Ragdoll Breed Information
The Indoor Ragdoll
The Ragdoll cat has a laid back, pleasant disposition making it an ideal household pet. It is essentially an indoor cat as its under-developed fleeing reflex gives it a distinct disadvantage to dangers outside of the home.
Ragdolls are trusting and loving and will rarely defend themselves in the way that a domestic cat can. They will sit in the road, failing to flee from cars and because they are beautiful and so trusting they can easily be picked up and stolen.
They also risk being attacked by other cats which can transmit diseases prevalent amongst domestic and stray cats within the area.
An indoor Ragdoll can lead a contented life if given companionship and stimulation in the form of individual attention, activity centres, cat scratchers and toys. Ping-pong balls, cardboard boxes, crinkley tunnels, laser beam lights and cat-nip bubbles all add to, what can be, a very exciting world!
Ragdolls love human contact and would not be suitable to a household where they will be left for long periods throughout the day, such as in a full-time working household. However homing would be considered for two kittens or a kitten as an addition to a home with an already established resident cat.
The Outdoor Ragdoll
Although my cats are mainly in-door, house-cats I do want them to have the experience of the great outdoors. Chewing grass, chasing leaves with the sun on your back and a gentle breeze ruffling your whiskers is what life is all about.
We have an outside, open-meshed, large run with ladders and platforms where the cats (and sometimes kittens) can safely lie in the sun and watch the birds, the leaves and the butterflies or they can pop into their heated indoor pen if it gets a bit chilly.
I sometimes use a kitten or cat harness. We have occasional holidays in our touring caravan in Devon and, whilst sitting in the sun with our papers and cream teas, we harness the cats and loop the handles onto our chairs or to a stake in the ground. They chew the grass, watch the birds, roll around, chew twigs and are generally very contented and happy to be there.