Mr Darcy – Ragdoll of the Week
Ragdoll Name: Mr Darcy
My name: Laura C aka Kitcaboodles
I always thought I was allergic to cats… as a child my mother would tell me off because I couldn’t resist petting cats and would come home sneezing with red blotchy eyes!
I grew up and moved out to live with my boyfriend. All was good, but I missed having a pet of my own. I began to notice that when I visited other houses I would have little sneezing fits if there were pets around and started to wonder if I wasn’t allergic to cats in particular, but had just built up immunity to dogs whilst I lived with one.
One day watching an advert on TV I saw the most gorgeous cat. I Googled it and found out it was a Ragdoll, a breed I’d never even heard of, but the whole description of their personality seemed a perfect fit for us! We found a local breeder who told me she had a 5 month old available whose home had fallen through. I told my husband that we would go visit and I could see whether my allergies played up before we made a sensible decision, but the moment I set eyes on the ball of fluff curled up in the corner with deep blue eyes peering out I knew there was no option! We put down a deposit and arranged to pick up Mr Darcy the following day, then drove home wondering what on earth we’d just done! Neither of us had any experience of cats whatsoever, and on the way home to top it off I started sneezing continuously!
Mr Darcy came home the following day and we were besotted. But I was definitely allergic. For weeks I would rave to anyone who would listen about my fabulous adorable kitty and all the funny things he’d done, all the while with red puffy eyes and no voice – everyone at work thought I was mad! One day I noticed that I wasn’t sneezing so much and just like that my body seemed to accept that the little cat had won the fight and it was no use punishing me anymore! I still get the occasional sniffle, but I have hayfever too so I just keep a good stock of hayfever tablets!
Mr Darcy was very nervous at first but day by day his personality started to come through. He follows me from room to room chatting away, loves to hop into the shower for some water and curls up on the sofa next to us at night. He introduced us to the ragdoll flop, in which he suddenly keels over onto his back and demands a belly rub, wherever in the house we happen to be! He does so many little things that make us laugh.
Darcy’s favourite game is hide and seek, which involves him meowing at one end of the house until one of us goes to find him, then he immediately runs to the other side of the house chattering as he goes, then meows again as if to say ‘come get me!’. He is obsessed with anything dangly that looks like string, including the chords on clothes, camera straps etc.
He is a big cat with massive bear paws and yet has the sweetest personality and such a delicate meow so he has earned the nickname ‘gentle ben’.
Oh and he’s obsessed with food! On more than one occasion I’ve almost ended up with a broken tooth from him swatting the spoon as I’ve tried to eat ice cream! This does make him a perfect student though as he’ll do anything for a treat. I’ve taught him to sit for his dinner and we’re currently working on ‘high fives’… we’re getting there!
I’ve recently started a blog starring Mr Darcy… but I think I’m the only reader at the moment! I love taking pictures of my raggies and it’s a good way to share what I’ve learnt/am still learning. Please do come along and have a peek. – Kitcaboodles
See Mr Darcy on his YouTube Channel
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,
@Melody – it’s good to know I’m not the only one this has happened to and I think it’s worth making others aware – I get so sad when I see cats needing rehoming due to the owner’s new boyfriend/girlfriend etc having allergies. Of course not all cases are the same and some reactions are severe, but I say give things a chance to settle if possible… wait a while before making such a sad decision. It could be a short term reaction and/ or treatable.
Good luck with your next cat… you may have to put up with a week of ‘flu’ but it’ll be worth it!!
I agree! So many believe that they have allergies but in fact all they have to do is wait until it passes and get used to what a pet brings into the air. Having a lifetime companion is worth a week’s worth of feeling like I have the flu <3
I am so glad that you decided to have him a part of your life! Your experience sounds like what I had to go through and will go through again. My family has never really had pets either, it was very short-lived when we did, but we have never had a cat or a dog. I really wanted a cat and when I moved out for college, I ended up adopting an older cat and my reaction was awful! I basically reacted the same way as you, it took me a week to get over feeling as if I had a cold with a runny nose, constant sneezing, bloody eyes, scratchy and itchy throat – it was bad! My cat unfortunately passed away, but now that I have moved back home, I will most likely go through that exact same reaction the next time I have a cat a part of my life. I just got hay fever this past winter too..so we shall see how my future cat experience goes!
Mr. Darcy is quite the handsome fellow!
Nubbin wiggles,
Oskar
That Mr. Darcy is so handsome! And i love that he is named after a Jane Eyre character!
Oops, I meant a Jane Austen character!