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+--- Thread: Finding a ragdoll breeder (/showthread.php?tid=69)
Finding a ragdoll breeder - NatsFan78 - 07-18-2019
I fell in love with ragdolls after searching Google for best lapcats. I had never heard of them until then. After reading several articles I was hooked and decided to see if I could find a breeder close to me. That was the beginning of my adventure. I discovered there is more misinformation about the ragdoll breed on the internet than factual information. I felt like one of those poor rats trying to navigate through a maze looking for a piece of cheese, or in my case a kitten. I believe that in the majority of cases those who are spreading the misinformation are not doing so purposely or with bad intentions. A lot of times they believe their information is correct. That said, finding a kitten is an adventure if you are new to the breed and especially so if you are new to the world of purebreds.
The first step in finding your perfect kitty match is doing research. Learn what the typical characteristics of the breed are and the different colors. I strongly suggest reading the official breed standard, I will add a link for it below, so that when you start your official kitten search you know what to look for. I have read so many comments on social media over the last few weeks from people who are confused that their ragdoll does not seem to have any of the typical ragdoll personality traits. Looking at the pictures posted with their messages it is clear the cat they have purchased is not a ragdoll, some have none of the traditional ragdoll physical traits. That is why it is so important to educate yourself before you start contacting breeders. You don’t want to pay a lot of money for your new baby only to discover it is a mixed breed with none of the ragdoll qualities.
That brings me to the next step, finding a good breeder. This can be very difficult if you do not know what you are looking for or what questions to ask. When I started my search I assumed all breeders bred to the same standard and would therefore produce very similar kittens. I could not have been more wrong! Some breeders breed their cats to follow the official ragdoll standard, a large number of them do not. Some breeders spend a lot of time socializing their kittens, others do not. Most importantly some make sure their breeding cats are healthy but unfortunately some do not.
I thought it would be helpful to have a list of possible questions to ask a breeder when you contact them. Some may not apply to you and some may be obvious. My hope is that over time others will contribute questions I haven’t thought of and weed out the ones that are not necessary from my list. In addition to the list I suggest asking questions here on the forum. This is a wonderful group with a wealth of information they are happy to share.
Ragdoll breed standard: http://cfa.org/Portals/0/documents/breeds/standards/ragdoll.pdf
My idea list for questions:
Location:
Website:
Facebook:
Clubs are you a member of:
Do you provide testimonials:
How long you have been breeding ragdolls:
Did you have a mentor:
Do you only breed to the official ragdoll standard:
Do you include mink, sepia, or solids:
Adoption fee:
Do you require a deposit to be added to your waitlist:
Is your deposit refundable:
What health issues have your breeding cats been tested for:
Can you provide a copy of the the genetic tests on the parents of the kittens:
Do you provide a written health agreement:
What is the length of your health guarantee:
Can I view your contract:
What diseases and conditions does your health agreement cover:
What club are your kittens eligible for registration in:
Do you provide registration papers for your kittens:
Are the kitten’s parents available to meet:
Can you provide a pedigree for your kittens:
Do you allow visits to your cattery:
How are the kittens socialized:
Do you allow your kittens to be underfoot:
Do you ever cage your cats:
Are the kittens introduced to other animals or to children:
What age are your kittens when they go home:
Are you available for questions or concerns once the kitten goes home:
If my kitten becomes sick before pickup will I be informed immediately:
Do you spay/neuter your kittens before they leave for their new home:
What vaccines would my kitten have when he comes home:
What vaccines will my kitten still need:
Do you have the vet administer the vaccines or do you do them:
At what age do your kittens visit the vet:
Do you microchip your kittens:
How often do you provide updates on the kittens to adopting families after the litter is born:
Do you provide pictures or videos so adopting families can watch the kitten grow:
RE: Finding a ragdoll breeder - Tikismom - 07-18-2019
Great list of questions. Hopefully anyone who has others to add to the list will chime in.
As far as coronavirus in cats goes it's as common in cats as the common cold is in humans so it would be nearly impossible to eradicate in a breeder situation however I was just reading this article which does appear to indicate that there may be some progress toward at least understanding more about FIP. This seems promising.
https://www.vet.cornell.edu/animal-health-diagnostic-center/veterinary-support/disease-information/feline-coronavirus
RE: Finding a ragdoll breeder - Codysmom - 07-18-2019
Those are good questions to ask. I'm amazed at how much ignorance there is out there about Ragdolls and pedigreed cats for that matter. It pays to do your homework and knowing what questions to ask is a great starting point.
Thanks for posting these.
Thanks for the FIP link Larissa, interesting article.
RE: Finding a ragdoll breeder - JanH - 07-18-2019
I know of nobody in the cat fancy who attempts to have a CV free cattery. This was a suggestion by Dr. Addie, a respected FIP researcher, but it is really quite impossible. A few breeders (not Ragdoll breeders as far as I know) tried this, but have given it up.
CV is extremely common and extremely contagious. Some years ago, Dr. Pedersen of UC Davis, an expert on feline communicable diseases and a researcher of FIP (the condition that makes CV of interest), noted that even a research lab could not keep CV out.
The practical problem is that one first must get ONLY breeding cats that are CV free, which means finding a true zero titer test. If you accomplish that, you are potentially just one vet visit away from introducing CV to your cattery. Then what do you do - start over with all new hopefully CV free cats? To do this is to give up the entire point of selective breeding - generations of cats selected for breeding to produce the best representatives of the breed and with pairs counterbalancing any shortcomings the other of the pair presents.
As for the Cornell test, it is not new and is not very helpful in diagnosing FIP, which remains a challenge.
The most promising FIP development has been by Dr. Pedersen's group with the support of SOCK FIP. They have identified a promising med. Contributions there are probably the best thing that can be done about FIP at the moment.
As for getting a kitten from a CV free cattery, if one could find that, the first kitten wellness check could expose the kitten to CV in the vet's office.
As for any cattery cats having been sick, why not ask what pet owners here have had sick cats? I think the answer will be 100% and you will not have learned much about the health of their cats.
Regostration papers are a must -- and the papers need to be from a reputable registry (and a reputable breeder) to have their true benefit.
RE: Finding a ragdoll breeder - admin - 07-18-2019
https://www.sockfip.org/
RE: Finding a ragdoll breeder - NatsFan78 - 07-18-2019
Thank you for the feedback and information on FIP. I removed the questions about CV and if their cats have been sick.
RE: Finding a ragdoll breeder - McKeu - 09-25-2019
I also find this to be a pretty decent guide (incl. page 2):
http://catbuyerguide.com/reputable_breeders.html