Elliot – Ragdoll Kitten of the Month

Submitted Sep 26, 2017 Full disclosure… I’m not much of a “cat person”. My experiences have been with cats that attack, cats that run away from people, or cats that are cold and disinterested. I am also a bit of a neat freak and have been allergic to cats since childhood. So, when my boyfriend showed interest in getting a cat, I said “no”. I also said, “Our apartment would be covered in fur”, “I’m allergic”, “I don’t want to get scratched”, “Cat food is gross”, and “haven’t you seen My Cat From Hell?”. After a few months of saying “no”, I remembered a Cats 101 segment about Ragdoll cats. The show described Ragdolls as being dog-like. “I like dogs”, I thought. Upon further research, I learned that Ragdolls are docile, people friendly, and cute. Best of all, they have no undercoat and shed less than regular cats. So, the next time my boyfriend brought up getting a cat, I consented. However, it had to be a Ragdoll. I found a breeder online, Luvlee Ragdolls in Suffolk County, Long Island. When we contacted the breeder, she had just had a litter of 5 kittens. We were to fourth family to reserve a kitten, so would get to choose from the last 2 babies. We drove to Long Island to meet the 2 kittens. One was a small female, and other was a large male. We were told that the male had been the biggest in the litter and would likely grow to 20 lbs. My boyfriend thought it would be hilarious to have a 20 lb. cat, so we chose the big male. A few weeks later, we brought our kitten home. I was so worried about him. He had never been away from his mother and siblings, and we had a long ride back to New Jersey in traffic. My worries were unfounded. The kitten cried a little, but slept most of the way. When we got home, I expected him to cower in his crate and be afraid of us and his new environment. Again, the little kitten’s bravery surprised me. He strutted out of his crate with his tail held high and started exploring. My boyfriend and I were very content with our new family member. We only had one problem, we couldn’t agree on a name. He wanted to name the kitten something silly, like “Sniffles”. I felt like a human name would be more dignified. Finally, we agreed to name him after a character on Mr. Robot, Elliot. We’ve had Elliot for 4 months now and couldn’t love him more. Elliot is like a dog in some ways. He runs to the door when I come home from work and follows me from room to room. He even does tricks! (when offered yummy freeze-dried salmon treats) Of course, Elliot is like a cat in most ways. His favorite things are playing with paper bags and ping-pong balls, looking out the window, and napping in funny places. But that’s OK. Because even though I’m not a huge “cat person”, I am a “Ragdoll person”. Do you have a Ragdoll Kitten or Cat?  Consider submitting your kitty!  Ragdoll of the Week submission guidelines Read more Ragdoll Kitten of the Month submissions. Getting a Ragdoll Kitten? Check out our book: A Ragdoll Kitten Care Guide: Bringing Your Ragdoll Kitten Home