My first encounter with a Ragdoll was when I was 6 years old. My Aunt Nicky had seen the Ragdoll cat featured on the front cover of Time Magazine in 1979 and wanted one of the cats.
Since the breed originated in California, she, of course, had to venture out there to get her first kitten. His name was Halston. He was a gorgeous seal mitted with a blaze Ragdoll cat. He came from Ragnarok Cattery in California.
My First Cat, Skittles
My parents only had dogs and my father was not keen on kitties. So it took about 2 years of convincing and finally my mom had her parents give me my first Ragdoll cat, Skittles (age-appropriately named), for my 8th birthday. Skittles ended up coming from Indiana because the Ragnarok Cattery in California didn't have any kittens available when I was looking for them. Sadly, at less than 2 years old, Skittles had to be put down because he was dying of FIP (Feline infectious peritonitis).
My Second Cat, Rags
The vet asked my mom to wait for 1 year to make sure that FIP was out of the house. So when I was 10 years old, my parents gave my siblings and I, Rags and Cosby, as an early Christmas present in 1989. This time they were adopted from the same cattery that Halston came from. Cosby ended up passing from FIP as well! At the mere age of 10 months. So Raggies was left. The vet said that Rags had been exposed to FIP as well, but that he would probably never get it because he had not gotten it when Cosby did. The vet thought the FIP came from the cattery and not from our home which was meticulously clean and had been kitty free for 1-year.
Rags ended up being my best friend, companion and confidant. He was truly an awesome cat. I dressed him up in Cabbage Patch clothes, put him in bags, danced with him, used him as a scarf, put him in pools, rode with him on jet skis, and tried to give him the same amount of love that he gave me.
Rags is my heart, and I miss him so much. He died on March 30, 2009. I had to put him down after a long battle from renal failure.
When Rags was 15, I was 25 and living at home because my mom wouldn't allow me to take Rags from the house, so I decided I would live at my parents' home until Rags was gone. I simply didn't want to be away from him.
Then I got a great idea to adopt two Ragdoll kittens so that I could eventually steal Rags from my parents home (living at home at the age of 25 was challenging). So we ended up adopting two beautiful kittens from
Bluegrass Rags in Kentucky.
Because Halston was a seal mitted Ragdoll with a blaze, I had always wanted a cat with a blaze.so I was on a hunt! I found Murphy and then asked the breeder, Cindy Carpenter if one kitten would bother Rags. She said that she would recommend getting two kittens because they would play with each other and be more likely to leave Rags alone.
And they did! They played with each other, only bothering Rags when the other kitten was asleep and they wanted to play. It was really fun to have three cats. When Rags was 16, he was diagnosed with Lymphoma of the liver and as a result, has surgeries and chemotherapy.
He was deemed in remission after awhile and my mom decided that I could finally take him, she thought he would be better off to be alone with me to rest and heal. So it all worked out! I got Rags and my mom had Caymus and Murphy.
Caymus is my favorite living Ragdoll. He has a coat that feels like a bunny. Is the sweetest thing I have ever met and is the epitome of a Ragdoll! He is 17 lbs and when you try and pick him up, you'd better use two hands because he'll flop out of your arm if you don't!
Murphy is a great cat, but certainly is a fan of my mom. He is like a dog and will follow her all over the house, always in her business. He is a sweet kitty and a little mischievous, but I love him!
My Fifth and Sixth Cats, Charlie and Trigg
After Rags died, it took me some time to think about kittens. I had actually contacted breeders while Rags was dying as I wanted to have breeders narrowed down and also wanted to find kitties that had Rags' Ragdoll lines.
After much search and some help, I found some breeders still breeding cats that were relatives of Rags. Soulmate Ragdolls in Salisbury, NC has two cats related to Rags, so I started to watch her website.
In August 2009, I noticed that she posted a Seal Mitted with a PERFECT hourglass blaze. I could NOT believe that this kitten wasn't taken. Although I wasn't entirely sure if I was ready to have a kitty, I decided to go for it. Charlie was that seal mitted Ragdoll and his roommate Trigg would come later - one month. Charlie is not related to Rags, but Trigg is a great great nephew (I think I have that right).
They are currently 5 and 4 months old and are soo much fun. I miss Rags, his age and his wisdom, but the joy of kittens is a delight. Charlie loves every day and is excited about everything that happens. Trigg is a little more timid, but will get into trouble with Charlie without a problem!
If you are looking for a family cat, adopt a Ragdoll kitten. They will be awesome companions and loving animals for your kids. Please make sure your kids are responsible animal lovers before you do so though!
