Hi everyone! My partner and I are thinking of getting a Ragdoll (or 2!). Everything we've read about them make them seem ideal - very friendly, super cute, easy maintenance, etc. However, we recently had to give up our beloved cat (domestic short hair from a Humane Society) we had for only 2 years because at night she would yowl and become EXTREMELY active. We had her on a medication for a while that helped, but then she developed an allergy to it and we couldn't find another that worked. (This was after lots of tests and $$ to rule out any physical reason.) It culminated in a week where I was averaging about 3 hours of sleep a night and just couldn't take it any more. We ended up taking her to a very reputable cat rescue in Ontario. But, as I said, it broke our hearts to do so.
We both loved having a cat, but now are a bit gun-shy that we're going to experience that again.
Our place is very, very small - a single floor, one bedroom bungalow with no place other than the (only) bathroom that could be established as a closed off area.
We would both love another cat, but are afraid of going through the trauma - both to us and the cat - again. Any input would be appreciated!
Cheers! ~Tom
Hi Tom, You've been very honest and I'm sorry that things didn't work out with your last kit. I'm glad that you looked for a good rescue to help re-home her!!
So far we have been very lucky, we have a 6 month old calico and our little Dexter raggie (14 weeks) so far, even though they and both our dogs sleep in our room with us, we have no shenanigans or vocals at night.
From what I've learned from this forum, every individual kitten is different and hopefully if you get your kitten from a good breeder who has well socialized them, you have a good shot. Much good luck and welcome.
Based on your history, you should wait at least until you have a home that allows a cat to be confined far enough away to allow you to sleep. Ragdolls can be as unpleasant at night as any other cat and they do not come with labels. I fear for the ultimate outcome for your cat.
Ditto what JanH says. I happen to be fortunate (or maybe unfortunate, depending on how you look at it) to have a very talkative raggie. On an average night - I'm woken at least 3-4 times by my raggies.
Ditto on the above posts. I am woken at least 3-4 times by my raggie. It amazes both my husband and I how 1 single cat can make so much noise! Plus he is so clumsy! Sometimes I think that there is an elephant in the house
at night when he gets his crazies.
Welcome to the forum, I'm so sad you had to give up your DSH. - I do understand your reasoning, but to me my furry kids are exactly that - my kids - and I wouldn't give them up just because of a difficult situation!
That said - well - I have 2 dogs and now 3 raggies in my bedroom and the door is closed!
- I can't have either the cats or the dogs roam around the appartment at night and make noise. - I know cats are nocturnal, but I think to a certain extent a raggie can adapt. If raised properly and lovingly by the breeder they are a very easy going breed.
I have started with one raggie though - I think 'training' them to the desired behaviour is more difficult if you have 2 kittens of the same age. - You also need to be very persistent - there will be some disturbance of sleep - there's no way around that!
- If you want to go for it - try to find a good breeder, try to get an honest answer about the kittens character, tell them what you are looking for. A good breeder should be able to match you with a raggie kitten that is easy going and right for your circumstances. - If it doesn't feel right - don't compromise - walk away!
I agree with what everyone has said on here.
Ophelia is a very active cat. We allow her to explore the rest of the house while we sleep, and occasionally, when I wake up to check on her, I find that she's always fast asleep in her favorite spot in the closet across from our room.
I can say that Ophelia is very independent, but occasionally, she will love to cuddle up with mommy for a nap!
There are some Raggies (we saw two at the breeders) who are really relaxed, and not as active. They're more calmer, and will allow you to sleep, perhaps.
I'm by no means an expert on Ragdolls but will tell you my experience with my Charlie ...
We live in a one bedroom apartment, quite small, so not too dissimilar to your own home by the sounds of things. When we first brought Charlie home at 13 weeks we left the bedroom door open of a night. He'd then come in the bedroom, run over the bed like mad, want to play and also was very vocal at trying to get our attention! After a week of this me and boyfriend were shattered and just couldn't take anymore. So we decided that we would make the bedroom out of bounds at night time by shutting our bedroom door.
The first couple of nights Charlie would cry at the door for a few minutes, but then would eventually give up when he got no attention. Now, he knows its bedtime when the bedroom door is closed and doesn't cry at all.
With the bedroom door shut he has free roam of the rest of the apartment (bathroom, kitchen and living room) his food is in the kitchen, his litter tray in the bathroom and his toys in the living room. And he is fine. Doesn't make any noise during the night and hasn't detroyed anything either (Fingers crossed I haven't jinxed myself there!
)
In the mornings when he hears our alarms going off he knows thats wake up time so he'll start meowing at the bedroom door, letting us know its breakfast time! But other than that, we really don't hear anything from him throughout the whole night!
Thanks to all for your replies. Reading them, it seems the responsible thing would be to wait until we were in a living situation where we could give a cat its separate space, if the need arose or to visit my friends who have cats and enjoy them. I truly love cats, but I just can't function at my job on 3 hours of sleep and I don't want to keep my fingers crossed that the cat we select is one that is not active at night - it wouldn't be fair to us or to the cat.
Thanks again!
(08-03-2010 08:28 AM)TLC2966 Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks to all for your replies. Reading them, it seems the responsible thing would be to wait until we were in a living situation where we could give a cat its separate space, if the need arose or to visit my friends who have cats and enjoy them. I truly love cats, but I just can't function at my job on 3 hours of sleep and I don't want to keep my fingers crossed that the cat we select is one that is not active at night - it wouldn't be fair to us or to the cat.
Thanks again!
You've made a very wise decision and when you are in a position to get a "forever" kitten, much good luck!