A Guide to Adopting a Ragdoll Kitten

A Guide to Adopting a Ragdoll Kitten

by Jenny Dean

First, congratulations on deciding to adopt a lovable, furry addition into your family! Second, this decision most certainly comes with many questions: Where can I find Ragdoll cats for sale? What kind of Ragdoll kitten should I look for? What kind of price range can I expect?

Rest assured that all of these questions have answers, and know that Ragdolls make great additions to homes with children or other pets since they are particularly sweet and social cats. Below is some information on what to expect when exploring the possibility of buying a Ragdoll .

Ragdoll Cat Rescue Organizations

There are many reliable Ragdoll rescue organizations  around the country to choose from if you want to adopt a rescue kitten or cat. When you find a group in your area, contact them via phone or email to find out more about their available Ragdoll cats—but be aware that sometimes Siamese or Himalayan cats are mistakenly labeled as Ragdolls. If you fall in love with a particular Ragdoll through a rescue that isn’t in your area, you might still be able to adopt that cat through the help of rescue and transportation groups (https://www.facebook.com/notes/im-not-a-monster/rescue-and-transportation-groups/283630708381858).

Ragdoll rescues will most likely ask you to fill out a questionnaire before adopting. Some of the questions might include how much you can afford to spend on a cat, how much time you have to play with a cat, etc.—rescue organizations want to make sure cats are going to homes where they will be properly cared for.

Petfinder or Craigslist

Another option is to adopt a cat directly through an owner using websites like Petfinder  or Craigslist. If you decide to adopt through this route, be sure to meet the person in a public place, and know that you might not get as much (or accurate) background information about the kitten.

Ragdoll Cat Breeders

A final option is to go through a cat breeder. If you go through a breeder, you can expect to see a range of Ragdoll cat prices related to the “quality” of the Ragdoll.

• Pet Alter Quality. These are the least expensive Ragdolls, usually in the range of USD $450-USD $750. They are mismarked and not totally in line with the Ragdoll type standard, but they will have the same temperament as a show cat. Usually they are neutered or spayed (“altered”), but some breeders do choose to leave that to the owner.
• Show Alter Quality. Usually in the price range of USD $600-USD $1000+. These Ragdolls have perfect markings and type, but they have been neutered or spayed.
• Breeder Quality. Priced at about USD $1200-USD $1800+, these cats have the right type and temperament for breeding, but they do not have the markings to be show quality.
• Show/Breeder Quality. These cats are the most expensive, in the range of USD $1500-USD $1800+. They have everything you want in a show cat, with perfect markings and type for show and breeding.

The Ins and Outs

Which type you get depends on your budget and what you want in a Ragdoll cat. You can expect the cats in all four of these categories to have deep blue eyes and the mild Ragdoll temperament.

However, keep in mind that it is difficult to give an exact price range to expect for Ragdolls because of different practices among breeders. For example, some breeders might be required by state law to vaccinate kittens before adopting them, so that cost will be built into the price of the Ragdoll. Other expenses to account for are veterinary bills, food, and whether the breeder spayed or neutered the kitten. These costs can vary widely by location, so it is best to inquire with individual breeders about their prices. That said, there are a few things you should be able to expect from all breeders:

• Responsible breeders wait until the kittens are at least 12-14 weeks old before adopting them.
• Breeders require you to pay a deposit to reserve a kitten.
• Often you can get a discount for buying multiple kittens at the same time.

Conclusion

Before adopting a kitten through a breeder, give them a call to gather information. If you need some tips for what to ask a breeder, check out our post “Questions for Cat Breeders”.

A Ragdoll kitten makes a wonderful addition to a home no matter if it is show quality or not.

Do you have a Ragdoll kitten? Would you recommend a breeder or rescue and why? What tips do you have for going through rescue organizations or breeders?