When you are ready to purchase your kitten, there are a few things you should be aware of and ask right up front. The first thing is to ask if your kitten is a full-bred Ragdoll. There are people out there who are advertising for Ragdolls, but are mixing them with other cats and selling them a little cheaper and without papers. Most Ragdolls in this area go for between $650 and $750 (which includes spaying or neutering), depending on the color and pattern. Some breeders are out-crossing to work on new colors and patterns, which is fine, if it is done honestly, and you are told about it, and what generation the kitten is at. The price should reflect the generation they have reached in getting to full Ragdoll again. The kitten should be at least 4 generations away from the out-cross before it is considered a full Ragdoll.
If a kitten is offered cheaper than from other catteries around, assume there is a reason why and ask. Most good breeders don’t make money breeding. If they are lucky, they break even at the end of the year. If kittens are offered for less than average price, it could be because the breeder is cutting corners in order to outsell the competition. They could be using less than top grade kitten food, possibly stunting the growth of the kitten. They could be not changing the litterboxes often enough, which can spread disease between cats and kittens, and can also make for bad litter habits for your kitten. Cats and kittens do not like to use dirty litter boxes. They may have to lower their prices to attract people, so they will overlook the conditions the cats are raised in. A breeder should never compromise on how he or she raises their kittens, and never breed more kittens than they can easily raise and sell. To do so isn't being a responsible breeder.
However, sometimes there are good reasons why a specific cat has a lower price. Sometimes as breeders we like to hold back kittens to see how they are going to develop for show, or as breeders. We may keep two almost identical kittens back, watch them grow, and then decide at about 5 or 6 months which one we want to keep. Or we may not want to keep either. An older kitten may be discounted slightly, because most people would prefer smaller kittens. Sometimes kittens come back to us because of allergies the people develop. These kittens would be a little older too. There could be a special needs kitten that would be lower in price. So ask why a cattery is asking a lower price for a cat.
No kitten should leave its breeder’s home before 12 to 13 weeks of age, and with at least one shot. Most responsible breeders have their pet kittens spayed and neutered before they leave. This is usually included in the price of the kitten. By not taking a kitten before it’s at least 12 weeks old, you will be getting a much better and well-adjusted kitten. The kitten’s immune system will be stronger, and the adjustment to it’s new home will go smoother. Kittens need to be with their littermates until this age. They can then do their chewing and attacking on each other instead of their new owners. Kittens have to learn to be kittens, and it is important for them to do that at the breeder’s house, with their siblings and mom.
One of the reasons some breeders let their kittens go earlier is because it is much cheaper to let them go at 8 weeks of age. Kittens between 8 and 12 weeks eat a tremendous amount of food, because they are growing fast, the food $$’s add up and takes away any profit that might be made from the litter. As I stated above, most good breeders don’t make money. They would rather sell you a healthy, well-adjusted kitten than try to turn a profit. Unfortunately, some of these breeders, who sell their kittens early for the money, will also not stand behind their kittens if something should happen, and will not honor the contract they give you. They give you excuses like it was something you did to the kitten, or the vet did to the kitten, rather than admit that sometimes, bad things happen. Read your contract carefully. If you don't understand something, ask questions.
You should never buy a kitten or cat without a health guarantee and contract. Make sure you get at least a two-year health guarantee on the kitten for any genetic or heredity defect. Many things don’t show up until the cat the first year. This protects the buyer as well as the seller. Read the contract carefully, so you know what is expected if you need to return the kitten or have your kitten replaced. Most breeders specify time frames and reasons for returns, and if it is for a replacement upon the death of a cat, require an autopsy report. This is a sad thing to have to have done on a cat you just lost, and we do regret that. However, if we are to breed healthy cats, we have to know what problems we are dealing with. The vet’s "best guess" is not good enough to base our breeding decisions on. We need to know for sure what the problem is, and if it could be passed on to more cats and kittens.
It is always best to try to visit the cattery you are getting your kitten from. This is not always possible, but it is worth the effort if you can manage it.
When you do visit, look for things like overall cleanliness and make sure the litter boxes are clean, with no feces stuck on the sides. The house should not have an ‘old cat urine’ smell all over. Some breeding males produce wonderful kittens, but have horrible personal habits while they are breeding. These cats have to be confined, usually away from the living area of the family, and will have the smell of fresh urine around their cages. It is a strong smell, but should not be stale smelling, suggesting it hasn’t been cleaned for a while. Their areas should be well lighted and clean. Look to make sure they are not completely isolated from the other cats, so they have good social habits.
Make sure some attempt at separating the males and females are made. If not, ask how the breeder keeps unwanted litters or inbreedings from happening. A breeder should be willing to show you all the cats in their house… the males included. Many breeders will not let you handle young kittens, but they should be willing to show you where they are raised…even if it is a peek in the door of the kitten room. Look for overcrowding, or high numbers of cats and kittens that could indicate a ‘kitten mill’.
The recommendation for raising healthy kittens is to have the adults cats in "groups" of five or less, in any one area. All kittens should be kept away from the majority of adults until they have their first shots, and their immune systems are stronger.
On the other hand, you don’t want to buy a kitten from a place where the kittens are so isolated that they are nervous and afraid of people and normal household noises. Ragdolls are by nature a friendly cat, but like any other living thing, they react best to what they are use to. They need to hear normal sounds of people talking, TV blaring and even kids running around. Most kittens who have been too isolated will eventually learn to accept noise and people, but it takes a while.
At Moondance Rags and Kauffman Kats, we have chosen to let our kittens have free run of the house from about 8 weeks on. Since we are a small cattery, we don't have much problem with the cats mingling.
Breeder cats do not look as beautiful as they would be if they were spayed or neutered. Males often have more important things on their mind than food, and can be on the thin side, with half the coat, and not as much size as they would have if they were neutered. The females are usually in different stages of "beauty". Their coats will start looking good, and they will have put on the weight they lost nursing the last litter, just about the time they are ready to be bred again.
Because my kittens are well socialized, they are usually unafraid and very brave when they get to their new homes and are trained to live with a family. One important part of having the kittens loose in our home is that they learn to live in a "people house". They learn that the couch is not a scratching post, and that the counters and tables are for people only. If they have never seen a couch, they will just think of it as another place to scratch…just like the climber, or what ever they use in the isolation room. The kittens are also allowed to sleep with us, and love to cuddle with us in the morning, making it very hard to get up on time.
If you buy from a smaller breeder, you may have to wait awhile for a kitten, but the wait will be worth it. Naturally, a large breeder will have kittens available all the time, but realize that with more kittens per care taker, the kittens are not getting the attention they would from a cattery with fewer kittens at one time. This is not always the case, of course, but generally the rule. Raising cats is a lot of work, and the more cats you have, the more work and there will be less time for the kittens.
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I hope you enjoy your new Ragdoll family member, from where ever you buy it.
Virginia Shages and Linda Kauffman