Ragdoll "parents" -- this thread''s for you! Brag and post photos here!

[rainbowtrout]

Awwww, Teehee, I love Teddy''s lion cut! We used to do that to my Maine Coon. I have a little shaver for Chen but he only tolerates it long enough to sort of thin out his coat a bit.

What a cutie, love the sink shot! One of those things where you think...err...I shouldn''t let them do that...but oh, so cute....awww, what the heck!

 

[AmberGretchen]

RT - our Amber (orange tabby girl) had the same thing happen to her paw/claw about a year and a half ago - same thing, a little bit of blood but mostly intact. We called the vet and they said to try to bandage it with antibiotic ointment, so we tried. It took me and DH (FI at the time) about 20 minutes in the bathroom with struggling, yowling, writhing cat, and we really thought we had the bandage on securely. We put her down on the floor, she shook her paw hard about three times and it came right off again...

So we just didn''t bother, and kept an eye on it and it healed up fine.

Shigidigi - our Ollie was a rescued orphan. We had no idea he was a Raggie when we got him. I would HIGHLY recommend looking into Ragdoll rescues near you - there are a lot of them around. They often have slightly older cats, which can be a big advantage, because you know what their final personality will be. If you get a kitten from a breeder, it can be a bit of a gamble, because unless they are a really good breeder (which can be hard to find), the kittens may not grow up to have proper Ragdoll temperaments and/or looks.

 

[teetee]

Date: 9/10/2007 6:34:35 PM
Author: FireGoddess
For my own curiosity....RT...when you say they ''didn''t get along at first''...can you clarify what exactly that involved? Did it involve screaming and scratching and biting? Or just avoidance? Cuz seeing everyone''s cats together is making me really jealous that mine are still completely separated.

I too am so jealous of all the photos of kitties snuggling together. It was my dream that I would come home one day to see mine cuddling but that never happened. I got Teddy when Whiskers was about 4.5 yrs old and she hated him so much. The minute we brought him home in the carrier, she followed us up the stairs and hissed the whole time. She eventually tolerated him being around but the poor baby had to walk around her and was afraid to cross her path. That was until he got a little bigger and braver. Things never got to the point of drawing blood but they were never lovey dovey either. Earlier this summer, Whiskers got really sick and I had to make the hard decision to put her to sleep. Sorry there was not a happy ending to this story. She was my first cat and very special to me. The silver lining is that Teddy is healthy and he is the most loving, sweet kitty. I am enjoying everyday with him.

FireGoddess - I thought you would enjoy this photo...do you witness acts like this in your home?

 

[teetee]

Date: 9/10/2007 6:01:57 PM
Author: shigidigi
You all have the most beautiful cats! I am in love with the tufty feet!!

We''re looking to get one more in the future to go with our girls and I would just love a ragdoll. Can I ask- where did you all get your furbabies? Were they from a breeder or good ol'' shelter kitties?

I also got Teddy from a breeder. Fortunately for me, there a bunch within a couple hours of where I live but when I called around to see if I could see the kittens, no one would agree to show them unless I was going to put a deposit that same day. At that point, I had never seen a ragdoll before and just wanted to hold one and see if they were any different from a domestic cat before making the commitment. One of the breeders I called gave me the great suggestion to check out the raggies at a cat show. We spontaneously went that afternoon and met some nice breeders and luckily one had the exact color we wanted.

 

[teetee]

Date: 9/10/2007 9:13:15 PM
Author: rainbowtrout
Awwww, Teehee, I love Teddy''s lion cut! We used to do that to my Maine Coon. I have a little shaver for Chen but he only tolerates it long enough to sort of thin out his coat a bit.

What a cutie, love the sink shot! One of those things where you think...err...I shouldn''t let them do that...but oh, so cute....awww, what the heck!

Thanks rainbowtrout. That sink is in Teddy''s personal bathroom so no one really uses it so I figure it''s ok for him to make it his bed

Your kitties are adorable. I do hope they become the best of friends one day.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/11/2007 3:14:17 AM
Author: teetee

Date: 9/10/2007 9:13:15 PM
Author: rainbowtrout
Awwww, Teehee, I love Teddy's lion cut! We used to do that to my Maine Coon. I have a little shaver for Chen but he only tolerates it long enough to sort of thin out his coat a bit.

What a cutie, love the sink shot! One of those things where you think...err...I shouldn't let them do that...but oh, so cute....awww, what the heck!

Thanks rainbowtrout. That sink is in Teddy's personal bathroom so no one really uses it so I figure it's ok for him to make it his bed

Your kitties are adorable. I do hope they become the best of friends one day.

Marvellous stuff - his own bathroom!!!

:

 

[omieluv]

Shigidigi
I found Omie at a shelter and I really was not looking for a raggie, so I got very lucky! The only catch is, I do not have any papers showing that she is indeed a true raggie, but that is fine with me. Of course, I encourage everyone to check out shelters for cats needing a home. However, going to a breeder may be a better option for some families, so there is nothing wrong with going that route either. Teetee''s suggestion to go to a local cat show is excellent because you will have an opportunity to snuggle these kitties and to meet breeders. Here are some associations you can check into, which should have links to their show schedule:

The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA)- http://www.cfainc.org/
The International Cat Association, Inc. (TICA) - http://www.tica.org/html/english/home/
American Cat Fanciers Association (AFCA)- http://www.acfacats.com/index.html
The Traditional Cat Association (TCA) - www.traditionalcats.com

You may also want to check into Ragdoll Central - http://www.ragdollcentral.com/phpBB2/index.php
This is a friendly community devoted to raggies and will be glad to refer you to breeders in your area. Not only will they refer you to breeders, but they can help you to determine good breeders from bad ones.

General tips for finding a "good" breeder are:
1. How old do they keep kittens with their mothers (the "right" answer is 12 weeks, according to raggie experts)?
2. Do they keep both parents at location (hopefully they do not, as this can be a sign of a back yard breeder).
3. Are they members of any associations (listen for TICA and/or CFA & TCA if they say only USDA, run).
4. If so, how active are they in showing (this demonstrates their desire to maintain breed standards)
5. How many breedings does the breeder plan for each female each year?
6. Ensure the home is reasonably clean. I visited a breeder''s home and could not tell she had over 10 cats & kittens.
7. If they ask for money before viewing the cat, run. Should you decide to go forward & purchase a kitten, it is perfectly normal for a breeder to ask for a deposit, if the kitten has not been born yet, or is too young to leave the mother. The deposit should be deducted from the total cost of the kitten, however (find out if it can be refunded, not all will, but that is not necessarily a bad thing, more an FYI).
8. Do they have a contract? (if no, run)
9. If there is a contract, find out about guarantees & health certificates & declawing & genetic screening.
10. Are kittens raised in cages or are they raised in a family environment among other pets and children?

I am sure there are more tips that I have not listed but this is a good start. Also, check out this link, which will detail more about the contract and visiting the breeder: http://www.petplace.com/cats/finding-and-choosing-a-purebred-cat-breeder/page1.aspx

 

[FireGoddess]

OMG teetee that picture cracked me UP!!! Literally laughing out loud here. That....is so priceless.

The 2 times Holly and Chloe were in the same room they were tearing each other's hair out. So that picture would actually be an improvement in my household. LOL.

Chloe is so terrified of everything that if it were any other cat, I'd let them work it out...but she already lives in crippling fear of most things except for me that I don't want to give her a coronary. They are enjoying their 'separate' lives (even if I wish it weren't so!).

 

[shigidigi]

You guys are awesome! Not only do you have tons of information on diamonds but you are a wealth of knowledge about Ragdolls!

Thank you to each and everyone who gave information- I will be sure to check out each one of your resources as well as potentially go to a cat show (as if I needed another reason to oogle cats in person!)

Now if only a way to tell FI that the day we "add" to our family is coming sooner than he thought...

 

[rainbowtrout]

Just two more for now

We are soooo tired!

 

[Lorelei]

It looks like little MC has cottoned on to big brother Chen RT!!! Bless!!

 

[rainbowtrout]

mc grooming chen by....getting a half nelson on his neck??

 

[omieluv]

Too cute!!

 

[Lorelei]

LOVE MC''s little feets with his white toes....

 

[AmberGretchen]

awww...those are SO CUTE

I ADORE the one of them sleeping - there''s something about sleeping kitties that is just so darling!! That''s funny that MC sleeps stretched out like that, it must be hot there. Our girls usually sleep all curled up and tucked in neatly, but Oliver always has some part of him sprawling out, usually the tail. We just figured it was another raggie trait LOL

I am completely enthralled with MC''s tail - its so beautiful and bushy, but the rest of him looks short haired, no? Very beautiful and unusual

 

[omieluv]

Seing all of these snuggles really makes me want to add to the kitty family. I just doubt the diva in Omie will allow that to happen.

 

[Harleigh]

They are just adorable! Thanks for sharing with us!

 

[BriBee]

Date: 7/31/2007 9:41:35 PM
Author: KittenKat
Oops, let me try again...

Oh how cute!!! Your baby looks just like my Bobo. I have a seal color point boy, and a new girl about 6 months old who''s a seal lynk mitted...I''ll have to get some pics up

 

[rainbowtrout]

Date: 9/13/2007 11:50:42 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
awww...those are SO CUTE

I ADORE the one of them sleeping - there''s something about sleeping kitties that is just so darling!! That''s funny that MC sleeps stretched out like that, it must be hot there. Our girls usually sleep all curled up and tucked in neatly, but Oliver always has some part of him sprawling out, usually the tail. We just figured it was another raggie trait LOL

I am completely enthralled with MC''s tail - its so beautiful and bushy, but the rest of him looks short haired, no? Very beautiful and unusual

Yep, it''s pretty warm, but then MC''s never had cold weather in his little life, so we''ll see what he does! MC''s coat is sort of odd--he has long guard hairs, but not enough to make him a long-hair, and a short-haired undercoat, plus a kind of long-haired tail. Chen actually likes to sleep splayed on his back with all paws to the wind, I''ll have to get a picture of this sometime

 

[AmberGretchen]

OMG I would LOVE to see a picture of Chen like that. I''m pretty sure I have a picture of our orange tabby girl sleeping like that from back when we first got her - I''ll have to see if I can find it on my computer. Cracks me up when they do stuff like that...

 

[Lynn B]

Got some cute pics of Little Boo yesterday, and thought I'd update this thread!

He's 7 1/2 months old now... and 8.5 pounds. Getting bigger, sweeter, cuter, and more spoiled every day!!!

He LOOOVES to try to dislocate his hips

and squeeeeeeeze under things he's really too big for!

 

[Lynn B]

Is there ANYTHING more adorable than a sleeping kitty???!

 

[Lynn B]

And one more (for now!)

Hey, AG... have you noticed the tail... (not to be confused with *The Tail*, of course

-- but I think Boo may end up making Ollie PROUD!!!)

 

[Lynn B]

Oh, I guess I have time for one more! The little monkey loves to drink from the faucet... so *of course* we had to get him the Drinkwell Pet Fountain!

(LOVE it, BTW!)

 

[AmberGretchen]

OMG Lynn he looks so sweet and snuggly and handsome and soft

I don''t know how you ever get anything done around the house - I would just be tempted to moosh him and snuggle him 24/7 (or at least whenever I was home!)

Thank you thank you thank you for the new pictures - I''ve got a long icky experiment today and those definitely provided a much needed boost.

So funny, too - you mentioned the tail, I was actually noticing it in the shot of him trying to get under something, as Ollie does that too - his favorite is the couch, which was easy when he was younger but is more of a...ahem...struggle now (its actually really funny to watch). I do think the tail is doing Ollie proud - I really think they look like long-lost siblings or something.

Boo looks so beautiful and happy - thank you so much for the new pictures, they are delightful and have totally made my morning

 

[Miranda]

Boo is getting BIG!!! What a sweet little snuggle face. I want to kiss that little light pink nose. OK, I''m getting a little weird now...

Leo squishes his big self under DD''s dresser, too. He goes there when he can''t handle DD or me singing to him or petting him or hugging him anymore.

 

[FireGoddess]

Lynn!!! Boo looks so big...omg I can hardly believe it! He weighs less than Chloe but looks twice the size of her!!

I love the new pics...this one is totally avatar worthy!!! So adorable.

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 9/17/2007 4:06:49 PM
Author: FireGoddess

...I love the new pics...this one is totally avatar worthy!!! So adorable.

So it is written, so it shall be done!

It IS adorable, thanks for doing all the work, FG! xoxoxo

 

[Lynn B]

Awww, AG, Miranda, FG...

Thanks for the notes! xoxoxo
I thought of you guys as I posted the pictures... I knew you''d love them!

Boo is such a delight... and believe me, it IS hard to get anything done when I am at home because his adorableness (sp?!

) is just sooo hard to resist! He''s just soooooooo mooshy and squooshy and softie and tuftie and mmmm, he smells sooooo good!!! And that surprisingly deep, gravelly little purr... OH! Intoxicating!!!

 

[omieluv]

Boo is so adorable! I love all of his pictures. His tail is starting to fill in and pretty soon, it will need its own postal code!