Caring For Your Ragdoll Cat

Caring for your Ragdoll cat’s health is an important part of pet ownership. Always schedule annual examinations and vaccinations with your veterinarian, and perform regular examinations of your cat at home.

When at home you should do a tail to nose checkup once every week; this is an easy task to accomplish while sitting on the couch watching TV. First, check your Ragdoll cat’s ears. Are the ears pink and clean? Is there any odor coming from your cat’s ears? Does your Ragdoll cat have clear, bright eyes that are clear of any discharge?

Next, check your cat’s teeth. Does your Ragdoll have tartar build up near the gum line? Does your cat have bad breath? Move your hands down your cat’s neck and along the side of the body. You are looking for any signs of swelling, bumps, or open sores. Look for evidence of fleas; flea dirt looks like back pepper but turns reddish when wet. Check between your cat’s toes and down the entire length of your Ragdoll cat’s tail. If you find anything out of the ordinary during this inspection contact your veterinarian for a checkup.

The next step is to treat your Ragdoll cat to a thorough brushing. Use a rubber curry brush to remove loose fur and dead skin. If your Ragdoll has fleas a flea comb can help remove fleas from the fur. It is important to brush your Ragdoll cat on a regular basis to reduce the frequency of hairballs.

Another important aspect of grooming is to clip your cat’s claws on a regular basis. If you neglect your cat’s claws they can become ingrown and infected. If your cat will not let you clip them yourself you will need to have your groomer or veterinarian clip them for you. If you are going to attempt this yourself, snip your cat’s nail above the pink section where the sharp tip forms. Do not cut into the pink area as this will be painful for your cat and can cause bleeding and infection.

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