Milo – Ragdoll Kitten of the Month

When I was in middle school, I went to a friend’s house for a playdate. Upon arriving, I noticed two huge, fluffy cats sunbathing in the living room. That was my very first encounter with Ragdolls, and I have been enamored with the breed ever since.

Last year, as many did, I began working from home. Though I spent most of the day on Zoom, I lived alone and started feeling extremely lonely. I decided it would be an ideal time to get an animal since I’d be spending at least a few more months at home and it looked like I would be working from home a few days per week even after the pandemic.

Initially, I didn’t intend to get a kitten. I searched rescue sites and scoured Facebook groups to try to find an adult kitty who needed to be rehomed. I finally found a Ragdoll mix available, but she was gone before I even had a chance to respond to the email from the rescue. Someone on Facebook suggested The Cat’s Meow Ragdolls in Redondo Beach, and I reached out to Lynette, the breeder, that day. She had a litter that was born July 16th-the day before my birthday-and there were still two kittens available.

My family has a female French bulldog and I have a female horse, so I decided to pick the male since I wasn’t sure I could handle any more sass in my life. Little did I know my male Ragdoll would be so full of personality and cattitude himself! There was a great little restaurant down the street from where I was living at the time called Milo & Olive. Since my family’s dog is named Olive and I had given her that name, I thought Milo would be perfect for my Ragdoll kitty. The combo of names doesn’t make sense for those outside of West LA, but it was cute and seemed fitting nonetheless.

I brought Milo home in mid-September after spending hours poring over books (including Jenny’s!) and prepping my space for his arrival. I had cats growing up, and I remembered them spending a lot of time under the bed and other furniture for the first few days after we brought them home. I expected Milo to do the same, but he was out playing with a mouse toy within minutes! I couldn’t believe how brave, sweet, and confident he was right off the bat. He captured my heart instantly and it was hard to imagine I ever lived without him.

His personality continued to grow as he did, and he makes me laugh with his antics on. Daily basis. He once climbed in a laundry basket that I had hanging on a doorknob. Another time, I saw him dart by my desk while I was on a Zoom call. I figured something was up and went to check on him. He was on my bed, and I could see him protecting a blue object. When I got closer, I realized he had grabbed a sponge from inside my kitchen sink! He loves taking anything he can get his paws on. Some of his greatest finds include my glasses, a block of post-it notes, and a box of Red Vines. When he’s not plotting what to steal next, Milo loves playing with his PetStages Buggin’ Out treat puzzle or snuggling on the couch watching Bravo shows.

Since I am still working from home, Milo and I get to spend lots of time together. He sits by my desk while I work and loves watching the neighbors pass by with their own animals (his favorite is the hairless dog that goes on walks about at least four times per day!). He comes when I whistle to him and often greets guests by running down the stairs straight at them.

Multiple people have left my house and said “I’m not even a cat person, but Milo makes me want my own Ragdoll.” At night, he snuggles up on the pillow next to me and often wraps his paw around my arm. I truly don’t know what I’d do without his constant companionship.

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