If you love Ragdolls you have come to the right place!
Ragdoll Cat Health and Behaviours Advice
Toileting Issues
Cats are very clean animals and after being litter trained by their mum-cats they normally have no issues. However, we know life is not that straight-forward so occasionally, problems can occur.
If you find your Ragdoll is pooping or weeing outside of their tray it is important to try and deal with the behaviour as soon as possible before it worsens and becomes habitual. You also need to become a cat detective and identify the cause and help prevent it re-occuring.
Usually when your Ragdoll cat is toileting outside of it’s litter box/tray it is either marking it’s territory or displaying a preference for a different area that it prefers because there is something about the litter tray it does not like. Here is some things you can try:
1. What To DoFirst: If they have an accident NEVER punish your Ragdoll cat as it will not understand and can make the cat fearful of you. Instead clean up the mess quickly, try and remove the smell as much as possible then try moving the tray to the area where they have soiled. You can also put aluminium foil down over the area they have soiled to deter them from going back there.
2. Try Changing Litter Types– Cats have a strong sense of smell and it may not like scented litters for example. Also the texture of the litter may be a problem e.g. too large and grainy and hurts their paws.
3. Tray Location- ensure you litter tray is in a suitable location to give them privacy and quiet away from household traffic.
4 .Number of Trays- as a general rule one tray per cat plus an extra. In multi-cat households there may be issues with one of the more dominant cats preventing other cats from using the tray they prefer.
5. Size of Tray– make sure your Ragdoll has plenty of room to move around inside the tray.
6. Cleanliness– ensure the tray is kept clean and remove soiled litter regularly. Clean out the tray and replace the litter for fresh at least every two weeks.
7. Spillages- Ragdoll cats are big and sometimes a bit clumsy. Jack and Tom can sometimes have little spillages of wee next to the tray. If this is case put down puppy pads or other type absorbent material and check to make sure it is not a problem of inadequate space.
8. Check for Medical Causes -if the behaviour does not improve or is completely uncharacteristic of your Ragdoll cat. Watch them when they use their tray and see if there is a physical issue. Elderly cats may struggle to squat properly and get in and out of trays.
9. Check for causes of stress and anxiety -which may have upset them such as moving house, new baby, new cat or dog in the house even something as simple as moving furniture around.
References:
websites:
www.floppycats.com
www.cats.org.uk
www.yourcat.co.uk
www.pdsa.org.uk
Books:
‘A Ragdoll Kitten Care Guide’ by Jenny Dean
‘A Ragdoll Cat Complete Owner’s Manual’ by Karen Davis
‘The Guide to Owning a Ragdoll Cat’by Gary Strobel and Susan Nelson
Eating Non-Food Items
Raggies are known for nibbling on plastic, hair bands, sticky tape, string, yarn, paper, cardboard etc. After some research I am still not really sure why they do it but here is some insight:
Pica- this is fairly common condition in cats and it involves eating non-food items can cause choking and gastrointestinal obstruction and may require surgery to remove. It is more common in oriental breeds such as siamese. There might be a genetic component to it or more likely to be caused by stress or boredom.
If you cat is of eating non-food items there may be a medical cause such as diabetes, brain tumour, anaemia, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), dental disease and hyperthyroidism so best to get them checked out by a vet if the problems as severe and not improving.
Identify stress causes- lack of attention, misdirected behaviour, separation anxiety and boredom.
Treatment- desensitisation therapy involving redirecting your cat’s unwanted attention into a positive activity such as play. Do not react negatively but give them praise for the correct behaviours.
Improve their physical activity and keep them active with more playtime, walks outside, cat nip plants, cat grass and puzzle toys
Reference:
www.cathealth.com (behaviour section)
Ragdoll Cat Grooming
Ragdolls do require higher levels of maintenance when it comes to grooming to ensure they avoid tangles and mats which can be messy and uncomfortable for them. It also reduce this risk of hairballs.
Get into a good brushing routine at least once a day depending on your Ragdoll’s coat. Start brushing them as kittens so they get used to it. Start with a short soft brush and start gradually on small area and increase to larger areas bit by bit.
Go from the head first down across the body then the undercarriage and tummy area and legs. Be careful in these more sensitive areas as the fur is less dense there and you may come into contact with their skin.
Ragdolls normally don’t mind you handling them in these sensitive areas as long as you are gentle and careful and give them lots of reassurance and praise.
With Jack and Tom I noticed they seem to get matts mostly under their arms and on the back ends so I concentrate on these areas. A good initial brushing with a sturdy cat brush then carefully comb through and often you can tease out and detangle matts with your fingers. You need patience and you need them to lie still which they often don’t but persevere! If the matts are very dense you may need to remove them with small set of hair-cutting scissors but be very careful. Of course, if you have a situation where there are many dense matts and you can’t deal with them yourself, you need to employ the services of a cat groomer or local vet.
Reference:
www.ragdolllove.com
www.floppycats.com
Hairballs
There are certain types of cat dry food that may help such as Royal Canin Hair Ball which some Ragdoll experts have recommended although I have not used this myself.
You can get malt pastes such as Katalax, James Wellbeloved Hair Malt Paste, Miramor Malt Sticks and Vets Best Malt Paste (which I use) and that seems to help.
Regular grooming will get rid of excess hair to reduce the risk of hair balls.
Cat grass may help them get rid of hairballs also and you can buy indoor cat grass pots.
If they are grooming excessively this may be due to stress so consider what the triggers may be.
References:
www.petswebmd.com
Vacuuming and Cat Fur
As Ragdolls are medium to long haired breed they do shed and you need to be prepared for lots of embedded fur in your carpet and soft furnishings and the fur tumbleweeds that blow by. Here are some recommendations from other me and Ragdoll cat owners on the best vacuums for pet hair:
-For me, I use Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog
-Shark Lift Away Duoclean
-Shark Cordless Stick vacuum cleaner
There is also a gadget for de-fluffing your vacuum rollers called Rolla Release (www.rollarelease.com)
Scratching
Yes cats like to scratch but you just hope its not on your furniture. Why do cats scratch? Well it is normal instinctive cat behaviour. They do it to express emotions, to mark objects with their scent (they have scent glands in their paws) and to remove the dead part of their nails and or sometimes for some physical activity. Ragdoll cats I would say, are better behaved than most, if trained properly. So, as long as you have plenty of scratching posts around the house and you direct them towards them and discourage scratching on furniture then this should reduce this risk of destruction. The cat posts need to be quite sturdy as Ragdolls are big and may push them over if too flimsy. Check for wear and tear over time as you may need to replace them. The two I have seem to have lasted so far but the boys have worn away the material on their old cat tree. These can be replaced however, and you can buy different parts for cat trees online.
References:
www.humanesociety.org
www.purrfectpost.com
Walking Your Ragdoll
As I have said before, Ragdolls are very intelligent and also very energetic. Although they SHOULD NOT ever be allowed to free roam outside, they can certainly be trained to walk on a lead with you in the garden. Here are some tips:
-Start early on and get them used to the cat harness as soon as you can. At first put the harness on for short periods and let them get used to it. They will not like it at first but after some time they will become more comfortable wearing it.
-When you think they are used to wearing the harness and they are moving around while wearing it then attach the lead and encourage them to walk. This step is quite difficult and takes a lot of practice. They can feel off-balance and it takes them practice to walk with the harness and lead. With Jack and Tom they mostly just laid on the floor when I tried to get them to walk. I used some treats and toys and positive re-enforcement and that worked eventually. Patience is key.
-After a few months of practicing walking in the house on the lead and harness it is time to try to expose them bit by bit to the outside.
-The first step is to make sure you garden is secure. Depending on their age and size they may be able to jump your fence although they probably won’t have figured out how to do that yet (mine haven’t but I am always watching them.)
-When you think the environment is relatively safe, expose them slowly. Try opening the door slightly and letting them have a sniff and a look (while wearing their harnesses and leads). Jack and Tom were very fearful when I first opened the patio doors and showed them the garden. They were overwhelmed with the new smells and sounds. It took about three times of this process before they eventually ventured out onto the patio.
-Give them lots of praise and encouragement when they make their first steps and if you need to, just sit with them outside while they take it all in. Often Jack would just sit on the patio and not walk anywhere. Tom was a bit more adventurous and he love walking on the grass.
-Always have the re-entry route available i.e. prop the door open, so they can go back inside when they have had enough.
-After about three and six months of practice they should get the hang of it and be familiar with their new outside space.
-Remember though all Ragdolls are different and even after a lot of practice and attempts they are still too fearful then just leave it be. Tom and Jack still have moments where they hear a noise that’s unfamiliar and they going running back inside. I always praise them though every time we have a little walk together so they know they are their behavior is good.
Reference:
www.purrcraze.com
Some more recommended harnesses:
www.mynwoodcatjackets.co.uk
Olivia Cat Jackets
Buttefly Cat Jackets
-Some Ragdoll cat owners say extendable leads can be dangerous and you should use a simple lead such as for a small dog. I have used both types and there are disadvantages and advantages to both. I would say start off on a simple relatively short lead until you get more confident.
Brands of soft leashes/leads:
-Trixie
-Rabbitgoo
-Bingpet
-Tierhood
Beds and Sleeping
Cats do like to sleep. The average daily sleep for cats is 12-16 hours a day. This pattern varies with age. Often kittens sleep for longer periods but as they get into teenage-hood their sleeping patterns change and they may sleep less during the day and be more active. My two year old Raggies are definitely more active during the day at the moment. I have found that their sleeping habits have always been quite regular and ever since they were kittens they go to bed when I do and sleep the night mostly. Sometimes they stay up late and have a little play but then they come up to my bedroom and sleep nearby. Occasionally, one will wake me up in the night with a little cry and then bring a toy to me as if to say ‘please play with me I am bored!’ but usually I just give them a cuddle and then they let me go back to sleep.
Cats like comfy, warm places to sleep and it is often your lap or you bed. In terms of buying a bed for your Ragdolls I would wait and see where they like to sleep first as you may find you don’t need an actaul cat bed. You can get cat blankets and soft cat ‘mattresses’ instead which you could place in their favorite spot. I would also recommend something washable in case it gets soiled. There are many different types of bed such as:
-Consider durability e.g. can withstand scratching or biting
-Consider how you cat likes to sleep e.g. curled up in a small space, near the radiator, on top of the cat tree, spread out on the sofa
-Conisder type of material some cats may be allergic to certain materials
-If you live a colder climate you can get heated cat beds
-Furniture style beds are good for durability
-Ensure they are cleanable
-Think about the placement of them
Think about the physical ability of your cat to get in and out of the bed e.g. elderly cats may struggle
Catio and Cat Proofing
You can purchase a flat pack enclosure and build it yourself at home or you can hire someone/a firm to build a catio for you clearly a more expensivee option but could be budgeted for if you want a safe place for your Raggies to spend time in the outdoors.
If you have garden fencing depending on the height, you can add on cat proofing to the top to deter them from jumping or climbing over.
You should have your Ragdolls registered at a local vets surgery for regular medical care and yearly vaccinations. You will need to check their website for the emergency out-of-hours services they provide if the worst should happen.
I have the FirstVet service for some advice for Tom’s feet as he went through a phase of having very crusty dry paw pads and they were very helpful. His paws have since improved.
There are also emergency advice telephone help lines, websites and online chats you can use:
www.vets-now.com – has a search page to find nearest 24/7 emergency vet clinic
www.rspca.org.uk has a link to www.vethelpdirect.com which you can use to check your cats symptoms and decide whether an emergency visit is require. There is also PetGP with an advice line you can ring.
I have personally used Vetfone which is proivded with my pet insurance (Agria) and they were very helpful when Tom was throwing up!
Tel. 03033340610.
If in doubt always ring you local vet first and but when it is out of hours you have the options of using these other services to help assess the severity of the problem and what steps to take.