Raleigh York – Ragdoll Kitten of the Month

In May 2022, we lost our beloved female, Persian Ginger Belle, to cancer. Her loss brought a quiet about the house with us and our three cats, Lily, Bazil, and Cotton. The house didn’t seem the same with three four-legged family members when four had been the norm for a while. We decided to find another Ragdoll, and knowing the popularity of the breed, we would be on a breeder waiting list somewhere. So we asked Ginger to help us find a new Rainbow Kitty for the house. Within a day, a posting for a new litter of Ragdoll kittens became available on Hoobly. The breeder was BlakeCarroll, located in Hardeeville, a three-hour drive from our home in Cheraw, SC. We contacted the breeder and placed a deposit on a little boy. The breeders were friendly and kept us up to date with information about our new family members. In June 2022, we picked up Chocolate Point Raleigh York and brought him to his forever home in Cheraw. We gave him the southern name of Raleigh with the middle name of York. This is because York was the Maine town we used to live in, and Raleigh because he is a southern boy. He instantly fit right in and started exploring the house. Our 12 year young Ragdoll Lily instantly gave him the hiss hello and looked at us as if to say, “What is this”? Meanwhile, our Persian male Bazil and our deaf Ragdoll Cotton realized they had a new wrestling buddy. The playful antics began almost immediately. It was a tough couple of weeks with playful Raleigh wanting to wrestle with Bazil and Cotton constantly. But the chocolate point boy was full of energy. Cotton quickly became his Idol, and he started to follow Cotton’s lead. To this day, they are still best friends. They love to play chase around the house and wrestle on occasion. They eat together in the morning and the afternoon. Raleigh has tried to copy Cotton’s lifestyle and be like him. The chocolate point loves to watch the squirrels run around the yard and chirp at the birds eating at the feeders. He is quite the bug catcher. Nothing gets by him as he knows where the car treats are and when the monthly Kitnip box arrives. The little man loves getting into that adventure. He loves boxes and helping with projects around the house. Unfortunately, one of his favorite things is to hide under a rug and ambush the other cats. Thankfully, they have figured this out and turned the tide on him sometimes. Ralz, as he is called, is a big kitten. On his one-year birthday, the chocolate point weighed fifteen pounds and was bigger than our other two Ragdolls and Persian. He is a gentle giant and lover with a wild side. Raleigh is such an addition to the clowder in this house. To this day, Lily Lu tolerates him, but he still gets hissed at by her. He is just too full of play for the old girl. On the other hand, Bazil loves to play chase with him. He and Cotton are still best buds and look forward to seeing each other every morning. The cat life is never dull in this household.

Thank you for reading! Submissions like these – the “Cat of the Week” and “Kitten of the Month”- are provided by their owners and reflect their individual experiences and practices. The information these submissions share does not necessarily reflect Floppycats’ recommendation or endorsement regarding cat nutrition or care. Always consult a qualified feline nutritionist or veterinarian for personalized advice on your cat’s dietary and health needs. If you want to learn more about species-appropriate nutrition, please visit our cat food page.