Unless you are having unusual problems with hairball, I would not give laxatone any more than twice a week. Our little prince gets his on Wed and Sat. Although we have 1/3 of his dry food a hairball formula. Per our breeder we have always feed him 1/3 Iams Regular Chicken, 1/3 Iams Hairball Formula, and 1/3 Royal Canin Indoor Cat Formula 27.

The only time that he has had any problem with throwing up is if we give him any canned meat other than the “grilled”, we gave him more than 1/4 of the can at a time, or we did not drain and squeeze out any liquid from the meat. If we follow those restrictions, he has no problems at all.

You can find it at health food stores. Take 3 capsules, open them up and mix them with 1/2 cup water; cook over medium heat, boiling lightly, until it becomes a dark brown gelatinous looking mess. Let it cool and then store in the fridge………. Dosage is 1 tsp/10 lbs, and I give it 5 minutes before the meal, or when you notice any gastric upset.

Now, also of note, our boy also loved car rides and had no issues taking long distance trips. He would actually sit in the middle console and eat his kibbles … that’s how relaxed and comfortable he was. Now he gets car sick.

J. King … interesting comment re wet food. Since keeping our boy on dry, he hasn’t done too badly. Maybe we’ve crossed a bridge. What “grilled” food do you give your little prince?

I was informed that exotic breeds like Ragdolls often have sensitive stomaches, so was wondering if anyone else out there found that to be the case, as well.

My ragdoll has very rarely thrown up. I have noticed that the few times that he has is when I gave him canned food that was a little on the greasy side or if I gave him more than usual. My ragdoll eats mostly dry food, but when he gets a treat of canned meat he tends to gobble quickly and over eat. So, I limit him to a small amount and try to only get grilled food that I have drained very well. No more throwups.

If adjusting type or amount of canned food does not help, you need to get him to the vet.

Are you sure he is throwing up or does he have hairballs. If he is regurgitating white watery globs, then it is probably hairballs.

Our little prince rarely has a hairball come up. One third of his dry food is a hairball formula and he gets 1/2 inch – 3/4 inch of laxatone twice a week. No more hairballs.

Anybody out there have a ragdoll that throws up all the time?

We have a 2 year old Ragdoll and he doesn’t come when you call him. Our guy is a little mischief and entertainer. We just laugh at all the things he gets himself in to. Oh, and the knocking things down … that’s just him being playful. The world is his toy! Let him enjoy.

Sounds like you have a normal Ragdoll You don’t have any problems with your kitten, unless you choose to view them that way.

Patricia’s advice is good. Generally, any time you bring a new cat to a home or move a cat from one home to another, you should:

1. Bring something from the cat’s previous environment.
2. Put the item and the cat in ONE closed room along with its food and litter box.
3. Keep the cat their for a week or so until it calms down.
4. Make sure you visit the room often and let the cat come to you if it wants. If it comes, play with it a little.
5. After a week or so, open the rooms door and let the cat gradually explore other parts of the house.
6. Dont open up too much of the house to the cat all at one time. Especially, avoid opening gagrages, porches or utility rooms to the cat at first.

Cats are territorial and when they are moves to strange places, they can get stressed, confused, and nervous. A gentle introduction to the new place with something from the previous environment (like a blanket, mat, or toy) helps the transition.

It is nature for the first week or so that the cat is going to avoid you while it gets used to its new surroundings.

Of course, as always, this is general advice. Every cat can have its own personality and can react differently.

You do not say how old the cat/kitten is?

Perhaps you could try putting her in a small room upstairs closer to you with her litter, food, water and a box or bed for comfort.

Remember a few toys too: A ball that jingles, catnip mouse or bag, the scratching post rubbed with catnip, and maybe a shirt you have worn.

This will be the cat’s new safe place to retreat.
You can always move the litter box to it’s permanent location later.

Close the door to the basement or anywhere else she can hide.

Make sure she gets used to you and the household sounds. sights and smells.
When she is anxious, you can place her is her new spot and close the door for a while to let her chill.

Play with her in her safe room and then coax her out or walk her around in your arms speaking softly to her. Let her know it is safe to be with you. The older she is, the longer this will take.

I have one cat, my first one that took several months of reassurance until she felt comfortable. She is now the Alpha cat of a household of 5 and far from the shy timid girl she was upon arrival.

Good luck, and remember patience really does work a whole lot better than trying to rush it. Each cat is individual, and I have had many for the past 40 years, but they are worth the wait!

I have a very independent female Ragdoll who is toilet trained and clicker trained. Males can be more headstrong and less trainable, but that is not to say all are.

I prefer female animals; I have 2 male dogs and a female one, and the females are much easier, but if you want a challenge, get a male.

Kelsea

Gale’s advice is “right on”. Follow it and you and your Ragdoll with do fine. The only thing that I could add is “be patient” with you kitten. My two-year-old male ragdoll did not like to be picked up when he was little either. However, I persisted, but never forced, with attention and picking him up, even for just a few seconds, until he gradually got used to it and now he will let me pick him up and carry him around the house

I would get a harness for the kitten and put it on him. I would keep him close by, reaching down and petting him, talking nicely to him, and when he responds positively, I would give him a treat. I would also recommend using a clicker to mark the good behaviour and then treat it. Look up clicker training and go to Karen Pryor’s site for more information.

I would also bring the cat over to friends houses, exposing him to more people and experiences, and also getting the dog to play nice with the cat. I would also get them both to sit, click and treat both of them at the same time.

I have an almost 11 month old female ragdoll who has been toilet trained since she was 15 weeks old, and she is clicker trained to sit, stay, down and give a paw, using a clicker. When I practice with my dogs and take out the clicker, she runs to be part of it. She shares the house every day with 3 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and right now, her best buddy is the 17 month old male Cavalier I am babysitting.
A properly socialized Ragdoll gets along very well with dogs of all sizes, and other cats too.

Males, be they cat, dog or the 2 legged versions are not as easy to manage as the females.

I have had a domestic short haired tabby and now I have a seal color point male Ragdoll.

They both have characteristics of cats in general. In general, the way Ragdolls have been described to you is all true; however, they are still cats and they will have “cat issues” just like any other cat. I have also learned that in spite of each cat’s “catness”, they each have their own personality based upon their genes and their upbringing. In general, I think that the Ragdoll is a much better house pet than a domestic short haired tabby. However, my tabby was raised by me personally from the time he was 1 week old. This made him the most loving and gentle of any cat that I have ever known. But if he had been raised by his mother, he would have been wild and afraid of people. Unfortunately, his breeding was not controlled and therefore had major health issues. He died only after two years of a congentital heart defect. All in all, you will have much better luck with your little Ragdoll. Just remember, it is just a kitten and just like a little human, he will grow up well or poorly based upon how his/she is treated and cared for. You cannot control the genes, but generally, Ragdolls have few genetic health problems. Some have personality issues, which is hard to tell if it is genetic or caused by upbringing. In order to protect the kitty, most breeders will not release a kittle to an owner until the kitten is between 12 & 14 weeks. Unfortunately, most breeders do not have the time to spend a lot of time with each kitten, so they do not turn out to be as gentle and loving as they could have been. But there is always the exception either based upon genes or based upon the individual breeder. Just be aware, it is not entirely the breeders fault, they generally want the kitten to be feed by the mother to protect the health of the cat. This causes the cat to bond with a cat as its mother rather than a human. The more cuddling and handling by humans in the early weeks, the more pleasing the personality of the kitten, but also the more potential danger for harm to the kitten. It is a delicate balance.

Even when she was a tiny kitten, she would find a way to climb up so that she could drink from the flowing fountain.

Stainless steel bowls do not react with the water. Many plastic bowls leach material into the water and/or the cats can have an allergic reaction from having their chin touch the edge of the plastic bowl. Some cats develop small lesions in their mouths from using plastic bowls. The ceramic bowls can be good; however, many are made in China and have the potential of containing lead.

Alex

We have a 2 year old male seal colorpoint Ragdoll. We have had him since he was 12 weeks old.

I would make the following suggestions:

1. Vary her food. Give wet once in the morning or night and give dry at the other feeding. DO NOT put out a lot of dry in a bowl. Only give her what you think she will eat through the next feeding. This way you can tell exactly how much she is eating. For the dry we use a mix of 1/3 Iams Original, 1/3 Iams Hairball and 1/3 Royal Canin Indoor Adult 27. USE ONLY a stainless steel bowl and CLEAN throughly at least once per day
2. She is probably drinking a small amount because you have been giving wet food, You should notice a pickup in quantity of water if you give some dry food. Again ONLY in a stainless steel bowl, make sure it is CLEANED at least once per day. Fill it full in the morning and again at night. You will then be able to judge accurately how much she drinks.
3. I do not think that Ragdolls like to be confined to a single room. They are VERY curious and like variety. If she must be in one single room, try to make it a room with a windowsill that she can sit on and look outside. When ours was younger, we limited him to just three rooms in the house. He now has full access to the house when we are home and when we are asleep. When we are gone, we limit him to three rooms that does not include the room where we enter the house. They love to RUN through opening doors, and when you come in she may want to run toward and out the door.
Wherever you keep her, you must CATPROOF the area. Nothing glass or metal that she could pull over onto herself. No small objects she could try to eat and swallow. Make sure she has a scratching pad and a scrathing post, food and water and litter box wherever she is confined. If you confine her, try to make it as large an area as possible. They are very curious so be very careful with what is out. I have a friend that was not careful and her 16 week old kitten pulled a glass vase off of a table. The vase fell on the kitty’s tale and severed the tail. It had to be amputated.
4. PLAY, PLAY, PLAY. They love to play with YOU! It is expecially important to do this in the MORNING and in the EVENING. Cats are crepuscular!. It is natural for them to be active the hours around sunrise and the hours around sunset. Wand toys are good and so are balls. Do not give them anything that is small or has small parts. Or you do not even need a toy to be able to play with her. My ragdoll, Prince Harry, LOVES to play hide and seek. He will play this with me forever. I tire out before he does

She eats normally, we give her 2 pouches of wet food a day and occasionally some biscuits, however she doesn’t really eat the biscuits. She does not drink much at all tho and this has been the same since she was a kitten.

She is a single pet and she has plenty of toys which she plays with regularly. During the day when we are not in and over night we tend to leave her in the kitchen with the door shut as she tends to chew on cables elsewhere in the house. It is a large kitchen with a window, scratching post and her toys. Would it be best to let her roam the house?

Thanks Alex

Is she eating and drinking normally?
I give my cats wet food every morning to make sure all are happily eating.
It is hard to tell if cats are off their dry food if the bowl is always filled.

Are her urine and bowel habits unchanged.
She could be under the weather-watch for signs of illness and monitor her food and water intake.

Do you play interactively with her for 15 minutes twice a day?
If she is a single pet she may be depressed and lonely.
Are you away most of the day?
Does she have a window she can look out of and plenty of toys she can play with?

Wand toys are great for you two to play together as are balls.
My cats love fetch!

Hope this helps.
Patricia

Anyone have a Ragdoll with a water fetish? My cat jumps in the shower with me!

I am glad that you have your new “baby” There is a lot of information online about cats in general and about Ragdoll’s in particular. Follow your breeder’s advice and gradually learn more about the car of cats and Ragdoll’s in particular.

I have always been told that there are certain characteristics that are required for the Ragdoll breed, the chief among them “blue eyes”. If your cat does not have “blue eyes”, I would suspect that he/she is not a Ragdoll

I will keep you posted.

There is an occassional squabble which requires a firm no.
During some of the adjustment periods of newcomers entering our family,
I have had to throw a towel over an offending aggressor.

With each new addition to the family the aggression towards newcomers lessened.

All the kitties use the litter boxes (cleaned 2-3 times daily) and the scratching posts.
I have multiple boxes , some higher on the sides and multiple litter types and deapths.
Cats have their preferences.

We also have multiple kinds of scratching posts and combo toy and scratcher apparatus.
Something for everyone.
It works.

They play nicely 98% of the time.

Jealousy over Mom or a toy can sometimes lead to an unfriendly hissing match.
Keep them entertained and supplied with what they need and bad behavior will be minimal.

Is the aggressive cat in the above email declawed?

No matter what type of pet, there can be issues that a pet owner needs to overcome. I have a male ragdoll that is almost two years old. As with every other pet that I have had, there has been challenges and problems to address; but it all pales in comparison to the joy and fun and campanionship that we get from our Prince Harry. His is adorable, and I would not trade him for anything.