Rusty – Ragdoll of the Week

Tom & I wanted four-month-old Lacey to grow up with a sibling so we contacted Lexes Dolls, a Ragdoll breeder. She had one kitten available, a male Red Flame Lynx. We said YES, and brought him home a few days later.

Rusty Comes Home

Rusty joined our family at two-months-old. Right from the start, he was confident and showed no fear of his new surroundings. Lacey on the other hand, was not happy to see this new fluffy little guy invading her space.

For the first couple of days, we kept them in separate rooms. Tom & Rusty hung out in the bedroom, Lacey & me in the living room.

Rusty was a tiny, adorable, ball of fur. Lacey looked huge next to him. Tom held Rusty and let Lacey sniff him. She hissed and growled. Oh no, this was not what we hoped for!

Rusty and Lacey Meet

A few days later, under close supervision, Rusty was allowed out of the bedroom. Lacey chased him, dominating him, taking him down, and biting him. We stepped in and stopped her. He was so tiny; we were afraid she was going to hurt him.

But Rusty was never afraid. He fought back! Way to go Rusty. Within a couple of weeks, Lacey accepted him and they started playing, chasing each other, tearing through the house. It was so much fun watching them. She had a brother and we were thrilled. They slept together nestled in a small cat tree or a tray on our coffee table.

Rusty’s Color Development

Right from the start, Rusty was cuddlier. He liked to be held, nuzzled my neck, sucking on my ear lobe. Such a sweet kitten. Rusty was white with red on his nose, ears and tail. The breeder said as he got older, his color would deepen and eventually his back would turn a peach color. But we’d have to wait until he was at least a year old for his color to develop.

Rusty Has a Hardy Appetitte

Rusty is a hardy eater. The breeder fed him kibble and he LOVES it! I learned about the dangers of urinary issues due to the dryness in kibble plus it lacks nutritional value. I switched both to TikiCats canned food. It has been a struggle. Rusty really wants kibble. I have slowly reduced kibble down to a handful a day.  My goal in the new year is to get them both switched over to homemade raw.

Rusty is now 16 months old. He is a big beautiful healthy boy. His color has changed. The red is more pronounced and his back is now peach-colored, as promised. I’ve read it takes 3-4 yrs for Ragdoll colors to fully develop so will be interesting to see how he may change in the coming years.

Both cats were fixed at 6 months old. Rusty sailed right through it. Today, he’s twice her size, weighing approx. 14 pounds. Rusty is definitely the BOSS in the relationship. She submits to him, unlike the early days. LOL. They are a bonded pair. They keep each other company and take turns grooming each other.

We consider Rusty and Lacey our kids and we love them very much.