Chief – Ragdoll of the Week
I grew up loving cats from afar- I was severely allergic. I had always yearned to play with and have a sweet cat of my own. Years later, I came to outgrow my allergy. My boyfriend is a cat person and we decided to adopt a kitten (with no particular breed preference).
I found myself searching adoption ads when I saw the most beautiful cat I had ever laid eyes upon. His name was Chief and though he wasn’t a kitten, he was absolutely stunning. When I showed my boyfriend his picture his reaction was equal to mine. We went through the adoption process eager to find out if he would be ours. The agency was truthful in letting us know that they didn’t get purebreds often and that they had a mile long list of applicants just as eager as we were. When we got the call that Chief would be ours we were ecstatic.
Chief came with all his paperwork and vaccinations. He is a purebred seal bicolor ragdoll who was bred by Liz Thurman of Bordeaux Ragdolls. I did my research, and Liz is one of the top ragdoll breeders and screens against Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). I have even had email conversations with her, thanking her and telling her how wonderful Chief is. He was just six years old when we adopted him (his birthday is March 18, 2006), and is going on eight this March; though he looks and acts as playfully as a kitten when he wants to.
Chief has been with us now for over a year. His first few days were rough; we live in an area devastated by hurricane Sandy. Chief was a trooper. He quickly adjusted to his new surroundings and made our house his castle.
Chief lives the typical life of a spoiled little raggie. He adores being brushed more than anything. Every night when we lay down to sleep, Chief comes running into our bedroom and jumps onto our bed knowing he gets a good 15-20 minute brushing before bed. Though he has a few different cat beds, he prefers to sleep in our bed with us and takes up the entire foot of the bed. We’ve learned to adjust the way we sleep to make him comfy and happy at night.
Chief also gets a bath once a month to prevent matting. We were uncomfortable with his previous owner’s suggestions to taking him to 
a professional groomer (as they use sedation which can hurt a cat). Surprisingly, Chief is comfortable in the shower and a breeze to bath (he even has his own towel).
Besides wet food, Chief’s absolute favorite snack are “Feline Greenie’s Dental Treats (salmon flavor-his favorite).” When I come home from work, all I have to do is shake the bag of his treats and he comes running from whatever room he is in to get them. Even his vet thought we brushed his teeth because they keep them so clean; and his 
breath is never bad.
Our love of the breed started with our boy. Reading up on ragdolls, Chief is stereotypical of one. From sitting on the couch next to you while you watch TV, to following you while doing errands from room to room, or to laying down 
next to you while you read Chief really loves being in the company of people as though he were one
My boyfriend is in the military and sometimes goes months away from home. In his absence, Chief has become a great source of companionship and love. We joke constantly that this is Chief’s house and he owns us he is so loved. Every Skype date I have with my boyfriend, he demands to see Chief and always asks how he is doing. Chief is such an integral and loved part of our lives that one day we hope to get another ragdoll from Ms. Thurman as a companion for Chief. Chief goes beyond just being a pet in our eyes, but has become a member of our family.
Hi, I’m Jenny Dean, creator of Floppycats! Ever since my Aunt got the first Ragdoll cat in our family, I have loved the breed. Inspired by my childhood Ragdoll cat, Rags, I created Floppycats to connect, share and inspire other Ragdoll cat lovers around the world,
When I think of Chief, I think of the narrator of Ken Kesey’s novel, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” ( Chief wasn’t the protagonist in the film.)
And your Chief seems to have the same cerebral, loyal and observant qualities. What a wonderful companion. I, too, like his mask within a mask. And he’s in my favorite age range, a peer. You are both lucky to have each other. I love how your boyfriend demands Skype time with him–now, that’s family!!
My Rag, William, lived to be 24. I wish you just as many happy years with Chief. Thank you for sharing him with us.
I grew up with that movie (one of my parent’s favorites) and my mind went to the same place.
Thank you so much for your kind words. Chief really is more like our child than our pet. My boyfriend even joked about getting him a #1 son sweater. At the end of the day, I am grateful the first cat I have ever owned is as wonderful as the breed he represents and everything I have always dreamed of having in a cat.
I am sorry to hear about your William though I am glad he brought over two decades of love into your life. I hope one day if you ever decide to get another one, that you have just as much love given as received.
Gorgeous! Why was he given up, do you know? He looks a lot like my Finn. Do they all have this mane? I have trimmed Finn’s a little as it keeps getting in his mouth. Is it really necessary to bathe him that much? I thought brushing is all this is needed. I am just asking because I do not know. Chief is a great name! He is just exquisite.
He was owned by a couple and he was the husbands cat. The wife kind of hated him and got dogs who were tormenting him. The husband loved him too much and wanted him to be happy so they gave him up.
I’m not sure if they all have such a mane, but that’s part of our favorite part of him and we love it so much.
Bathing a long-haired cat is recommended frequently as it removed excess skin and oils and prevents their fur from matting and from becoming greasy. In other words it helps keep their coat in shape. We once went a little over a month without a bath and noticed a small dreadlock formation. Regular bathing in conjunction with brushing prevents that.
We also use a different type of brush right after a bath (a metal long-toothed grooming comb) to run through his fur and gently take out knots. Suffice to say out boy’s fur is soft, smooth, supple, and knot-free.
And thank you…We decided to keep his original name. It’s not fair to change anyone or anything’s name that they’ve had all their lives 🙂
Thanks for sharing Chief’s pictures and your story! He is really beautiful 🙂
Gorgeous cat! Thanks for sharing!!!
What a great story! Thank you for sharing Chief with us all! He’s a GORGEOUS kitty! 🙂
Thank you for giving Chief his wonderful forever home! You were so very fortunate to find such a beautiful pure-bred Ragdoll via an adoption center! Talk about lucky! Wow!
Sounds like he has a Perfect World now thanks to his loving family!
Big hugs!
Patti & Pink Sugar (who thinks Chief is soooo dreamy!) 🙂 <3
Great cat!
omgosh, he is one handsome cat!! his mask has a mask.. he is just gorgeous. thanks for sharing your story. he knows that he is beautiful too, you can tell.
Chief is so handsome…and all things I love in a RAGDOLL. I don’t have a kitty yet. We are on a waiting list, but, it does my heart good to hear all the wonderful stories. Thanks so much for sharing. He’s gorgeous I LOVED THE PHOTOS!!! ~ Patty (patiently waiting.)
Chief is a beauty for sure! I love his long white gloves. He looks pissed off in the bath photo… Love your happily-ever-after story and hope it continues for a long, long time! Thanks for sharing it.
Wow- what a beauty! So glad you won the lottery and the prize was Chief. I love his “Jaws” house- what is that? Ragdolls are definitely velcro kitties- happiest when they are next to you. Thanks for sharing this great story and Chief’s beautiful pictures.
I saw the shark house on thinkgeek.com (though it’s long sold out now). Amazon offers a similar version for cheaper. He loves it though, it’s a nice place for him to run into and have some alone time.
I had to buy the small dog version because he’s so big haha; your average 20lbs raggie boy:).
What a regal looking boy. He’s got spunk and personality ooozing out his ears. Lucky boy and lucky family.
Love his story and he’s such a cutie!
Aww, he is absolutely adorable! Thank you for sharing his story with us!