Behavior Problems and Your Ragdoll Cat
Jun 29th, 2007 by Rob
Is it possible to discipline your Ragdoll cat?
Most Ragdoll owners experience some form of behavioral problem at one time or another. Many find it difficult to believe that disciplining Ragdoll cats is possible; however, despite a cat’s independent attitude towards life in general, it is possible to train your Ragdoll cat. Training your Ragdoll cat takes a healthy dose of patience and perseverance; but don’t get discouraged, you can correct the worst problems your Ragdoll has to offer.
Remember That Pets Aren’t People
Animals rely heavily on instincts for their behaviors. If you’re experiencing negative behaviors you can correct these by being consistent in your interactions with the cat. Your Ragdoll most likely thinks of you as a big cat and interacts with you based on this perception.
You should never consider hitting or using anger to discipline your Ragdoll cat. Pets do not understand violence and will only teach your cat to fear you. If you need to reprimand your cat for bad behavior, consider one of the following methods.
Use a Squirt Gun
Rattle a Can Filled With Coins
Another method for training your Ragdoll cat is to startle them with a metal can filled with coins and a verbal “No!” when you observe the offending behavior. This method will lose effectiveness as your Ragdoll cat becomes familiar with the sound so use it sparingly.
The “Face Push Method”
The final method for discouraging your Ragdoll is the “Face Push.” This is a good way to deter aggressive play. The face push is a firm but gentle push against your cats face followed by the verbal command, “No!” Most cats hate having their faces pushed in this manner and is an excellent training aid.
Hi,
Some great tips there, however I think it is worth mentioning that Ragdoll’s can be trained using a ‘reward’ method as well - for example lavishing attention on them when they use a scratching post.
Nice website, by the way. I’m looking forward to having a good look around.
dsdWEB
great methods! although, i also belive that rewarding is a good suggestion! but great site! i have a ragdoll cat called bailey(male) and a maincoon kitten called finley(male)
I have a 4 month ragdoll female who can become very aggressive and I need to know how to stop her from this behavior and become more loving and gentle.
I have two male Ragdoll kittens (8 months old). I love them to death but one of them has taken to peeing on my leather furniture. I have tried the squirt bottle, Feliway spray. I am at my wits end. Does anyone have this problem? Help in Southern California!! Thank you.
These are some GREAT tips! I am getting a rag doll soon so I am up for any advice!
I am bringing my mother’s 3 yrd old ragdoll across country to my home (my mother passed away) which is already ruled by two cats (an 18 yr old and a 16 yr old). I adopted my cats that had been declawed. My mother’s cat has claws. I need guidance on how to introduce the her ragdoll to my cats (a very skiddish persian/mainecoon, and a alpha tabby). All cats are spade/neutered. I dont know my mother’s cat very well, but since my mother’s death, she has not recieved much attention as Dad is not a cat person. I already plan to separate them for a few days, and have built a door so that they will be able to see one another for as long as it take. Brini (the ragdoll) is driving my Dad nuts, as she is a talker, and particularly always wants to be fed. Any comments and ideas are welcome.
Thanks.
Lexus “Happy Pants” as he is our resident clown. He loves to run, play and invent ways to make us laugh. A trick my wife taught him when he was but 3 months old was to retrieve a drapery rope when thrown a long distance. Lexus learned that trick in minutes and even today almost nine years later, the rope is one of his favorite toys as he retrieves it and drops it at our feet. His brother, Ty is happy to watch and not participate. Love them both.
My 1 year old Ragdoll has decided to poop in the kitchen on my hard wood floors.
This just started about a month ago. He had a stomach virus and pooped there to show me that he was sick but, now he is well and about every two days he decides to poop in the kitchen. What gives? Is he just being lazy about going to the litter box?
Jan
I had a somewhat similar problem, Jan. My ragdoll would 1) poop in the litter box and then pee outside and 2) he would also not cover his poop in the litter box. We noticed that this tended to happen when he had used the litter box more than once during the day without a cleaning in between. We added a second litter box and that pretty much solved problem 1. My mother (who also has a ragdoll) read in a book that they can be slightly finnicky about their litter. I got in touch with our breeder and she gave me the name of the litter she had used on the kittens. I switched him over and we have not seen problem 2 since. You might try this.
We are getting a Ragdoll soon and can’t wait, but reading about some of the behavior problems reminds me of how some cats can be and it’s getting me a little nervous. I had a Persian cat who had many behavior and health problems……..what am I getting myself into? I will only pray that our little one will be a blessed part of our family for years to come!
We chose to get a male kitty over female even though I’ve had experience with male cats “spraying.” I guess I’m just partial to male cats and feel a male would make a better, more laid back pet for our four kids. It is possible to have a male cat who doesn’t spray, right?