Choosing a Kitten
Choosing a kitten?
They’re all so cute, how can I choose just one kitten!?!?
The great news is that you don’t have to! You can choose two or three if you’d like!
On the other hand, if you are indeed going to start by choosing just one, this page offers some thoughts for your consideration. 🙂
Many different parameters can be involved in choosing a kitten. Some common criteria for many of our ragdoll parents include but are not limited to those found here:
Breed
Because you are reading this, you have likely already settled on the Ragdoll breed. An excellent choice! You also already likely know much about this breed. They are known for their friendly puppy-like demeanor, their laid-back personalities, their beautiful blue eyes and their silky-soft fur. To learn more about the Ragdoll breed, visit our About Ragdoll Cats page.
Health
The health of your kitten in question should be the number one consideration on your list of priorities. (Unless, in the rare case, you are purposefully looking for an ill kitten who needs some extra loving care.) We go to great lengths at a significant cost in an effort to ensure that our Ragdoll cats and their babies are in top condition. In addition to testing our breeding cats for HCM, PKD, FIV and FeLV, we run a URD panel test on all of our mamas and papas. Because of this relentless attention to the health of our kittens, we are able to offer both a 3-year health guarantee and an unprecedented optional 10-year health guarantee. Please click here for information on our health guarantees.
Gender
We often receive this question: “I’ve heard that males are known to be friendlier than females. Is this true?” We have had quite a bit of experience with and exposure to both males and females over the years and it is our opinion that gender does not play a role in a kitten’s level of affection. We have both males and females who are ready to love, love, love you! To learn more about gender differences, click here.
Age
Sweet Little Kittens
Most of our ragdoll parents are looking for a sweet little kitten to adopt and they hope to bring him home just as soon as he is ready. Because we usually have kittens year-round, we are most often able to accommodate this common request. And for most, it’s advantageous to introduce your new kitten to your home and family at a young age in order to begin the bonding process as soon as possible. On the other hand, perhaps you are looking for a more mature cat – one who has passed out of the kitten stage and is happy to just look out the window or sit on your lap.
Retired Breeders
Occasionally we do have breeding cats who are ready to retire and who are looking for their furever retirement home. These will most often be posted on our Available Adults page but it also doesn’t hurt to ask what our plans are for the future if you don’t see any posted.
Teenagers
And sometimes we might have “teenagers” available. We consider a ragdoll kitten to be a teenager if she is between 6 months and 3 years old. This age bracket could also be a plus for someone who might be looking for a cat young enough to have for some time, but old enough to have a better idea of their coloring and personality. We occasionally have “adolescents” available if we have held them back for one reason or another (usually we’ve considered keeping them as breeding kings or queens).
Choosing a Kitten’s Color
What kind of a “paint job” are you hoping for? Does it matter to you? Some love the darker colors such as seal or chocolate, while others insist on a ragdoll who is either blue, lilac, cream, flame or tortie. The great thing is that we have them all! Being either flexible or rigid on your color choice each has an advantage. Having a color preference helps narrow down your options while being completely open to any color will usually allow you to bring a kitten home sooner. If you’re not sure what color options are available and you’d like to learn more, visit our page on colors and patterns.
Choosing a Kitten’s Pattern
Similar to color, some of our potential ragdoll parents choose a kitten because of its pattern. They want either a bicolor, mitted or a point pattern. Of course this is totally fine and like the different colors, sticking to one pattern could help make the decision process easier or it might delay adoption day. Either way is up to you of course! To learn more about the various patterns, click here.
Other Physical Characteristics
Choosing a Ragdoll kitten can involve other physical traits that you might give importance to or that you might find attractive. Some of these could include the following:
Lynx
A ragdoll labeled as “lynx” is also known as a “tabby”. You will find what looks like a white line surrounding their eyes that resembles eye liner. They will also have an “M” pattern on their forehead and usually stripes on their legs and tail.
Blaze or Diamond
Ragdolls can have a blaze down their nose or a diamond-like spot on their forehead just like a horse. The length and width of the blaze or size of the diamond can vary greatly. While some might not like these characteristics, others consider it lucky and wouldn’t want a kitten without one.
Fur Length
Almost all ragdolls have long, rabbit-like fur but there is some variation. While the majority will have beautiful, long fur that they will easily groom themselves, a few will have extremely thick fur that can occasionally get matted. On the other hand, a few will have slightly shorter fur that is sleek and never gets matted. Until a ragdoll kitten is fully developed (somewhere between 3 and 4 years old), it can be very difficult to determine just how thick his fur will be when he is an adult.
Eye Color
Every traditional ragdoll will have blue eyes, but the intensity of the hue can vary from one kitten to another. Are you looking for a kitten with deep blue eyes? Or a lighter blue? Or is this a parameter in the decision-making process you are more flexible with and perhaps you hadn’t even thought of it until now? If you come across a ragdoll kitten who has green eyes, you can be assured that that kitten is not a traditional ragdoll, but instead is a mink variety. We only breed traditional ragdolls, but if you would like to learn more about mink ragdolls, click here.
Symmetry
Symmetry of the pattern (or lack thereof) – Is it important to you that the pattern be perfectly symmetrical? If you are interested in a mitted pattern, do both mitts need to be identical? Or do you prefer an asymmetrical ragdoll? If you answer yes to the latter, you might want to consider a tortie – these sweet babies will most often have unique patterns to them.
