This page on our site covers the Ragdoll breed description - but after having this website since 2008, I have come to learn you can't always rely on breed descriptions. So, be sure to keep in mind if you adopt a Ragdoll cat, s/he could have all these traits, some of them or none at all.
Aren't sure you have a Ragdoll Cat? Review our Ragdoll Cat Breeds guide on how to tell if your ragdoll is purebred.
Breed Summary
| Traits | Breed Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Weight | Females up to 15+ lbs (6.8 kg) Males up to 20+ lbs (9.7 kg) |
| Height | 9-13 inches |
| Length | 17-21 includes (not including tail) |
| Origin | Developed in the 1960s by Anne Baker, a breeder in Riverside California |
| Life Expectancy | 13-15 years |
| Coat | Semi long coat, plush and silky |
| Traditional patterns | Bi-color, van, mitted and colorpoint |
| Traditional colors | Seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, and cream |
| Traditional points | Solid, lynx, tortie, or torbie (tortie and lynx) |
| Eye Color | Blue eyes [controversial Minks and Solids might not have blue eyes] |
| Qualities | Breed Score * |
|---|---|
| Gorgeous | 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Kid-Friendly | 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Pet-Friendly | 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Shedding | 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Grooming Needs | 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Independence | 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Attention Needs | 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Affection Towards Owner | 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Exercise Needs | 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Playfulness | 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Vocalization | 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Trainability | 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
| Intelligence | 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 |
Jump to:
- Breed Summary
- The Meaning Behind "Ragdoll" Cats
- A Little Ragdoll Cat History
- Ragdoll Cat Breed Characteristics
- Ragdoll Cat Health
- Ragdoll Cat Colors, Points & Patterns
- A Few Tips on Getting a Ragdoll Cat
- 60 FAQs About Ragdoll Cats!
- ❓ General Ragdoll Information
- ❓Ragdoll Health & Lifespan
- ❓ Ragdoll Cat Care
- ❓ Ragdoll Colors & Patterns
- ❓ Owning a Ragdoll Cat
- ❓ Feeding Ragdoll Cat
The Meaning Behind "Ragdoll" Cats
Ragdoll cats are known colloquially as “floppy cats”, they did, after all, get their name, “Ragdoll” from being floppy. Many Ragdoll cats are known to literally “flop”. They adore being handled and often go limp when picked up – hence, its name and its nickname, the floppy cat (and the reason for our site name - Floppycats).
A Little Ragdoll Cat History
The History of Ragdolls is not that extensive because Ragdolls are a relatively new breed of cat compared to others. The first Ragdolls were bred in California in the 1960s by Anne Baker.
Baker bred a white Angora Persian type cat queen, Josephine, who had a Himalayan coat pattern (Siamese) to beautiful longhaired Burmese sire and Birman sire males. The breeding resulted in cats of substantial size, non-matting coat and a very equable disposition.
The kittens with the desired looks were kept and carefully line bred to keep the strain pure. In fact, all Ragdolls must be descendants of Josephine. No other strain of Persian, Birman, or Burmese has been introduced. The traits of the Ragdoll cat can only be found in Josephine’s descendants where the history of Ragdolls exists. The looks may vary slightly as to pattern or color, but the disposition must remain the same to be a Ragdoll. No one, not even the originator, can add to the lines at this time, and still have a purebred Ragdoll.
For a deeper dive into the Ragdoll history check out this post.
Ragdoll Cat Breed Characteristics
The Ragdoll cat is probably most famous for their calm disposition compared to most cats. However, Ragdolls have a more dependent personality than other cats do. Ragdolls prefer to be near people as much as possible and enjoyed being doted on. Ragdolls are also a great breed for children. Many don’t mind being hauled around and being dressed up. The Ragdoll is an all around ideal cat.
Ragdolls, on average, are larger than most cats. The average female Ragdoll is between 14 or 15 lbs, and male Ragdolls average closer to 20 lbs, however, some males can be as big as 30 lbs. According to multiple sources, Ragdoll does not reach full maturity and size until it is 3-4 years old.Since Ragdolls have an extremely mellow disposition, they do not possess the fighting instincts of other cat breeds and therefore should not be left to roam outside.
Ragdoll Cat Health
Usually, most Ragdoll lines are free of most major health risks. Ragdolls are normally a good breed for lower health risks.
Just like any other cat breeds, Ragdolls can be prone to developing health conditions. Health starts with diet, and these websites are great at explaining cat nutrition - CatInfo.org and Feline-Nutrition.org. For a more comprehensive understanding of your Ragdoll’s health, be sure to read the cat health advice given by veterinarians ebook.
Ragdoll Cat Colors, Points & Patterns
While there are not multiple Ragdoll cat breeds, there are multiple Ragdoll colors and patterns. All Ragdoll cats are born white, but as they grow, they develop a wide variety of colors and patterns, seen in the ragdoll color progression. They are colorpointed cats, which means that their bodies are lighter in color than their extremities. As for the patterns they can develop, Ragdolls can be colorpointed, mitted, bicolor, lynx point, or tortie point, as per the Ragdolls Fanciers Club International (RFCI) & Cat Fanciers Association (CFA).
If you want to see more fun photos of Ragdoll kitten to cat changing colors as they age check out our Colorpointed Cats Transition: Ragdoll Cats.
Traditional Ragdoll Colors
| Colors | Description |
|---|---|
| Blue Ragdoll | The body of the cat is a very light gray and the extremities are a darker shade of gray - various color patterns. |
| Seal Ragdoll | The body is creamy white and the extremities are a very dark shade of brown. |
| Chocolate Ragdoll | A combination of a light-colored body and light brown extremities. |
| Lilac Ragdoll | The body is very light in color and the extremities are gray and cream-colored. |
| Cream Point Ragdoll | A combination of an ivory colored body and creamy extremities. |
| Flame (Red Ragdoll) | The body is very light in color and the extremities are red or orange. |
Traditional Ragdoll Points
| Points | Description |
|---|---|
| Solid Ragdolls | With this pattern, the cat will have colored markings on its points – the paws, ears, tail and face. Nose leather and paw prints are also pigmented, matching the points. |
| Lynx | Lynx is a variation of other patterns. It includes lynx markings – stripes or ‘pencil lines’ – within the colored points. |
| Torbie | The Torbie pattern is a combination of the tortie calico colors, with the tabby striping of the lynx pattern. |
| Tortie Ragdolls | Short for tortoise shell, which the pattern is said to resemble – these cats are calico-colored, which is a mix of three colors with patches of various size. |
Traditional Ragdoll Patterns
| Patterns | Description |
|---|---|
| Bicolor Ragdoll | This pattern has a symmetrical inverted V in the mask. The whole back will be colored, while the front and back legs will be white with a white strip on the cat’s underside. |
| Colorpointed | With this pattern, the cat will have colored markings on its points – the paws, ears, tail and face. Nose leather and paw prints are also pigmented, matching the points. |
| Van | Cats with a van pattern will only have darker points across the ears, mask and tail, which will be well defined from the rest of the white fur. Pads and noses will be pink. |
| Mitted | Ragdolls with a mitted pattern have well-defined color on the legs, ears, mask and tail. However, the front feet and back legs around the hocks will be white, as will the belly. |
More Controversial Ragdoll Color Patterns
| Color | Description |
|---|---|
| Mink Ragdoll | Mink Cats are just darker versions of their lighter counterparts–like Blue, Lilac, Red, Seal, Solid, and Tortie. |
| Solid Ragdolls | Solids come in the same three patterns and same colors as the pointed, except Seal (dark brown) is Black on solid cats. |
| Black Ragdoll | This color variation for Ragdolls is yet to be accepted by The International Cat Association (TICA) |
A Few Tips on Getting a Ragdoll Cat
There are a few different options you can pursue if you are looking for a Ragdoll cat for sale.
Rescuing a Ragdoll Cat
One option is Ragdoll rescue organizations. There is no one go-to place for Ragdoll cat rescue, but there are a variety of smaller or regional organizations that specialize in Ragdolls to look into, or you can go for more general options like shelters. If you are looking at local shelters, be aware that Ragdolls are often mistakenly grouped under Himalayan and/or Siamese. You might also ask a breeder if they have an older Ragdoll breeding cat who needs to be retired to a permanent home.
Adopting a Ragdoll Cat
Another option is to adopt a kitten directly from a breeder, but be aware that it does take some research to find good local Ragdoll cat breeders. Even breeders who are hardworking and invest a lot of time and energy into their business can still have quite a few problems. Some ways to evaluate a breeder are to check and see if their cats look healthy and happy in pictures, find out more about their reputation, for example, whether they were raised in the breeder’s home and if they were exposed to children and/or dogs. If you have children or dogs, a cat bred in this environment might be better prepared for your home. Look into multiple breeders so that you can compare these and use these questions to ask cat breeders.
The breeder will present you with the official documents of the parents, including their medical background (and vaccination status). Another way to get your very own Ragdoll cat is to adopt one from a cat shelter. Even if this breed is one of the most popular ones in the world, pet abandonment is still a big issue. This way, you can save the life of a Ragdoll in need. You will be getting a companion in return.
If you're looking to adopt Ragdoll kittens, you might be interested in our book about bringing home a Ragdoll kitten, A Ragdoll Kitten Care Guide: Bringing Your Ragdoll Kitten Home.
Buying a Ragdoll Cat
If you are looking how to get a ragdoll cat, then you should begin by searching for authorized catteries in your area. It is absolutely essential that you get your cat from a breeder because that is the only guarantee that you will get a purebred Ragdoll cat. The kittens in this breed look a lot like kittens of other breeds, which means that it is quite easy to get scammed unless you seek your cat in a well-reputed cattery. You should take the time to talk to the breeders to find people with whom you connect with. You should also request to see the parents of the kittens because this should give you an idea of what the kittens will grow up to look like.
Ragdoll Cat & Kitten Pricing Suggestions
- Rags, purchased in 1989 with his brother Cosby – $350/each
- Caymus and Murphy, purchased in 2004 – $600/each (reduced by $50 each because my parents were buying 2)
- Charlie and Trigg, purchased in 2009 – $800/each (reduced by $50 each because I was buying 2)
Here is a breakdown of the prices of Ragdoll kittens that I have found (please leave comments below to let me know if prices are much higher than these):
| Quality: | Approximate Cost: | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pet (Alter) Quality | USD$850+ | (some breeders charge more for females due to the fact that spaying costs more than neutering, also some breeders will charge more for rare or non-traditional color patterns, like Torties , Creams, Lilacs and Flames) |
| Show (Alter) Quality | USD$1200- USD $2300+ | This is a Ragdoll cat that is perfectly marked to be shown at cat shows, but is spayed or neutered. |
| Breeder Quality | USD$1500- USD $2500+ | This is a Ragdoll cat that is fit for breeding and should also have been tested to be free of genetic diseases. |
| Show/Breeder Quality | USD$2300- USD $2700+ | This is a Ragdoll cat that is perfectly marked to be shown at cat shows, and is also fit for breeding. |
Cost of a Pet Over their Lifespan
Owning a pet has many factors such as food, veterinarian visits, pet insurance, grooming their long hair, and related expenses of owning a cat.
60 FAQs About Ragdoll Cats!
We've prepared a list of the most commonly asked questions about Ragdoll cat facts. We hope you find the answers you need right here:
❓ General Ragdoll Information
Are Ragdoll cats quiet?
Yes, they are. While they do engage in social activities and spend time with their human parents, most Ragdoll cats are not vocal. So, if you are looking for a cat to have conversations with, this may not be it. However, their quiet nature makes them ideal for apartment living.
Are Ragdoll cats deaf?
No, they are not. This is one of the common misconceptions about this breed, particularly the lighter-color members such as lilac points or blue points. Their lightly-colored coats and their blue eyes have made many question their hearing, but it is not the case for Ragdoll cat.
Are Ragdoll cats playful?
Energetic, curious, and engaging, Ragdoll cats have a surprising dog-like personality which will immediately show once you start living with them. This is why they actually tend to be playful and very resourceful in spending their time around the home. They can simply enjoy being by themselves by finding something to play with, and they typically relish playing with their human companions just as well.
Regardless if you’re engaging in simple physical games with your Ragdoll, such as playing catch, or if you’re stimulating it with puzzles and other specially created games, you can immediately notice how your cat becomes interested and thrilled. Having said this, here are 5 of our favorite toys for Ragdoll cats:
Yeowww! Yellow Banana Catnip Toy
Ripple Rug Cat Activity Mat
Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy
Blackhole Catch The Tail Cat Toy
Felix Katnip Tree Company Scratching Beam
Thelma Lopez
I have 2 rag doll kittens, they attack my feet when I’m sleeping.. how do I stop this behavior, NO! means nothing, yet they know “treat” & can “sit pretty”.
Patricia McKee
Put a folded blanket across the foot of your bed
Anonymous
Have a spray bottle next to your bed head & when they do that give the a few sprays (have done it with my previous cat he did not like me that very morning but got over it)
Vicki
That's never a good idea. Use an
air spray instead.
Susan K Moore
Why don't Veterinarians know anything about RAGDOLL CAT'S, my Veterinarian keeps telling me, Harmony my RAGDOLL cat is OVER weight. She's been 17 lbs now 4 years.
I feed her IAMS dry cat food. She eat when she gets hungry.
How do i teach my
Veterinarian about
RAGDOLL CATS???????
Jenny
She might be overweight. It depends on the individual cat, not the breed. Dry food is actually the number one cause of obesity. And obesity leads to diabetes. Check out catinfo.org. My male Ragdolls are 11 lbs and 15 lbs - the 15 lb one is fat. He needs to lose weight. If I went by the breed standard my cats should be between 15-20 lbs. And yet my 11 lb one is a perfect weight and my 15 lb cat needs to be more like 13 lbs.
Anna Davis
It's good to know that ragdolls should not be left outside since they can't really defend themselves. I have been living alone for the past six months, and I want to adopt a pet to be my companion. Ragdolls seem like a great choice since they are so social and affectionate.
valerita
Hi there, i live in cape town, south africa. Adopted a ragdoll kitten. She had major health problems, took her to the vet, the vet confirmed that her body is not producing any enzimes. Is this a major illnees,can it be fixed?
I am trying everything to save her.
Any help would be appreciated.
Kind regards
Jenny
Hi Valerita - I am not sure - I can ask our community of Ragdoll cat owners on Facebook for you if you email me or you can post in our Group -
Nikki
Hey There!
We have a 2 year old male ragdoll at home and he is an absolute delight! We love him so much we want to get another and we were also concerned he is alone too much now that we are both working and have moved so our commute is a bit further away.
i have found a pair of male ragdolls needing rehoming that are 1 and 2 years old and was wondering what the general opinion was of bring two adult male ragdolls into the home of another adult male ragdoll and if there are any special considerations.
Our Ragdoll - Moony - was bought from a reputable breeder and had been around a lot of cats as a tiny kitten but has been the only cat in our household ever since.
The two I have found needing rehoming are a 1 year old male and a 2 year old male that the owner does not want to separate.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated 🙂
Jenny
Are you still needing help with this? If so, please email me - [email protected] - and I can post this question on our Facebook page or you could join our Facebook group to see what those folks thought - fewer people are on the website to respond instantaneously like they are on Facebook.
Teresa
We moved into a house a year and a half ago, and there is a neighborhood cat that visits all the time. I'm pretty sure it's a rag doll (at least in part). And is so friendly, my 5 year old daughter loves the cat, and calls the cat Sophia- my daughter has been so silly with the cat, and the cat never reacts. Super soft, and sits on my lap if I'm outside (does the limp thing when picked up... Not sure if its boy or girl, but kitty isn't very big now, so I'm assuming younger female?) Shocked at how mellow that cat is. Thought kitty was declawed at one point, lol. Sophia has been making quarantine life more bearable. I've grown a some respect for this mellow cat. I grew up with cranky barn cats, lol.
Jenny
Love it - thanks for sharing - glad your daughter gets to experience a mellow cat and you too!
Sarah
We adopted a rag doll and he (my son named him Sofie) became best friends with my son. He would come when called and just was my sons little friend. We are devastate as he was hit by a car a few days ago and although the vet could fix his fractured hips, he could not mend his bladder/urethra. We are soooo sad, the breeder said it's not unusual for rag dolls to be run over??? Our friend has been looking after him during this lockdown as we had to move and they are also distraught. He was only 2 1/2 so not even an adult, we had planned for him to be around until my son was an adult! Sooooo so sad!
Jenny
That is freakin' horrible. I am so sorry - definitely one of my biggest fears.
Julia
Hi,
You seem like a person who can give me a good piece of advice 🙂 Can ragdolls be left alone for around 5-6 hours (probably no more)?I looked for the answer on many pages and some said they can't be left even for 2 hours and some say they can be alone for 6-7 hours. I don't know which is right. I am a teenager, I will soon start hight school. My Mom works for 5-6 hours, I will probably end lessons later (7 hours + maybe one extra class in the evening), but that means our cat would be alone just for 5-6 hours. I wrote "just" but I don't know if it is a long amount of time or not. We consider ragdoll (I would love a white, calm, fluffy and loving cat). Our potential cat would be our only pet. Birman wouldn't do because there aren't many birman cat breeders (I haven't found any yet)here, in Poland. Neva masquerade breed is a little too active (we live in the apartament in big city).
So I was wondering whether ragdoll is a right breed for us. The most important thing is whether it can be left alone (as above).
I have just found your page, but I already love it. I would be over the moon if you answered.
Thank you,
Julia
Julia
I would also be grateful for respond from anyone from this community. I love the way you talk about your cats.
Thank you very much,
Julia
Jenny
Hi Julia, sure they can - many cats are left at home during the day when their owners are at work. Just because you are looking at a Ragdoll, though, doesn't mean that they will be calm and a kitten is VERY active. Are you getting a full grown cat or a kitten? Also, I respond to emails more quickly - just a head's up - thanks for writing. Jenny
Julia
Hi,
Thank you very much for answering my question.
Of course I don't mind active kitten, but I heard some breeds are more active than others. I thought more of a kitten. Are there any other important things that I should know about owning a ragdoll?
Thanks,
Julia
Jenny
Hi Julia,
We have a book on Amazon you might find helpful - A Ragdoll Kitten Care Guide: Bringing Your Ragdoll Kitten Home
I also offer it for free once a quarter - so be sure to subscribe to our Newsletter - I announce it there when it's free.
Other than that, you can always read through Ragdoll of the Week stories to see what other Ragdoll cat owners have to say.
Thanks,
Jenny
Aleja Magat
Hi! 🙂
I bought my ragdoll when he was 8 months old... I contacted the breeder and she put him on a plane 1-2 days later... she was very insistent on it as she was going into hospital and I agreed because I didn't want him to be moved around so much. The breeder told me that he was in and out of catteries, and it seems like he was also going from house to house for a while prior to me as she later mentioned that the kittens she still has are staying with different friends of hers or have been left at home alone while people come and feed them and give them water every day. She has also told me that some of the boys have pulled their coats out from stress? The reason she told me he hadn't been sold, along with two siblings, is because they had a problem with their microchips and 2 of the kittens had their microchips switched so they had to be redone? I don't know... it all seems really weird.
He is the gentlest kitten ever, he is 10 months old now, so I have had him for 2 months now. He loves to snuggle and loves to be pet. He has never hissed and never scratched, except for when we try to pick him up and he's not trying to scratch but he tries to get away from us by pushing his legs against us. He becomes very panicked and I'm scared that he'll break his neck or a leg... he will hide for such a long time afterwards and he'll run away and hide as you walk towards him for a few days to a week afterwards... I'm not sure what to do 🙁 I feel like something could have happened in the first 8 months of his life that we haven't been told about... being picked up, it's not that he doesn't like it... he's absolutely terrified of it.
Jenny
Hmmm...probably does have to be with not being handled as a kitten, but a few of ours hate to be held - but my Trigg does that launching thing. Check out our video on how to hold a Ragdoll cat to see what I mean - Trigg is at the end.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDi4nPDM2YM%5B/embedyt%5D
Kenneth Cagle
Hello everyone I'm new to this site but not new to my favorite ragdoll cat named Nubs on account that he doesn't have a tale longer than an inch. I'm was wondering if anybody has had any trouble with breathing problems such as kind of a wheezing when they're sleeping if so any input or information on the subject would be greatly appreciated because I'm kind of worried about him
Jenny
Can you take him to the vet? Or have you taken him to the vet with your concern? I am not sure anyone on here can give you advice, especially from a written message. Wouldn't be morally sound to do so.
Susan K Moore
Weezing and not sleeping
My Harmony gets that when she has an upper
Respiratory infection in her lung's.
You needs to get you cat to his Veterinarian ASAP, or you might not it much longer
Anna Gross
Hi, I have a question. Is it possible for "regular" cat to have this "floppy" behaviour? I have stray cat named Voltaire and he behaves a lot like Ragdoll, despite it don't look like one. He's super friendly, cuddly, welcome-at-door, forever kitten type of cat. We sometimes make jokes that he just thinks he is a dog :-). He's big cat (about 13-14lbs) but looks more like Siberian Cat if they come with a short hair. He is kind of athletic cat, long body, long, muscular paws. He's fur is still about half inch longer than on my other cat, and certainly double coated (he shedds like hell), but no fluffy tail or something like that. Someone told me that's Siberian and common domestic cat mix, but he's almost 4yo and still growing. I wonder if it is possible that he has some ragdoll/ragamuffin ancestor too or this behaviour is just a coincidence?
Jenny
Sure it is - many Ragdolls do not have a floppy behavior! So in other words, being floppy isn't a Ragdoll thing only. You could always have his DNA tested through BASEPAWS Cat DNA Test Kit to find out for sure -
Nancy Gerwig
My rag doll, Handsome Tazewell, just passed away June 29, 2018. He was over 21 years old. Born February 26, 1997. He was from Julia's Dreamdolls in California. He was by my side as my daughters grew up and moved away, saw me through 2 divorces, 3 marriages, 5 houses and 7 jobs. He helped me through so many life changes and helped me celebrate milestones. He was my best friend and I miss him dearly. I miss his blue eyes, loud purr, the way he loved his chin scratched, and how he greeted me every day. I will always love him and hold him in my heart.
Jenny
I am so sorry for your loss. Sounds like he was wonderful - you might consider sharing his story as Ragdoll of the Week - here is a link to the guidelines for submission: https://www.floppycats.com/ragdoll-of-the-week.html
Stacy Harper Foden
I bought my first Ragdoll, a blue mitted, in December of 1997. I bought him as a show kitty and we did that for a few years. I was addicted and decided to breed them. That,unfortunately, was short lived due to a divorce and needing to the care of my family. I only kept my show baby. His name is KimsDolls Silver Sugarbearof Uneedarag. He was born October 4, 1997 and is still alive today. I was curious what is the oldest Ragdoll ever? Does anyone know? Does TICA have a record?
Patti Johnson
So happy you re-posted this information, Jenny! All the great information about practically anything you need to know about This Awesome Floppycat Breed in one location...PAWESOME!!! I'm so glad we opened our home and hearts to our beautiful Miss Pink Sugarbelle back in January 2013. We have not had any regrets, as she continues to delight and improve our lives on a daily basis!!!
THANK YOU for your love of Ragdolls and creating Floppycats.com! I would literally be lost without my Floppycats.com fix for the day!!!
Big hugs & Happy Holidays to you and all the Floppycatters and everyone's furry babies!
Patti & Miss Pink Sugarbelle 🙂 <3
Becca
Yours, is one of my favorite blogs. Wonderful source of info, tips, humor and love of a beautiful breed of cats. I am so blessed to have cats in my life.
Jenny
Thank you, Becca! What other blogs do you visit?
sally
hi jenny. I recently adopted a ragdoll cat male. He is now 1 year old plus. The previous owner has advised me to keep him in the cage for 5 days. At the same time we can pamper him frequently. is that a rule to be a new keeper or owner? they said the process is to let the cat easy to control later instead of the cat control us. is that true?
Jenny
whoa!! that sounds really sad to me. how big is the cage? i have never heard of this before - sounds mean, almost. what i do know is to have a safe room for him for usually 1-2 weeks - depending on the cat and depending on whether or not you have other animals in your house. the safe room allows him to have a place where he feels safe, but at the same time he can get used to the smells and sounds of your home. usually a safe room is a bedroom with a bathroom attached, so that he can go the bathroom, eat, etc. all in one spot. i have also posted your question on facebook to see what others had to say - here's a link to that thread: https://www.facebook.com/floppycats/posts/10151804576638038
Susan K Moore
Animals become DEPRESSED locked up in a cage for no reason...
Ally
Hi I have a 4 and 1/2 month old ragdoll and i feel he's still small. I have seen so many ragdoll who are 4 months and so big. My kitten weighs 7 pounds but look small. I feed him fancy feast, is that good. I had seen a 5month old kitten and he was way bigger that my kitty.
Kay
I had a ragdoll kitten show up under my camper shed (I didn't know at the time that it was a ragdoll). I have two dogs (a border collie and a mix terrior). I tried to find a home for it because I was afraid my grown dogs would hurt it. But I ended up keeping him and I LOVE HIM! The dogs do also. My daughter has a Morkey she brings home every weekend and they play constantly...I have never really been a cat person, but I have been so lucky (this is what we named him) to have him in my life.
Sandra
Just a note of follow up: Kaos with Early Kidney & Hyper Thyroid
He is doing REALLY WELL with 1/4 tablet of 5 mgTapazole / Methimazole per day.
He's gained weight, his coat is soft, his eyes are clearm, he is walking, talking and stretching on the floor as usual.
He eats a variety of dry food Hill's and MediCal - Royal Canin plus same wet food.
We still watch him for outward changes as Cat's are masters of hiding pain.
But so far he's doing well and we;re happy.
Jenny
I am pleased he is doing well and glad that the thyroid issues are under control. is he easy to pill?
i am surprised to hear he's on dry food with kidney issues.
Sandra
Hi Jenny,
I think all animals hate pills .... like a child he sticks his tongue to the roof of his mouth !! So I just wait for the moment he drops his tongue and pop the pill in, give him a little squirt of water from the syringe to help him swallow ...credit to my vet Dr. Ron Torrence, a wonderful, country type vet in the city.
It is most important that a cat with early kidney failure and Hyper thyroid eats to keep his energy up, especially as a Senior cat he needs protein like kittens.
He has been eating dry food and some wet food all of his life - Today - I tend to offer him more variety especially if I see he's not eating.
MOST importantly I have 6 BLOOD / URINE tests over 5 years on a spread sheet so I can see what is happening by each area - this is the most critical action anyone can take ... don't just go by well it's normal ... what is the Number? How ha it changed over 6 months or 1 year?
If at any time, you're really concerned - take your blood / urine tests for a 2nd opinion.
Along with his current behavior is the best guidance on how to care for him for longevity, with lots of love and a watchful eye. None of us live forever, but we do the very best.
This is my experience and maybe it will help someone else struggling with a similar health issue affect their baby and if you're concerned, get a 2nd opinion of the bloodwork/urine.
I only wish the very best for everyone who have 4 legged friends in their life!
Jenny
That's great that you give him a squirt of water - I didn't think of that when I was going through the pill popping process with my old man, but have since read of it's importance.
Dry food makes his kidneys work harder and usually wet food has more protein - just food for thought. Have you read http://www.catinfo.org?
I had hyperthyroidism, so I understand the disease well.
Amy
Hi...I have a 3 year old Rag.....He is a beautiful boy for sure..he is a very independent boy...really doesnt want to be held...he sleeps with me but down on the foot of the bed...He is happiest if I leave him alone..LOL...occasionally he wants to be loved on and will follow me around until I stop and love on him, but that is rare....he is super sweet to me and to my little dogs...however,...he is very agressive to my other two cats...he is the baby of the cats and when I got him I was worried the other two would pick on him, but they didnt they accepted him right away...he has never warmed up to them....he will attack (usually right after all the lights go out at bedtime) and has actually scratched a big gash in my middle cats belly... Just wanted to know if anyone else's Ragdoll is agressive like my Bailey...or if I have an exception to the rule... When I was researching the breed before I got him, I read many times that you couldnt let a Ragdoll out because they wont fight and are submissive so if confronted by another animal they could get hurt...My Bailey definitely does not fit this description at all..