourself, your financial situation (pets cost money and rescues want to make sure you have enough!), your free time to spend with your cat and so on and so forth.

Thought of buying a Ragdoll cat kitten from a Ragdoll Breeder . Be sure to ask Ragdoll Breeders the right questions. There are four different categories of Ragdoll Kittens to choose from:

  • Pet Alter Quality – mismarked, not 100% up to the standard on type but will have the temperament of a show cat, has been neutered or spayed. Some breeders choose not to spay or neuter and will leave that to the owner to do later on.
  • Show Alter Quality – Perfect markings, perfect type, but has been neutered or spayed.
  • Breeder Quality – Breeder good type and temperament but mismarked for show.
  • Show/Breeder Quality – show breeder Perfect markings perfect type every thing you want in a show cat.

All kittens, no matter which category they fit into, should have a good temperament and deep blue eyes.

When considering buying a Ragdoll cat, prices for these categories of Ragdoll kittens can vary considerably. There are many reasons for this:

  • Breeders in some states are required to get the appropriate vaccinations for their kittens before they sell them.
  • Some kittens come altered, so some breeders have to pay for the spay or neuter.
  • Many breeders prefer to have at least 2 vet checks before the kittens are sold.
  • Some Ragdoll breeders have their Breeder Quality or Show/Breeder Quality kittens DNA tested and most of my breeding cats are shown and titled to make sure that they are meeting the standard for the Ragdoll.
  • Actual Cost of caring for a kitten (like food, litter, etc.)

Most breeders do not adopt their kittens until they are at least 12-14 weeks old and, sometimes, older.

In fact, it is very hard to compare prices because expenses vary in different locations, that’s why knowing the price of buying a Ragdoll cat can be difficult without just inquiring with each specific breeder. The cost of food, vet bills for vaccinations, and spay and neuter have a wide spread of costs so, what may be high in some areas actually will barely cover the expense of the kitten itself in others.

Most breeders will offer some sort of a discount if you are willing to buy two of their kittens at the same time.

All breeders will require a deposit on a kitten, sometimes even before they are born. The reason breeders do this is so that your kitten is reserved. In other words, a breeder cannot be guaranteed that you are for sure going to buy a kitten, therefore they ask for an “escrow”, if you will, to confirm you are serious about your adoption and purchase.

Here is a break down of the prices of Ragdoll kittens:

  • Pet (Alter) Quality – approximately USD$450- USD $750 (some breeders charge more for females due to the fact that spaying costs more than neutering, also some breeders will charge more for rare or non-traditional color patterns, like Torties , Creams, Lilacs and Flames)
  • Show (Alter) Quality – approximately USD$600- USD $1000+
  • Breeder Quality – approximately USD$1200- USD $1800+
  • Show/Breeder Quality – approximately USD$1500- USD $1800+

Below are examples of these different qualities, so you can get an idea of how these categories are determined. Thank you, Nene’s Ragdolls for supplying these photos!

Pet (Alter) Quality

Certainly, there isn’t a way to show that the cat has been altered in these photos (well, there is for the male, but not worth the point here).

Mordekai is a pet quality Ragdoll

Mordekai Pet Quality Ragdoll

Mordekai is a pet quality Ragdoll. He is a flame lynx mitted. While he does have nice deep eye color and good body type, he is mismarked. His blaze is too wide and his hock should be white but he has a spot of red on it. You’ll want to determine the importance of a Ragdoll’s physical appearance before buying a Ragdoll cat.

Show/Breeder Quality

NenesRags Misbehavn of AllDolledUp is a seal tortie point. She has good type, nice tortie markings, deep blue eye color, large size, soft coat and excellent temperment. She is a show breeder but could also be a show alter. She is 4.5 Months old in this photo.

NenesRags Misbehavn AllDolledUp Show Breeder Quality

Is there something on this page that Floppycats.com didn’t answer for you? Please contact Floppycats.com with information you have about buying a Ragdoll cat, if that’s the case.  Or simply leave a question or inquiry in the comment section below.

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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }

1 mslittlebear July 5, 2010

I will be getting a ragdoll soon and looking for a breeder in my area of Rochester, New York. I contacted one and really wanted to get one because of the colors she had (Love the seal point and blue lynx point). She, however, doesn’t allow visitors and I was put off by that. Any suggestions would help.

Thanks!

Reply

2 admin July 5, 2010

Did you ask her why she doesn’t allow visitors? For example, the breeder I bought Charlie and Trigg from didn’t allow visitors to her cattery, but if you had put a deposit down on a certain kitty you were allowed to come by her home and stay in her living room to meet your kitty. A lot of breeders have requests for people to see their cattery – and they never adopt – so they end up entertaining all day. If you can kindly ask her why or even ask her for references, then you might feel better about it. Also, look at the cats on her website – they should all have a clean appearance, etc.

Reply

3 mslittlebear July 6, 2010

Thank you for your reply. Her cats looked beautiful. Her reply was time constraints and then if I knew what I wanted she would breed one for me. I didn’t like the idea of not being able to see where the cat came from. I wasn’t about to put down a nonrefundable deposit, what if I didn’t like the cat? Luckily, I have found a breeder I like and will be visiting there on Saturday!

Reply

4 admin July 6, 2010

I am so pleased that you have found a breeder that you like and is allowing you to visit – what is the name of the cattery or could you send me a link? I’d be interested in asking them for an interview for the site.

Reply

5 mslittlebear July 6, 2010

The name of the cattery is Kingscourt Ragdolls. Here is the link:

http://www.kingscourtragdolls.com

Her name is Dawn King. She has even stated if I did not buy a cat from her she would help me find one. That is a good breeder in my opinion.

Carol

6 mslittlebear July 6, 2010

I will certainly due that. Kittens will be born probably late August, so they may be close to Christmas. If “Leah” didn’t breed on June 26th, she will breed her in July and she would be due around August 28th and my anniversary and birthday are August 19th and August 24th. I am in no rush, so whenever they get here, I’ll have a beautiful kitty. I think I have a name all picked out because I would like a male his name will be “Sir Lancelot of Kings Court.” If it is a girl, it will be, hmm, can’t name a kitty “Gweneviere” cause I can’t even spell it. Have to think on that one.

I will definitely let you know when I get one.

Reply

7 admin July 6, 2010

SO FUN! I love it! You are welcome to post any photos or stories of your trip on my blog site – here: http://blog.floppycats.com/blog/landing-pages/0/0/ragdoll-cat-stories%20Save%20Page – I’d love it! I love the “Sir Lancelot of Kings Court” – I am partial to the males – and actually “Guinevere” is how I got my name “Jennifer” – but I think Guinevere is way cooler!! I have a name picked out for my next kitty too – good on you!

Reply

8 admin August 5, 2010

Great! Looking forward to it!!

Reply

9 Vicki August 5, 2010

Comment concerning visitors at the cattery. Alot of breeder do not allow visitor to the cattery because of potential disease. They have kittens that may not have had their shots and with animal diseases you can carry on the bottom of your shoes. They probably are allowing in their home because they will bring the kittens that are ready for adoption over (and they are old enough to already have had their shots) I am with you I want to see where my kitty comes from and such however as a former breeder I also want to protect the young ones.

Reply

10 admin August 5, 2010

Vicki,

I wrote this article a while back before I got my kittens from Soulmate Ragdolls and Lora explained all this to me. I have not updated this page and I need to because of this. Good on you for mentioning it – as I get it now. I also understand that breeders operate out of their homes and their homes aren’t petting zoos and a lot of people use them as such. So I fully understand the importance of not allowing visitors – but to see the kittens when they are ready to adopt!

Thanks again for the comment!
Jenny

Reply

11 admin July 6, 2010

I have heard of Dawn King. That is wonderful that she offered to help you find another kitten if you don’t buy a cat from her! Sounds like a winner – please report back and let me know how it went and more importantly, if you adopted a kitty!!

Reply

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