Bastien – Ragdoll of the Week

I adopted Merlin, an elderly Ragdoll mix in 1998, from a shelter in Roswell, New Mexico. At that time, I didn’t know what a Ragdoll was. After seeing his wonderful, affectionate personality, I started doing research on Ragdolls. After a long battle with various health issues, Merlin died in 2002. At that time, I started looking for a Ragdoll to purchase. That plan was stalled when I decided instead to start a rescue in Merlin’s name (Merlin’s Hope Ragdoll and Maine Coon Rescue).

In 2008, I met a wonderful Ragdoll breeder at Meriwidoz when one of her customers had to rehome three of the Ragdolls she had purchased and contacted me.  In 2009, the owner of Meriwidoz, Peg Horne Nelson, gave me my first purebred Ragdoll, Bastien (before named Meriwidoz Barnaby Jones), a gorgeous Seal Mink Mitted Ragdoll, and Saxon (Meriwidoz Saks Fifth Avenue), a loving Seal Point Mitted Ragdoll. But, this is Bastien’s story. Look for Saxon’s story later. I love all of my cats, but Bastien, as Peg knew would have happen, has my heart and caused me to fall in love with the Mink Ragdoll.  Bastien was born May 5, 2008, and came to live with us July 2009.  Bastien’s name came from Sebastien (meaning revered), a name I have always loved.  He came and quickly took over my bedroom and my life. He has the cutest little habit. At night, when I go to bed, I call all my cats to bed with me. Bastien races down my long hallway and does all sorts of acrobatics to make sure he is in the room

before the door shuts. Once, two of my girl cats were in the doorway, and Bastien leaped over them and made a 90 degree turn to land right in my doorway just as the door was about to shut. If he is shut out, he sits at the door and cries until I let him in. What a baby! Bastien loves to play with Saxon and with my Red Maine Coon boy, Gryffin. When he is losing, though, he loves to cry for momma to come rescue him. His best trick is leaping from the top of my six foot tall cat tree onto my bed, usually when I have just fallen asleep! Bastien’s favorite toys are the Yeowww! catnip rainbow and his fur-brothers. His favorite place to be is wherever I am. MeLinda and kitties

Thank you for reading! Submissions like these – the “Cat of the Week” and “Kitten of the Month”- are provided by their owners and reflect their individual experiences and practices. The information these submissions share does not necessarily reflect Floppycats’ recommendation or endorsement regarding cat nutrition or care. Always consult a qualified feline nutritionist or veterinarian for personalized advice on your cat’s dietary and health needs. If you want to learn more about species-appropriate nutrition, please visit our cat food page.