Post # 16
Member
204 posts
Helper bee
kcoast : I’m of the opposite opinion but good breeders do ship as well. My mom wanted a very specific breed of dog and the breeders nearby where “meh” at best so she bought one from Finland and had it shipped to the USA and drove down to get him from Canada. Absolutely nothing sketchy about it, the breeders are top notch and knew where he was going.
I have no insight on rag dolls and I am sooooo not a cat person but this breed would be my one exception. They’re SO CUTE!!!! I can’t wait to see pictures when you get one 🙂
Post # 17
Member
442 posts
Helper bee
Why is it so important that you get a purebred ragdoll?
I’ve never had one but my mum does…we had all moggies when I was growing up, Darling Husband and I have two at the moment…mum’s ragdoll is actually the only purebred cat we’ve had in the family, and her temperament is pretty awful at times. They’re beautiful cats, but in my experience they can be a bit psycho despite their cuddly reputation (FYI: I’m a vet)
Post # 18
Member
388 posts
Helper bee
I have no recs for current breeders but just wanted to say I grew up with a Ragdoll and he was my best friend. He was gorgeous, gentle, smart, and the biggest lovebug. He slept on my bed every night and lived to be 19 years old. My aunt used to breed them and had a house full of friendly cats – it was impossible to go over there and NOT have a cat in yourlap. 🙂
Post # 19
Member
2523 posts
Sugar bee
Ragdolls are great, but super expensive cats where I’m from. They were $1000 dollars about 15 years ago when my family looked for one. We ended up with 2 cats from a breeder than breed 50% ragdool and 50% himalayan. Interestingly enough, one looked like a ragdoll and one looked like a himalayan and each had the personalities of the breed they looked at. The ragdoll was super sweet, chill, mellow, and friendly, and the himalayan is more skiddish, but super cuddly. The ragdoll was my favorite and she made even the purest of dog lovers love her. However, ragdolls also have a lot of health problems associated with them, and shorter lifespans than most cats. My ragdoll looking cat suffered arthritis and passed away recently at around 15 years of age.
Post # 20
Hostess
9693 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
- Wedding: March 2014 - Chicago, IL
kcoast : Hey there! I have a ragdoll from a super reputable breeder (she shows her cats and is always improving). She also has retired show cats that she sells for about half the price of kittens. My friend actually got my cat’s brother, after she retired him from shows. I believe she will ship with a cat-nanny, so feel free to PM me for more information – I cannot recommend her enough!
Here’s our beautiful floof
Post # 21
Member
1165 posts
Bumble bee
mgbser : I grew up with a Himalayan Siamese mix. He was a really mean cat, and I will never own another Himalayan again just because of the bad experience 😜 I have heard that very well bred rag dolls actually have extremely low health problems.
Post # 22
Member
1165 posts
Bumble bee
sydneyfrancis88 : I’m pretty set on the ragdoll purebred because I want the floppy personality they have, the sweet temperament, the “puppy like” behavior and so on. I don’t want anything that is a ragdoll mixed with a Siamese or Himalayan because I grew up with a Siamese Himalayan mix and he was the nastiest cat ever. I have just done a ton of research on them and everything about he breed I’m just in love with.
My friend works in a vet office and the ones she’s seen always have the traditional personality. My old professor also owns 2 with the same traditional personality too.
Post # 23
Member
383 posts
Helper bee
Here’s my ragdoll! She’ll be 3 in May. She has the sweetest personality, acts like a puppy and follows us everywhere we go. I’m from MN, so I don’t have a breeder recommendation, but if you and you’re Fiance work full-time I would recommend getting two instead of one, so they will have a companion! Our cat is very needy and loves attention, but sadly our condo doesn’t allow more than one cat. We’re buying a house this fall and plan to get a companion for her, this time a rescue!
Post # 24
Member
112 posts
Blushing bee
They look like regular longhaired cats to me so why not just adopt. Unless you’re into doing shows there’s no reason to get a cat from a breeder
Post # 25
Member
181 posts
Blushing bee
kcoast : I agree. Well bred ragdolls are not only bred for temperment, but for superior health as well. Of course there are exceptions to this, they ARE still animals. It has been my extremely rare experience to hear of a poorly behaved ragdoll, or one who suffers with health maladies. I believe, the ones wirh unquestionable lines, are more prone to such. Just my opinion, I have no proofs to these points.
Post # 26
Member
62 posts
Worker bee
I own a ragdoll!! He’s amazing! So loving and cuddley and he’s awesome with kids… he lets my niece and nephew pet him and tolerates them being a little too aggressive. I’m on the east coast so unfortunately I can’t help you with any reputable breeders. I have to say when you get your kitty be prepared to own lots of lint rollers! 
Post # 27
Member
2680 posts
Sugar bee
Louis always thought he was a humble street cat…then he read this thread and learned he’s a “fancy” cat! 🎩🥂
Post # 28
Member
2523 posts
Sugar bee
kcoast : My music teacher growing up had a bunch of siamese cats- they were very mean and creepy. I grew up mostly with a dog and loved it, but really really feel in love with this ragdoll cat. Most of the health complications are true of any pure bred animal, however ragdolls do have a shorter life span than most cat breeds (they are one of the biggest domestic cat breeds, and just like big dogs generally don’t live as long, neither do larger cats.)
Post # 29
Member
401 posts
Helper bee
abl13 : It’s not really a looks only thing. Rag dolls are very social creature and often behave more like dogs than cats. Obviously , there is no guarantee that a purebred will have the promise traits, but good breeders are selecting for them.
And yes, very social mixes exist, but it’s much harder to determine that at the kitten stage.
Post # 30
Member
14 posts
Newbee
Hi! I’m from across the pond but we have a ragdoll! He is named Boris and is our absolute baby! They really do make the best pets!
I’m not surprised you can’t find a rescue – why would anyone give them up!?
If you do buy from a breeder like we did, I would just make sure you are able to visit the litter with mum and generally they shouldn’t be letting them leave until around 12 weeks at least.
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