Hi dear forum friends,
After just reading in another thread about the lovely story how Teekaboo came about to be loved by her gorgeous ragdoll It has prompted me to start this little thread,
There may have been similar threads in the past but being fairly new to the forum I would love to know how all you lovely people I have got to know first learnt of the joys of Raggie ownership,
If a pet owner like me would love to know the story behind your lovely raggie/s
And if you are one of the lovely breeders I would love to know what may have made you choose this beautiful breed over say other options,
I will start with me and my family,
I have always loved and had cats as pets basically all of my life since I was about 6 years old and before but I dont remember before about 6,
I have seen recently much heartache over the losses of furrbabies by the deadly local Brown snake bite amoungst family and friends,
So the question came up, what would be an ideal inside only cat,
I had been wondering about ragdolls for a few years,
My sister (who lost two cats to snake bite) put a deposit down on her lovely Raggie boy (Wilson),
My sister and I were talking one evening at a school function night when she told me about little Wilson,
She said there was possibly one little kitten left, a little girl,
I didnt sleep all night, first thing next morning made the call, after an email pic I said I want that beautiful little girl,
This little girl is Nikita, she was the smallest in her litter and so beautiful, and basically last to be picked due to being the smallest,
Then of course Nikita needed a playmate so along came little Toby
Its not that I couldnt stop at one,
Toby is for Niki really
Nice idea for a thread Paul. You have already read how I came about being loved by Sebastian. I almost did not get him...I was spending most of my time at my boyfriend's home and did not want Sebastian to be at my place all alone with my room mate (she was a little unsteady). So the weekend I was supposed to get him I had contacted the woman and told her I could not make it but wanted to come the following weekend. I told my boyfriend about Sebastian, he told me to just bring him to his place. I was so excited but a little hesitant since I was not living there at the time. But I went ahead and got Sebastian, then a little while later moved in with my boyfriend. At the time Sebastian's name was Casper. I felt that did not fit him, he needed a name that was more sophisticated. I struggled and struggled but then finally came up with Sebastian. I was truly blessed when his previous owner chose me as his adoptee and new mom. I could not have asked for a more loving, well behaved, handsome, funny, interesting, and gorgeous Ragdoll. (not too mention he has such a great Ragdoll flop, LOL).
Nice Idea. I had wanted a kitty for years but, I couldn't as I had a lab mix named spots who like to hunt and I was afraid she would hurt a kitten. She passed after 20 year old, this year. She was such a good girl and so loved
.Then came Oscar a cat my son Stephen rescued while up in college,Oscar came to live with us over the summer and I fell in love with this boy but this is my sons buddy so back to college to two went
. My home was just getting to empty and I needed a baby to sleep with,
as my Husband Jim travels a lot and I hate to sleep alone
and Pebbles is out of the question she snores way to loud .
I started looking around for cuddle breeds and came across this forum and a few others I think most you no how the rest of the story goes.And I have to add Cello is soooooo sweet to sleep with as I started taking him to bed with me this week as hubby is out of town.
It is nice wakening up to a little fur baby purring in your ear
Awww that's so sweet!!!
Well my love for the breed came one day when I was a little girl (cant remember how old). I used to watch anything to do with animals, but especially one program called "The Pet Guys", they did a special episode all about cats and how to properly care for them. Ragdolls were their "breed of the week" or something like that. I fell head over heels with just how incredibly big and beautiful these unique cats are. I think I also liked the little nickname that the breeder gave her rags "The blue-eyed rabbity-furred biggums" (or something to that effect. Anywho, I begged and pleaded with my mother to let me get a ragdoll. She saw the price-tag attached and because we were poor at the time, she said "absolutely not". So about a year went by and I secretly saved money up to put a deposit down for a breeder. After begging and pleading more, and this time bargaining I finally convinced my mom to let me have one!!! The only catch was that I had to buy it myself.
So it took until I was 18 years old to save up enough (I never got an allowance and had to earn my own money). When I finally managed to save up enough, I contacted a breeder about getting a kitten. I saw a ton of pictures and fell in love with a pretty little seal bicolor kitten named "Rosie".... then I saw my Angel sitting in the background of one of the pics... and my breath was taken away. I was so amazed at how beautiful she was. I asked about the one in the background, the one with the face of an angel. The breeder told me that she was for sale. I asked how much, and she told me that this older kitten was for breeding purposes only and wouldnt let her go to a "pet" home. So I slept on it... I had enough to pay for her, and I did have interest in breeding in the future... so I woke up bright and early... and said that I wanted her still and that I would show and breed her. It just so happened that the breeder was coming to see her sister who lived in London ON (I didnt live here at the time), so I drove the 1/2 drive and met her at a Timmy's. I saw her, paid for her... and then was taken back by her name... "Buddy". The breeder explained that "Buddy" was short for "Butterfly".... so when I registered her name, I honored the breeder and called her "Butterfly Angel"... instead of just "Angel". I didnt wind up breeding her until almost a year after I had gotten her. She was already a year old when I first got her... and she's given me two very precious litters of kittens. Each kitten I know by heart as well.
Angel is my best friend... and even though she'll retire one day... I'll never "pet her out". Like... I know lots of breeders will retire and then re-home their breeding queens some day, and I will likely do the same someday. But Angel is my special girl. She's been there with me through moving not once, but twice, she was the one who listened to me when I was suffering from a traumatic break up, she was there for the birth of my son, the joy of my 2nd pregnancy, and the heartbreak of the miscarriage.. and so much more. Angel is my best friend and I love her as though she were a daughter to me. Her kittens are my grand-furbabies even though I'm only 21 lol. Angel will never leave my side and I truly hope to be blessed with many MANY years together with her.
*wipes tears* hehe dont mind me I'm a little emotional lol
Well, my story is not where near as touching. Our first cat when I was a kid was Calico Persian/Angora mix. She was aboslutely beautiful! She was thin with beautifully soft long fur. She had such a great personality too. She played fetch, allowed my little sister and later my little brother to carry her anyway they grabbed her, usually upsidedown being hugged around the back legs. I had trained her to find my gerbils when they escaped and she would just sit and watch my parakeet and NEVER hurt her. She was hit by a car one night and the girl that hit her brought her to the people across the street who called us. When we got there, she was still alive but breathing very hard.. almost coughing and eventually died. I think I was about 14 or 15. We had several other cats after her, some were really great, but not like her. One of our best had a litter of kittens where two (one dark brown and white and one a lite tan and white) a male and female, had long fur and what I've since learned is bicolor markings. They weren't seal pointed bicolors, but definitely bicolor with perfectly symmetrical markings and saddles. I BEGGED My Mom to let me breed them! She refused and they were adopted out to different people.
When I was in my 20's I had a friend whose mom bred Abysinians and they had a few cat books in the house. One day, while looking through it I spotted this cat with Beautiful markings just like those two kittens but Pointed and INCREDIBLY Blue Eyes! My friend told me what he knew about them and I read the description in the book. They sounded like incredible cats. I vowed that if I ever could, I'd get one.
When Gregg and I met, I had a tabby moggie I inherited from a cousin. She was just a fixture in the house and didn't like any attention. She was only supposed to be with me temporarily but stayed for many years until she died of cancer.
After that, We decided no pets as they're too much of a tie down and we were enjoying travelling. Since our Lawsuit, we haven't been able to travel anywhere and were really wishing we had a pet. Gregg too had heard about Ragdolls and after a long discussion and months of back and forth (should we shouldn't we) we took the plunge.
Now, I'd like another but Gregg thinks our place is too small and he's afraid of affecting Dolly's personality with another cat.... then there's the fur on everything. But he DOES wish she'd spend more time sleeping with us at night and wanting to be pet and sit on our laps or chests when we're watching tv... but she'll have none of that! Not yet anyway... maybe someday. I keep telling him another one might! We'll see.
I had cats now and again as I grew up from age of 5. Only one at a time.
2 died of old age
1 wad hit by a car
1 died from eating a cane toad
Oh and 2 were left with ex in a divorce settlement.
Of all these 4 were bermese and the rest moggies.
Years passed and I remarried 10 years ago. My new husband was a dog person and hated cats. (but he does loves all animals and would love nothing better than live on a farm) just had a thing about cats jumping on tables and sleeping in beds. The big thing he hated about cats as well was them being left outside to chase and eat the wildlife.
Our 10 year old son and I always wanted a kitten but never dared ask. So one day passing a pet store window my husband stopped and admired a 3/4 ragdoll kitten ( Hammy) and said if he was ever going to get a cat it would be a ragdoll. He had visited his sister interstate a few months earlier and she had a ragdoll. He thought it very different from other cats and good that it liked living inside.
So while he was having a weak moment we raced in and bought Hammy. My husband absolutely loves him and he said only recently if some-one had said to him months ago that he would have a cat sleeping with him in his bed he would have thought them mad. Now he is disappointed if Hammy does not sleep with us.
So getting Lilo was no problem and he loves her as well, although, she is more mine than his. Hammy is his favourite still.
PS When any visitor comes he shows off "his" cats and tells everyone how great they are. And he lets Hammy and Lilo sit at his bar with him.
I had never really had pets, but in 1997 I moved into a rental house and the lady next door had 3 cats and then 1 other cat that was a stray that she fed. This stray was not allowed in her house and was so skinny and sad looking that before long Jerry and I were opening our side door to the garage and feeding the cat and letting it sleep in our garage. It was almost ferral so it ran every time we came close. Over a matter of months he finally came to where he at least wouldn't run when we opened the garage door. Long story short (because it really is long story) - when we moved in 1999 I took the cat with me because I felt so sorry for it and knew it would die if I didn't. Took him to the vet and he was diagnosed FIV positive, with lots of parasites. We treated him, I gave him interferon every day, and he became a beautiful cat that one day a next door neighbor said looked like a ragdoll. I looked up Ragdoll and she was right, he looked just like one. Over the coming year he wormed his way into our house, with us putting in cat doors for him to go out because he refused to use a litterbox (had to take him for major surgery once, but they still had to harness him and take him outside to go to the bathroom because he refused the litterbox in the cage!!). He died suddenly in 1999 of what I suspect was HCM as when he had work up for his surgery, they found an enlarged heart. I had always sworn if Simon ever died I would NEVER have another pet. But within weeks I was looking again for a pedigreed ragdoll in hopes of finding one with a temperament like Simon's. I knew I wanted a retired breeder and searched for a couple of months before finding one that fit all my desires, and it was only about 5 miles from me! My husband was out of town when I went and saw Simone for the first time, and I spring it on him when he got home. He thought he had a way out because he said he didn't want just one, because if Simon was as lonely when we left him to go to work or whatever, as we were once he died, then he wanted two (a miracle huh?). The breeder just happened to have another retired breeder that really didn't seem to have the ragdoll characteristics as far as being an outgoing, easy ragdoll - but I took Samantha more as a companion. Now I know -- I'll probably never be without a ragdoll cat again.
I've always had 'a thing' for blue-eyed cats... have had them in some breed or another my entire life (well, since the time I was 3-years-old anyway). When my spouse and I were just starting out (no cats of our own just yet, just a 90 pound black lab!) we made a trip to our local mall one afternoon. The pet store was going out of business and was offering the cutest litter of purebred Raggies, $40 each! There were three left, we took two (my Bonnie and Clyde). That night we were feeling bad for the one brother that we left behind, so we went to purchase him the next day, but he had already gone to his forever home by then.
My Bonnie lived for 15 years, my Clyde just passed away last July at the age of 18. I can say without a doubt that I hope to NEVER be without a Ragdoll in my life
I was searching for pictures of cat breeds for a friend, when I came across the ragdoll. I fell in love with the blues and just had to have one. Their docile personality and floppiness was so adorable.
So I searched breeders websites and saved up the money, when I found out a friend of my mums had just bought a kitten for the breeder I had decided to put my deposit with. My mum fell in love with the breed when she went with her friend to pick the kitten up, and she agreed that I could get one.
We payed the deposit, but after a while waiting with no litters giving us our blue, we decided that we would go elsewhere and get our blue and keep our deposit with our breeder for a different cat. A seal bicolour.
So we went to a breeders house and saw a litter of ALL blues. Thats when we met Jake. I fell in love with him and 8 weeks later he we took him home.
We love him so much, and can not wait to get him a little raggie friend.
What wonderful stories of how you all came about to be loved by a Raggie or two or more,
Jo-Ann, your story of loosing furrbabes in a divorce settlement reminds me of when I lost my lovely moggie Max during my seperation,
I went and cat napped him back and kept him inside from that point on
he just jumped straight into my car, he knew where he wanted to be
Max was back where he belonged and was loved once again