Huckleberry & Finn – Ragdoll Kittens of the Month
My family did not have pets growing up. As an adult I realized how much love, joy and peace animals can bring to your life.
After a number of years, a rescue dog and cat turned into three dogs, three cats (Lulu, Tucker and Jersey) and a Desert Tortoise. Unfortunately, with great love comes great loss in multiples.
Heartbreak
In January of 2020 we lost our beloved Lulu. She was 15 yrs old and had battled inflammatory bowel disease, a heart murmur, thyroid disease, and kidney disease for 8 years. I was devasted after losing her.
Fast forward to 8/2020, we welcomed an adorable kitten from our local shelter and named her Poppy. We were still loving on our 12-year-old sibling cats (rescued from a box by the river as kittens) Tucker and Jersey. Life was fun and a little crazier with a kitten around and we were back to 3 cats~
Tragedy struck in February of 2021, Tucker passed away, unexpectedly, one morning in his favorite sleeping spot. Two months early he had received a clean bill of health. We were devastated and heartbroken. That same week, Poppy, who was 9 mo. old, was acting very lethargic. Long tragic story short, abdominal surgery showed she had massive inflammation in her stomach and they suspected FIP. She declined rapidly while we were awaiting multiple tests to verify FIP. Ultimately, we lost her 12 days after Tucker passed (test results came back positive for FIP). In short, we lost 3 beloved cats in 13 months.
Hope
My family knew how hard I was taking our loss and encouraged me to get another kitten. I vowed never to love another animal again because it hurt so much (yah right). I had admired Ragdolls for years and followed many on Instagram (mostly bi-colors). I spent hours looking at Ragdolls, breeders, traits, colors, and patterns mostly to keep myself busy, never seriously considering getting another kitten.
This is when I found Floppycats and all the information, pictures and stories solidified the fact that I needed a Ragdoll kitten. Then fate intervened and a local breeder just had a few litters kittens and not all were spoken for. We’ve never worked with a breeder before so we had no idea what to expect AND we were in a pandemic. Ragdoll Ranch (Reno, NV) was so helpful, knowledgeable and kind. I asked MANY questions and since visiting wasn’t an option, I received pictures anytime I asked. Ultimately, we ended up getting 2 males because I adored them both.
Healing
Huckleberry was born on April 10, 2021 and he’s seal mitted mink.
Finn, a mitted seal mink lynx with a blaze was born on April 17, 2021 (nothing like the bi-color Ragdolls I had been following).
We are so in love with these boys! Huckleberry is more adventurous. He’s the 1st to try a new toy, chase a laser, jump in a box, or bat something around. His favorite toy is a crinkle ball that he carries around the house in his mouth. He is a true floppy cat and is very tolerant of being held by our granddaughter.
Finn is more cautious. He waits and watches his brother until he knows it’s safe. Finn only lets certain people hold and love on him. Food is Finn’s favorite thing and he is a full pound heavier than his brother.
Catch the Tail Cat Toy is a favorite for them both (Blackhole Catch Tail Cat Toy). They love cat tunnels and have 3 different types and shapes (Kitty City large cat tunnel bed). They love the bathroom sinks to drink from and sleep in. I have not been alone in the bath tub or shower since they’ve been here (hence the reason for MANY bathroom pictures).
Finn has fallen in the bathtub trying to get the bubbles. They love to be brushed and will roll over on their back so I can get their bellies. They are a little weird in that they have to get in the litter boxes while I am cleaning them. They love to go outside (always supervised) but it causes me too much stress so we don’t go out often.
They are 6 months old now and have brought so much joy to our lives. While you can never replace the loved ones we lost, these boys have brought laughter and happiness back to our family. We love them so much.
Thanks for the opportunity to share our story.
Read More Ragdoll Kitten of the Month Stories:
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,
I just want to reach out and pet both of them! They are adorable. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful love stories about all your cats. My sympathy goes out to you — we all know how difficult it is when they move on to the Rainbow Bridge. I can imagine how much light and love Huckleberry and Finn are bringing to your home! They are unbelievably cute!!