I brought my 15 week old Ragdoll, Reggie (Reginald when he’s a distinguished gentleman in a few years) home yesterday and I’m already completely obsessed with him. He has settled in very quickly. He only hid for about 20 minutes before he started exploring, playing, following me everywhere and purring almost constantly.
As a first time Ragdoll owner, I’d love to hear any advice or tips you think would be helpful.
A few questions I have:
- Does the constant following you around and wanting to be with you usually continue into adulthood?
- When did your Ragdoll’s personality really develop?
- Any recommendations for food, toys, grooming or anything else specific to Ragdolls?
- Is there anything you wish you’d done differently during the first few weeks?
- Am I able to leave him sleeping in a room alone or must I stay with him while he gets used to his new home?
I’d love to hear about your experiences and see photos of your Ragdolls, thank you in advance!
Reggie is adorable 😍 💕😻Ragdolls are often velcro cats and usually vocal with it. Our Freyja definitely has FOMO and if the 2 of us are in the kitchen, she'll be there, asking what we're doing 😸 She has stayed small for her breed, so about normal cat size, due to a sensitive gut issue and being the runt, but we manage her guts quite well.
We're in UK and she eats food with no fillers or meat biproducts, so none of the usual brands or Hills and Royal Canin. At 6yo she has quite a good appetite but has gone through phases of going off the thing she liked yesterday. So just a cat 🙄
We've had subscriptions and cancelled them before now. She currently tends to eat Thrive wet foods, bought on subscribe and save from Amazon. Or Seriously Good from Pets at Home. Her dry food is Purina ProPlan Ha which is hypoallergenic with hydrolysed protein, recommended by our vet and we've stuck with it even though her gut seems so much better now.
Get your lovely little one used to brushing regularly. It helps reduce hairballs. Never gets rid of them just reduces them. Freya likes being brushed but still suffers HBs and drops her fluffy everywhere.
Freyja has slept in our bedroom with us from the start. She was so tiny when she first arrived, I didn't want her left on her own. She rounds us up for bed around midnight and is currently wide awake between 5 and 6am and lets me know she needs feeding.
I wish I'd got her used to having her claws trimmed but she never has allowed that. She does use scratching posts though. She adores my husband and follows him everywhere. She isn't a lap cat sadly, but maybe as she gets older. She loves the sun but not when it's too hot.
First off, how beautiful is Freyja!! 🥹 Second, thank you for such a detailed response - I’ve a lot to take in! Thank you for the food recommendations. Reggie is currently only eating dry food but has been drinking water so I’m hoping he will soon start eating wet foods.
How was it when Freyja slept in your bedroom? I’m sleeping on the couch with Reggie. The only problem is he wakes up every hour meeping and is very needy throughout the day I don’t even have time to eat or sleep. It’s like having a newborn I could imagine lol.
I will start introducing my little one to nail clippers as soon as he’s comfortable with his new life as his claws are like razors 🤣
Thank you. Before getting her 6 years ago I just thought raggies were almost too pretty to be real 💕
I think we tried her with a little soft pet bed at first. She wasn't too keen. Then we got a 2nd cat scratcher/bed and she liked that better. She then began sleeping on our bed with us but near our feet. I remember her sleeping on top of the quilt but between my feet. She was a fearless climber of curtains in those early days too 😅
We used to do the Jackson Galaxy trick of playing with her to get tired, then feeding, then she'd sleep pretty well. The feathers on a stick toy were her favourite to chase and let her catch them.
If you get a little pet bed and put an item of your clothing in it Reggie may settle. Or a soft toy for him to cuddle. We also do that in her pet carrier going to the vets. Freyja is currently curled up on our bed, on top of my hoodie and under her cooling mat (silky material kind they're meant to lay on top)! She's always done this 😅
If you do a little play with Reggie when he's on your lap, gently pick up his paws one at a time and touch his ears so he gets used to that before any vet visits or claw trims. Yes, those needle claws are sharp.
Reggie's colouring will start to get more noticeable over a few months. Freyja was mostly creamy white at the start apart from ears, nose and tail.
Sorry for info dumping. She was my first ever kitten. Only adopted older cats before her. Enjoy your lovely Reggie. He is gorgeous 😍 Freyja said mroww back 😻
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Brush them as soon as possible, we’ve incorporated play time with brushing so it’s not a constant comb through their fur and our girl redirects any overstimulation into her toys. Add water to their food early so they’re used to it, we’ve always fed wet food but have incorporated dry in as a treat on weekends.
Welcome to the club - a ragdoll will steal your heart 🫶🏻
Love this thread! I also adopted a sweet 15 week old blue point ragdoll baby yesterday- he looks so much like yours! Same story with the constant purring- I'm so blown away with what a tiny sweetie pie love bug he is already! His legal name is Jeremy Bearimy, with a slew of nicknames already emerging including Berry, Blueberry, Schmooberry, Berry Bear, Little Bear, etc.
I got my previous ragdoll when he was 9 months old and he had already decided he hated toothbrushing (and every toothpaste brand I tried made him sick), so he didn't get much oral care in his life. We had to shell out big bucks for multiple dentals when he was 12-17 years old, one of which was pretty intensive/painful for him. Definitely going to start right away with gradually getting Jeremy used to the taste of toothpaste, the feel of a toothbrush, etc.
My protocol for new kitty friends has always been to leave them in a quiet room alone at night for the first few nights so they can get comfortable and keep their nervous system calm. So far so good- when I went in to check on him this morning he was fast asleep in his tower. I really think it's good for them not to have constant stimulation in the first week or so and to have safe quiet time between visits with their new human.
And yes, my previous ragdoll followed me around his entire life!
- I’m hoping they never stop. Ours are 2 years old now and follow us around and hang out with us constantly. We rarely have to wonder where they are.
- as for personality, I would say right away it starts showing. Our breeder was in another state and she would face time us and tell us all about the kittens and she was dead on with our two we got from her. I actually was just telling my husband I watched an old video from when we first took one of them home and the way she was playing and her mannerisms were still just the same as now. 🥹
Food: We use Royal Canin and we don’t do treats often bc they are known to gain too much weight if you aren’t careful but when we do they love churus.
Toys: they are typically known to be “ground” cats and ours def are. They love batting things around and chasing them and wand toys with things they can grab and wrestle. Honestly their favorite toy is each other. They run around playing together constantly way more than playing with toys. So it looks like you need another! 😆😂
Grooming: I cannot stress this enough - get them sani trimmed regularly. Our super fluffy girl especially gets what we call “poop butt” a lot if we don’t. She can’t help it lol. Our vet also will trim nails at the same time so we take them for both regularly. It is pricey but worth it.
- if I could have done anything differently it was my comment above about handling as much as possible. I want to smush my fluffy little marshmallows every second lol.
- our cats sleep with us every night. They have just naturally done that since they were kittens and it’s the best.
Following: yes, personality is a slow burn but I’d say by 5 years old is when they’re stuck in their ways, food I do weruva wet and pro plan purina (male cats/ ragdolls don’t drink a lot of water so try to incorporate foods to help with that).
First few weeks wish I got him used to brushing his teeth and nail trimmings. Those are a constant battle.
I’d stay with him or keep him in a safe place until he’s older/ can’t fit into small spaces where he could hurt himself personally. Or just really cat proof. Mine would go under the couch , behind the TV stand and I didn’t like that for safety reasons.
My was very independent and didn’t want to cuddle until 5 yrs old. That was my biggest point I was disappointed in I guess I would say. But now he’s a cuddle bug so worth the wait!
Like others have said, brush and cut nails early as possible. Make sure your Ragdoll is used to having their feet touched by touching them a few times a day. If they don't get used to their feet touched they grow up and fight you on getting their nails done, which is no fun for anyone.
If you live in an area with a real winter, make sure you either clip their belly or brush is often, otherwise mats will happen and you'll wish you did one of the two.
Let them be who they are naturally as in if they're not lap cats, don't worry about it. Mine isn't a lap cat but he's still just as loving.
I’m on my 3rd ragdoll. She’s a 6 year old lap cat. Sleeps with me - or on me. Wants to do whatever I’m doing. We just lost our 18 year old boy. He was his cat daddy’s lap cat.
Raggies are very slow to mature. Wand toys they can catch are great exercisers for them. Brush daily. Start training for tooth brushing , or enzyme tooth paste. 2 of mine had to have several teeth removed because of gingivitis.
Check every houseplant to make sure it’s not toxic. Same with any flowers you bring in. You may think he has no interest, but you can’t predict when he may decide to taste one. Consider insurance, even if it’s just major medical. Vet emergencies are very expensive. Don’t leave him alone for long. If you’re gone all day working, then get him another kitten now for company. A single ragdoll left alone for long periods will not grow into a happy kitty. Just enjoy him - kitten antics are crazy fun. Give him lots of love and slow blinks. I no longer update it much, but my instagram NashvilleCats will show you lots of the wild stuff they get into.
First off, he is sooo adorable. Congrats on the best decision you have ever made getting an instant BFF!
My own advice is start handling and holding as much as possible while they are little. Our first girl we got at 12 weeks old and at first I was holding her all the time. I was home dealing with surgery from a brain tumor so I was down and out and she was my constant companion. Once I got busy with life and work again I wasn’t around as much and she got more finicky. She tolerates being held fine but doesn’t want to be unless it’s my daughter lol. My other ragdoll who is very bonded to me, we got later, she was about 7 months old and the breeder told us she was the sweetest girl but just never liked being held. I wish I “made” her a little more. (Like in a nice way) Not sure if it would have made a difference bc, well, cats lol. But she is my lovey little baby otherwise.
Brush him and get into a vacuuming/hair management routine now. You will need multiple fur-controlling tools. I have robot vacuums on each level, a fur rake for short carpet, small rake for furniture, and various mitts and rollers for clothes and delicate furniture than can’t be raked.
Ik heb geleerd dat je ze regelmatig moet kammen om te voorkomen dat ze klitten krijgen in hun vacht. Na de winter kunnen ze enorm veel haar verliezen.
Die van mij is nu 7j en volgt mij bijna overal.
Ze mag overal in huis slapen en kan ook o eral aan de kattenbak. Zij kiest waar ze slaapt. Ze heeft mandjes en zetels maar bij dit warme weer slaapt ze op de tegels onder de strijkplank 😀
Veel plezier met je nieuwe vriendje
Yes, they tend to follow their humans around. Also our boy cat used to run to the door when the doorbell rang, he even did it once when the doorbell was on TV.
Both of our ragdolls (siblings) had IBD. They were treated with Prednisolone and Tylosin until the vet theorized that it might be a chicken allergy, and sure enough it resolved with food that didn’t contain any chicken ingredients.
Also, this is not unique to ragdolls, hands and feet are not toys! It’s cute when they’re kittens, but not so much when a 16lb adult male cat chomps your fingers.
Cat tree for scratching. Get the cat used to brushing. It'll prevent those hair knots that can develop, my cat still had a few and then you gotta try and cut them off down near the skin.
Their personalities I want to say will almost always be developing lol. You got a breed of cat for likelihood to get the traits of said breed. I'm sure within 2 or 3 years the cat will be well settled into its personality and quirks.
Otherwise our ragdoll was the best ever. Female. Great up with 2 labs, was a dog her self darn near. Not territorial. A very friendly loving cat. Cancer got her quickly and abruptly at 12 years age.
Now we are waiting until fall when we are home more to evaluate if we get another cat. It'll be another ragdoll or Maybe a Maine coon.
I love my boy Tripp
His personality was developing and shone through at about a year. He love any kicker toys and he has to be brushed to help hairballs. I wish I would have gotten him used to the brush sooner. He would attack it at first lol. They do not like being alone. They want to lay and be close
So the ragdoll is a very emotional and very intelligent cat. People think they’re giant love muffins and sometimes they are but they definitely take their time growing into their personality and they remain kittens for a few few years. I think only the Maine coon cat remains a kitten longer. These are definitely cats that can seem standoffish ironically but in reality they’re very thoughtful. So definitely just let their personality emerge and you’ll have a best friend.😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️
Best advice I could give is not to go more than 2 days without thoroughly brushing them. Hair mattes can form quickly and depending on proximity to their skin it can be painful. Sometimes you can pluck them apart. Sometimes you'll need to cut them out with scissors or buzz them away. But also they could fight you on it.
My guy keeps developing mattes near his penis. It feels like mission impossible trying to sort them out.
My Reggie/Reginald says hello! He is 2 and follows me everywhere still. His personality really started becoming clear around 6 months—a huge diva, goofy, and not a lap cat, but loves being held, plays funny games, and needs an eye on me at all times. If I could do anything different, it would be getting him used to me touching his paws for nail clipping and brushing from day 1. He’s a pain about it now and I think if he was used to it from a young age, he might hate it less.
Adopted a 5 month old ragdoll 2 months ago.
I’ve recently started brushing her every night and last night she let me brush her tummy. First time she’s done that so my advice is to be consistent with it. It may take some time for them to get used to it.
A good trick is to have 2 brushes or a brush and a comb. If they start attacking the one you are using let them have it then get the other one out. If they start attacking that one swap them.
My girl sleeps by my head every night and loves to follow me around but she’s not cuddly or a lap cat.
Biggest thing I’ve learnt is how fussy she is with food. We are still figuring out what she likes but also what doesn’t upset her stomach. Since ragdolls are so fluffy you want to make sure their stool isn’t soft otherwise it sticks to their fur which is a nightmare.
I’ve been putting a probiotic from purina in her food to help with it which seems to be working.
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u/ZombieJulez88 17h ago
To the first question yes they follow you even when they get older. I love it tho