Ragdoll cats have soft, rabbit-like fur that rarely mats. You can reduce shedding and hairballs by grooming your Ragdoll regularly. Cats shed their winter coats in the spring; you may notice more hair on your furniture and clothes during the spring months. To keep matting and shedding to a minimum, comb your cat’s fur using a wide-toothed steel comb. Ragdoll cats and kittens are easily conditioned to their grooming rituals, so you should not have any problems. Be gentle when grooming your cat. If mats have already developed, try doing just a little every day.
Giving Your Cat a Bath
Bathing your cat on a regular basis helps keep their coat shiny, clean, and healthy, helps to reduce shedding, and helps to remove oil accumulation. You should bathe your Ragdoll cat or kitten approximately once a month, and then blow dry until completely dry to avoid a chill. Your cat’s body temperature ranges between 102 and 104 degrees, so they will like the bath water fairly warm.
If your Ragdoll has problems with eye goop or if tear staining is a problem, you can wash your cat’s face using a wet washcloth on a daily basis. Fortunately, with their calm, gentle personalities, Ragdolls take well to grooming if you are gentle, consistent, and start their grooming programs when they are young. Some breeders report that the Ragdoll coat is easier to maintain, and that eye tearing is not as much of a problem as it is with the Persian cat.
Pet Shampoos
Any pet shampoo is acceptable for bathing your cat. Other products that are safe to use are blue Dawn dish soap (very good if your cat is greasy), and No More Tears baby shampoo. Do not use ‘human products’ as a general rule. They have additives for fragrance that can be irritating to a cat. Remember that your cat will lick their fur.
Grooming and Hairballs
As cats groom themselves, they accumulate hair in their stomachs and often throw it up. This process is usually accompanied by loud howling, gagging, retching, and gasping noises that can be very alarming. An occasional hairball isn’t much of a problem; however, in long-haired cats, hairballs sometimes become quite large and cause problems. Minimize the problem by grooming out loose hair before it can be swallowed and by using a hairball lubricant like Laxatone or Petromalt. Adult longhair cats may be given a teaspoonful once a week. More frequent administration is not a good idea because these products can interfere with vitamin absorption. Giving mineral oil is not a good idea because it is tasteless and may be accidentally inhaled. Frequent vomiting, as often as once a week, requires veterinary attention as it could indicate another serious medical condition.
Nail Trimming
Most cats attend to the nails themselves; however, claws can overgrow, tear, and split causing painful infections. Trimming your cat’s nails regularly reduces the chances of these problems and reduces their desire to scratch your furniture. Human nail clippers work well on some cats, particularly kittens with tiny claws. Commercial cat toenail clippers are available from your veterinarian, pet supply store, or you can buy them online. These are designed to cut kitty claws at the proper angle without the risk of splitting or crushing the nail. There are trimmers designed like scissors as well as guillotine-type clippers. The best clipper has very sharp blades and is one you’re comfortable handling.
Get your Ragdoll cat used to having his paws handled while still a kitten. A good time to clips claws is when your cat is relaxed after a nap. Often, it’s easier to have two sets of hands available during nail clipping; one pair to hold and calm your cat, the other to trim. Trimming nails single handedly works well with trusting cats that have confident owners. Remember to cut only the clear translucent tip of the nail and to stay away from the pink part. If you cut in the pink part of the nail the cat will bleed and an infection can occur.
Related Articles Other People Have Read:
- Trimming Your Cat’s Nails
- Trimming Cat Claws
- Your Ragdoll Cat and the Scratching Post
- Please Do Not Declaw Your Ragdoll Cat
{ 53 comments… read them below or add one }
This site is perfect tells me everything about my Rag Doll kitty his name is Benji and he is gorgeus he is white with a black mask and he loves getting baths and getting held he loves children and he cannot stop cleaning himself.
Luv Chloe
Hello – I am looking for a cat that sheds little and is not high on the list around children with asthma and allergies – I will not get a hairless cat. I was wondering if the Ragdoll is good for people with allergies and asthma.
I have just gotten my ragdoll cat & she is shedding excessively right now, so if you are looking for one that doesn’t shed….you definately don’t want to consider a ragdool!
Thank you – its funny because most websites say they shed very little and grooming is only about once a week! this is good to know!
Yep, I was fooled into believing that also, so imagine my surprise the first time I saw clumps of hair all over everything in the house. I read something last night that said they shed their winter coat in the spring, so I’m hoping this thing will improve in a few weeks. If not, I’m gonna have to have her clipped.
Thank you so much for you input – it has helped us immensely in our decisions regarding a pet!
My ragdoll cat is shedding quite a bit right now. Its May so im sure hes getting rid of his winter coat but its still unexpected and annoying. Hopefully it will get better. But even with the shedding, hes a wonderful cat and I love him! I would definately suggest a ragdoll.
My ragdoll continued to shed excessively, so I took her to the vet & they clipped her hair really short. I can still see some shedding, but it’s not nearly as aggrivating as the long hair was, getting all over everything. My cat is precious, & I wouldn’t take anything for her. She’s so lovable, and she, too, cleans herself all the time. Must be a a “ragdoll” thing. Also, it seems that most ragdolls have blue eyes, by my cat’s eyes are yellow. How bout everyone else’s?
My first ragdoll was a stray and the one I have now was not really brushed often by the previous owner. I have found that once I got the matts out and got on a regular grooming schedule, the shedding was not bad. I use a zoom groom brush twice a week, that gets all the loose hair and helps prevent matts and keeps the coat nice and they love the massage they get from the zoom groom brush. I realize that is not the typical grooming technique recommended, but both my ragdolls were seniors when I got them and had never really been groomed, so instead of fighting with them to use a comb, I did this and found it very effective and the cats loved getting groomed!
I inheretited a real sweet ragdoll from my girlfriends grandmother… she is matted and has… had fleas… we hope, she had a flea bath tonight….she definatly resisited the bath, I have the scratches to prove it……. what my concerns are is her being wet, I dont want her to get a cold, what is the best way to get her dry????
hi, my cat is a pure breed ragdoll. His name is Tailor. He has white fur with spots of a tan/peachish color. He has bright blue eyes. My brother does have allergies and asthma. But when we first went to see the cat at the previous owners house he did not have ANY reactions. So we went along with getting the cat and its been 2 months or so since we got the cat and my brother has had zero reactions. I noticed that Tailor cleans himself a lot. Tailor also when he feels attached to you he will let you know by attacking you ( in a playful way) hopes that helps!
I always read that Ragdoll’s shed rarely and their fur doesn’t mat much, but I have a pure bred Seal Mitted Ragdoll and he’s gorgeous but he sheds like crazy and he has the longest fur! He is the furriest animal I have ever seen in my life! Haha but he is adorable. The fur on his stomach is kinky and curly and it mats all the time. I have to try to brush his stomach and under his arms every day or he gets huge clumps of mats. So I’d say that info is pretty false.
I do have a question though, my Ragdoll is very floppy and sweet when he wants to be, and inherited typical Ragdoll traits such as playing fetch, running to the door when we come home, flopping anywhere and everywhere, laying on his back all the time etc, but….as much as I love him, he has quite the attitude for what I believed a Ragdoll would be. He doesn’t like to be held, he never lays on my lap and he bites sometimes. Does anyone else have this problem? Help!
Oh yes! They say that ragdolls are docile but my cat, Tailor doesn’t like to be held and he bites and scratches a lot. I consider it to be out of love. See, Tailor has an attitude, but usually he wins his way by his cuteness. My cat also sheds a lot, but I think its because of the weather. He loves to go outside but i wouldn’t suggest letting them out, 1. They go straight for the dirt and roll on their backs, 2. They tend to run away if you try to take them in.:) So let me know if that helps, ragdoll79!
You ragdoll sounds a lot like mine. My ragdoll does not like to be held AT ALL! And she WILL bite when you play with her! She also sheds like crazy!! But on the bright side…she is beautiful and very lovable. She loves being around us, just does not want to be picked up. She is always looking out the door as soon as we pull up at home. She, too loves to lay on her back with her hind legs all sprawled out and her front paws all curled up over her chest…(SO CUTE)!! I have never had a problem with her fur matting. It is always soft & perfect & she washes it all the time.
Haha sometimes its hard for me to get mad at my ragdoll because he is sooo cute!
Hi, I am a new owner of a Ragdoll cat and i find that he sneezes alot… Should that be something to worry about. Also he doesnt like his paws handled. I got my cat just recently and he is 3 years old. He was rescued in the first place, and i was wondering how to get him used to everything that i do to groom him. Thank you for your time. Looking forward to some information about my cat from you.
Sincerely,
Bridget Cardinal
I have a four year old ragdoll..His name is Bailey…He is timid,shy and only loves me…I also bought a tabby cat Andy two years ago..He loves Bailey..Andy loves everyone…Anyway Bailey hates to be held also…He loves tummy rubs..Sleep on his back all the time..I took him for the first time to be groomed at a grooming salon..(What a terrible mistake)..Less then a week later I notice a diamenter of appx; 5 inches on his neck all matted and hard and bleeding..I took him back to the groomers..They shaved it and it was unreal..I ended up taking him to my vet and Bailey had to take antibiotics for a week..A thick scab formed..Finally I was able to cut most of it off when it got lose…His neck the vet said is going to take months to fill back in with scarring…The vet said that the groomer must have not got all the soap out..What a costly mistake but more so I feel so sorry for Bailey..A hard lesson learned..I love my cats both of them and I never have regreted getting a ragdoll…They are beautiful but are not as friendly as we are lead to believe…
I have two ragdolls, a blue mitted male and a seal point male. The Blue mitted male sheds excessively year round and mats too. Probably the worse shedder I have ever had. I have to vacuum every other day and still have clumps of hair tumbleweeds about the house. They are wonderful cats except for the shedding problem.
I have two ragdolls that I purchased from a breeder. The first one, a seal mitted lynx, is pretty much exactly what I expected him to be and more. He is so friendly, loveable, cuddly, outgoing, etc. He’s sitting on my lap right now. But the other one, a blue point, has that “attitude” that others described. He doesn’t like to be held, but doesn’t bite. He just freezes up and gets all stiff if you pick him up. He always wants to be near us and loves attention, just doesn’t want to be held. He loves to play fetch (which makes him unique, the other one doesn’t do that). I worked with both of them as kittens to condition them to tolerate certain things but my blue point just is how he is and that’s his personality. We have decided to just love him as is and accept some of his less desireable traits because he has other redeeming qualities. As for biting though, you really should not allow that behavior. I taught them as kittens that biting was not ok. You just say “no” and walk away from them (taking their attention away) or give them a time out in the bathroom.
One other thing, I was led to believe too that they were low shedders. This could not be more false. Their shedding really is quite a chore and impossible to keep up on. But they are so wonderful that I would get them all over again if I had it to do over.
I have a 7 year old purebred female ragdoll named Phaedra. She is sweet and so beautiful. We have been disappointed by her not wanting to be picked up or sit on our laps. She has always shed quite a bit but has never had any matts until recently. I have been worried something may be wrong with her health but she gets organic food. She drinks alot but doesn’t seem to excessively use the litter box. My first thought was diabetes but she’s playful and doesn’t exhibit any other symptoms. Any thoughts or suggestions?
I have just started grooming her with the furminator and she seemed to handle it pretty well. We didn’t get all the mats out of her back legs and will continue to brush her regularly now. It just seems unusual that now at 7 years she needs grooming. Any feedback is welcome.
We have a 1 year old female ragdoll who is the best cat I have ever had. She has long, soft fur, but sheds less than the last cat we had and that cat was a short-haired mixed breed cat! She loves to be picked up and held like a baby and even loves to be cradled on her back and rocked to sleep. She loves to play rough with my husband, bites softly, but doesn’t use her claws, just her paws. She greets us at the door and follows us from room to room. She is not a bed sleeper, but prefers the floor or a hard surface like a fireplace hearth. We think she must like the coolness of it. She is a counter jumper, but only does it when we are in the kitchen or bathroom, to be near us. Basically, she loves to be near us, but is not a lap cat, unless you put her there and if she is not in a playful mood, she will stay there. She also, does a really funny thing: she nurses a furry blanket that we have on the couch…..she has been doing this since we brought her home at 7 weeks old. She does it everyday, and so we think she may have been weaned too soon, but it is the cutest thing! I would recommend a ragdoll to anyone who wants a great cat!
I have no idea who started the myth about Ragdolls not shedding, but I assure you that it’s not true. My two boys shed more than any cat I’ve ever lived with—and I’d say that between my own and rescues, over 50 cats have lived in my house. Ragdolls are awesome cats and I really love these guys, but much of what you read about them is written by folks who sell them…… I brush my boys almost daily, but there are clumps of hair all over the house. It’s slowed down since the weather cooled, but I’d still need to vacuum daily to keep the house looking as it did pre-Ragdolls. Short haired cats are significantly easier to live with as far as shedding goes, but then you don’t get Ragdoll looks and personalities.
I own a male blue point rag doll (purebred). I got the breed because it was supposed to be a major lap cat. WRONG!!! From the day he came home from the breeder, he has hated to be held. I don’t even bother anymore to try (well, maybe once a week I pick him up for a hug and a kiss – but he cries and struggles). He also has NEVER been a lap cat! I love him, but I’m pretty disappointed that he has no desire or interest for more closeness. It makes it harder to really feel bonded to him. He’s very sweet, and enjoys being near me, or sleeping on the end of the bed, but I’m bummed he’s not more affectionate. My former cat was constantly on me – whether I was seated or sleeping – lol.
I own 2 male ragdolls and neither of them are lap cats either. They have wonderful personalities and follow me around like puppies. Wherever I go they follow. If I go into a room that I won’t let them into they will stand outside the door and cry to get in. But they do not like to sit in your lap. When I am in the recliner, they will occasionally get between me and the arm of the recliner and lay there for a few minutes but usually get back down. My wife wants to get another cat so she can have a lap cat.
Frankly I don’t really want a lap cat, especially as both of mine leave a ton of hair on anything they lay on. I have owned cats all of my life but never had shedders this bad. We have to keep them on laxatone or they clog up with hairballs. I have to vacuum every day or we have hair tumbleweeds all over the place. I wear a lot of black (cause I like black) but all my clothes are covered with cat hair. I have to use a sticky roller everytime I go out to get as much cat hair off my clothes as possible.
They are the sweetest and most needy cats I have ever owned but they are not lapcats and (contrary to what the breeders tell you) not low shedders either.
It has been good to read this information – I thought my Zoey was the only non-typical ragdoll cat! As I type this I have Zoey hairs floating by – I just brushed her and have a big enough furball to fill a single mattress! Keeping up with the fur abatement has been frustrating to say the least. I too wear alot of black – I find my clothes come out of the dryer still with bits of fur attached! And you should see the things I pull out of my eyelashes – I think it is more like having a sweater in your eye than a fuzz. And having said all of that – I do love my cat! She is also not one for being picked up and carried – although I continue to do it and have actually heard a slight purr coming out of her sometimes. She does love to cuddle on my lap and beside me – we sleep together in bed at night – I always end up cuddling with the cat instead of my husband! But don’t tell him that! I have also had issues with her getting quite wound up – although I do think she thinks she is playing. But she will bite if you try and pet her when she is wound up – no amount of walking away, closing her in a room, shooting water at her has stopped this behaviour. We have just learned to not “mess with the Zoey-han” when the mood hits. I have to say though , she is so special and beautiful that it sometimes melt my heart when I look at her…. she is one special cat!
Both my Raggies have the best temperaments of any cats I have ever lived with. Toby does like to play the “let’s wake daddy up at 3:00AM” game, but I can live with that cause he is just being affectionate. The shedding issue isn’t the cats fault so I just live with it. Since I wear a lot of black or dark clothing I go through a lot of those sticky rollers. Part of the problem is with me too because I don’t brush and comb them as often as I should (after work, going for a run, getting supper ready, etc I seem to keep neglecting the cat combing time) and they even like the combing unless there is a mat that pulls.
I can say that they give back so much in love and affection that the little problems with fur and accidents seem trivial.
I have two ragdolls, a seal mitted Angel and a seal bi-colour Halo. Angel loves to be carried and rocked like a baby. She loves to lie on my shoulder when I am in bed and has the loudest purr. She is very motherly and stays with anyone who is sick or feeling down.
Halo is only 5 months old and is getting over a virus but she is a lap, chest and any other part of your body she can lie on type cat. She is vey affectionate and talks all day long. She is the most needy in terms of affection and love to be picked up and loved. They both follow us around the house when they are actually awake.
They do shed but mostly in the Spring and hardly during Winter. I groom them once a week and that seems to be enough.
I would only ever have ragdolls they are grrrreat.
I have two ragdolls, Kenco (my sons) and Dolly Dimple. They are both great but Dolly molts all the time. We change the bed sheets and within a few days they are covered in fur. Both love sleeping on their backs and cuddles. Kenco will bite if you try to tickle her tummy. Every morning Dolly will cuddle up to me and give me a wash on my arms. She sings away as she slobbers all over my bare skin. I would never replce them as they are just perfect and no other ragdoll could fill the void they will leave when they move on.
I would recommend anyone having a ragdoll but be ready for their quirky personalities.
I love my ragdolls, they have the greatest personalities and are so loving but they do shed a lot! Breeders are still advertising them as low shedders but they shed as much if not more than any breed I have ever owned, including a Persian that left piles of fur everywhere. I literally have to vacuum my house every 3 or 4 days because of the cat fur. I wear a lot of black, navy blue and dark grey clothes so I just have to keep one of those sticky rollers at the back door to roll myself before I leave for work.
My cats are indoor cats only so they never have a major shedding season, they just shed constantly year round. If I don’t groom them on a regular basis they will also mat, especially my blue mitted male. His fur is like rabbit fur, extremely fine and silky but it mats really bad. My seal-point doesn’t mat quite as bad and sheds less than the blue mitted male but still sheds a lot and gets mats occasionally too.
After my experience with the Persian I was hoping for a low shedder (one of the major reasons I looked at ragdolls) but boy was I mistaken. Oh well, I love them dearly so I will just have to keep vacuuming and grooming. But breeders should be honest and let prospective buyers know that this breed does shed profusely.
Wow! I am so glad I found this site because my Ragdoll sheds more than any cat I have ever owned. I am constantly finding fur on my clothes, in my eyes and on my tongue (pffft!) I also have to change my bedsheets often because they are also covered in fur. I do love my Ragdoll and he is the sweetest cat ever. He is a scrapper though and the saying that they do not know how to fend for themselves is not true with my Ragdoll. I also have grey tabby and the tabby used to pick on the Ragdoll. Now that they are friends I will see the Ragdoll PURPOSELY try to provoke the tabby. The Ragdoll hides and pounces on the tabby and a cat fight ensues. Sometime the tabby is sleeping and the Ragdoll will swipe at him and run away. LOL
My Ragdoll is so precious though. He sleeps by my head every night. It is so comforting to reach over and snuggle with him. I deal with panic attacks at night and my Ragdoll is better than any medication you can get.
I have a six month old rag doll that is a cream and tan with a brown mask. My question is is that she is so tiny. The vet says she is only a third of the size she should be. almost 8 months old and only weighs about 3.5 LBS. also she only has medium length hair not long hair has anyone seen this before?
Wow… from all these posts, I can see that my new adult ragdoll might very well continue to shed like crazy as she has been for the past week since I adopted her… I was hoping that it was just because of the stress of being in a new home (you know how cats shed like crazy when they go to the vet, for example), but it appears I am going to be stuck with a cat that has shed more than any other cat I have owned… I am not pleased, considering I chose this breed specifically because of their so-called (mythical!) low shedding property. You see, I adopted a domestic cat 1.5 months ago, and I figured that if I could find a breed that was both low shedding and also not crazy like a Sphynx or Devon Rex, I could bring in another cat in (low shedding was important to me because I knew that 2 cats, if one of them was not low shedding, was going to be way too much fur around the house, and I am not one to take out the vaccuum every other day). I am feeling very frustrated about this now that I know her extreme shedding might be a forever thing… Now I almost feel like bringing her back to the breeder and just telling her to keep the money, so she won’t make a fuss. (I am not yet attached to the ragdoll, seeing as she has been here only one week)
I can give some more discouraging information about shedding. Seems my cats have been swallowing so much hair lately while grooming that I now have to give lots of laxatone almost daily to help them pass the hair through their system. One of my cats had to have an enema last week and the vet said he had a lot of hair. I am trying to brush them as often as a can but they still shed lots of hair. Right now as I write this I can see several large cat hair tumbleweeds rolling across my floor. Guess its time to get the vacuum out again. Oh well, what can you do. I love my rags so it looks like I’ll continue to stay well acquainted with my vacuum. In fact, I am getting ready to go looking for a better vacuum to use for pet hair.
Isabelle – please give your ragdoll a chance – as you can read from the other posts – we all believe they are special, loving cats! Most do loved to be brushed and if you can do a quick brush every day it will really help. I have picked up a swiffer broom and find that it is great for doing a quick fur removals on my hardwood floors – I too do not want to be having to pull the vaccume out all of the time. For furniture I use the sticky rollers and lint brushes. In the end you will have to do what is best for you, but my ragdoll and I have become so close, I could not fathom not having her around!
Actually, Geri, I went and got my raggie shaved today. The lion cut. I am hoping that the excessive hair shedding was due to possibly low quality food at the breeder, and that once it grows back in, with the quality food I always give my pet cats, she will not shed as profusely anymore. Right now, she looks like a cute blue-eyed ratdoll… ;o) She is getting ALOT more loving from me though, because she is not shedding all over me when I pick her up, and she is not losing a whole handful of hair when I pet her. I have my fingers crossed for the new hair once it grows back in…
I hope that works out for you Isabelle. For myself, I have to say I go to another place when I have my cat cuddled beside me and I can run my hand through that glorious, soft fur – heavenly! All the best to you.
I don’t think food quality will help. Your rag doll will still shed. I feed only Science Diet to my cats and they still shed. At one time I fed a super expensive organic food from California that I had to special order, but one of my rags got urinary tract problems and I stopped feeding it. Never found out if that was what caused it but we changed the litter type and got a Drinkwell fountain water bowl and the vet gave it steroids and it cleared up and hasn’t come back. But some rags are just natural shedders. My seal point male doesn’t shed or mat up nearly as bad as my Blue mitted male does. A friend of mine just had her rag doll shaved because it was matting and shedding. My rag is not eating and we are treating him for constipation caused in large part, we think, by excessive shedding and grooming. I just started both my rags on Science Diet Hair Ball Remedy and I also put down some Royal Canin Hair Ball food with it hoping they will like one of them. Neither of my rags will touch canned food which would be better for them than the dry. They won’t even eat human foods like canned salmon, chicken or beef. I have even tried cooking chicken breast and salmon but they won’t touch it. Its dry food or nothing for them. Good luck with your cat. I love my boys but the breeders need to quit advertising ragdolls as low shedders. It is a form of false advertising and many owners are suprised when they discover that they have acquired just the opposite, a high shedder.
Mike, Are you KIDDING that your rags will not eat canned food? I have three blue mitts, two males and one female; my largest male rag, Bacchus, will follow me hither and yon, YOWLING at the top of his kitty lungs until I give him his gravy fare!! Have you tried giving your guys condensed milk? Mine seem to “lap it up”—no pun intended!!! Good luck getting your fella to eat!!
I have never seen any breeder advertise that rags are low shedders and I would laugh at any who would be so foolish. I have to have all four of my indoor babies (the other is a female Himalayan) shaved at least twice a year or else they all start hacking violently and ejecting giant hairballs. (Plus, it’s HOT down here in the South!!!) I love my babies for their wonderful temperaments and intense affection—I have learned that no outfit or piece of furniture is quite complete without cat hair and I would not trade them for gold!
I just got my first Ragdoll and have honestly during a life-time love affair with felines, never had a more affectionate cat. He was only just a month old when I met with the owners to view him, and he just curled up under my chin for a nap. No playing strange. Just completely comfortable and relaxed. Later on, he was so relaxed when I was holding him up for a closer look, his little head was flopped back bonelessly over the edge of my hand. Absolutely too funny!
I have an older Snowshoe and she has grooming issues since I got here. For her fur ball issues I have found nothing works better than a bit of virgin coconut oil on the paws once a day. Because I use it as a skin conditioner after my shower, she feels it is her right to have her share and will start to cry when I open the jar. My newest baby will be getting a regular morning dose as well.
He will also be going on an organic raw meat diet once he gets old enough as my old girl has done so well on it–I want to start him off on the right foot.
I have a Ragdoll, he is 3 in Nov and his name is Eggbert (eggie for short). I would never take him back for the world, he is the most affectionate cat I have ever had. Yeah sometimes he will bite and scratch as a warning to say that he has had enough but he makes up for it when we spoon each ther under the lanky, when he rubs his face on mine, he licks my eyebrows and grooms my hair, he licks my tears when I cry and stays and protects me when I am sick. The shedding is really bad, I have a really busy lifestyle and have neglected brushing him for a few weeks now and he has got really bad knots….. he doesn’t like me brushing him on his belly at all, i have the scars t prove it.
I only buy him top end brands of dry food and he eats diced lamb and tinned tuna. He loves it. He has a lead and harness and he going on outings with me. he loves have baby chinos at the coffee shop and sharing my ice cream. I would be lost without my bubba. I was thinkng of shaving him keeping his mane and tail… Does anybody have suggestions?
Hi. I am a 9 year old lover of cats. My family chose Ragdolls because we heard they were the most lovable cats you could have. It was me and my sisters dream to have cuddly cats of our own. I can’t believe that my cats won’t snuggle with me, or sit in my lap ever! They are beautiful and funny to watch play, and lay on there backs, but I just wish they would play with me, or snuggle sometimes. Maybe it’s because we got two cats. I don’t know. My kitten started off more affectionate, until we got our other kitten. But there my cats! Next time I get a cat I will rescue a cat that needs a home and wants be held. Good luck!
We have a ragdoll we are getting rid of. She’s not a lapcat, sheds PROFUSELY, to the point her hair almost burned up the condenser on my fridge. Anyone want her???
TRY FEEDING HER BETTER FOOD.Don’t give up on her.An animal is not a toy.After your done an get bored you get rid of her. Science diet has great food for shedding.My ragdoll stop shedding thanks to science diet.Also try mixing some liquid shed -x in her food.Both can be purchased in pet co where the pets go or your local pet store. You got the rag doll only because she is beautiful but turn your back on her for a few sheds of fur.Shame on you.vain people.You get rid of a couch not a cat.She can also be shedding because of stress or maybe shes sick. Stop being cheap and take her to the vet and buy her better food.Don’t give her up on craigslist. Alot of animal abusers purchase free pets. Give her up for a price.She deserves better than someone who will give her up for shedding anyway.You don’t deserve her.
I would never “give up” on my ragdolls. They are what they are and I love them for it. However, excess shedding is a real problem. We only feed Science Diet so that is not an issue. I haven’t tried liquid shed-x (never heard of it actually). I have just learned to live with it. Vacuum once a week and let the fur balls roll around. I did purchase a small rechargeable vacuum for quick pickups during the week, problem is every time I use it I have to clean it because it clogs up with cat fur. Unfortunately for me I also love black clothing so I have to keep one of those sticky fur rollers at the back door so I can roll my clothes before I leave.
Its kind of funny when someone visits and sits down in a chair and when they leave the backside of their pants or skirt is all white with cat hair. I usually don’t say anything either so I guess they go to their next appointment with all that cat hair on them.
When I take the cats out to brush them on the patio huge clumps of cat hair get picked up by the wind and go sailing over my fence. I sometimes wonder what the neighbors think when they see all that white fluff go floating by.
I have found that my ragdoll has become more and more affectionate over the years- giving her up was never an option, no matter how much shedding she has going on. If anyone has done their homework with regard to studying the breed before buying, I know you would have been aware there was information out there saying they do shed. I know I read it several times but hoped mine would not be a shedder – but no such luck. So I keep up the regular brushing and appreciate my beautiful, sometimes goofy, sometimes entertaining and always adorable ragdoll cat.
My favourite is when I have people over for dinner and we are sitting at my beautifully set dining table with my drop crystal chandelier sparkling above us, and then I see a big old cat hair floating by – I will either try and grab it or give it a little blow to move it along before anyone notices. I have to say I am probably a way better house keeper due to my ragdoll because I know I have to keep on top of the cleaning or the fur will take over the house!
My ragdoll has since my first post stopped shedding excessively. And I believe if you read my post that I specified that I give her quality food. I have NEVER given my animals cheap food. Ever.
What I do find very unfortunate is the false publicity about ragdolls though. It would appear that many do shed excessively, and the public is led to believe that they are low shedders. False publicity like that can indeed lead to false expectations and someone adopting a ragdoll at a high price only to find out that the very reason they decided on that breed was not true after all… Shame on the breeders, if you ask me.
For the record – I have never given my ragdoll ‘cheap’ food. I live in Canada and I have actually been having cat food shipped from the US for her. But she still sheds. And I still adore her.
Was responding to Jewels’ post.
Litter problem
We love our two ragdolls. We have a mother and her daughter. The baby is now two and going through the teenager stage – she harasses her mother terribly. she loves to lie in wait and pounce out and attack. Then she tears through the house like dog ghosts are chasing her. Too funny! They are not lap cats but are always around or beside us. Yes they shed but I also use those white roller brushes on them to pick up loose fur. My problem is with the 2 -year old. She does not like litter. I started using the litter that her breeder trained her on, but she fell in love with our hardwood floors and peeing down the bathtub drain (foul smell results – yuck). I have tried every kind of litter and even different boxes, and consulted the vet in case there was a physical problem. I currently have three litter boxes. I even changed the floor cleaner in case the smell attracted her. Anyone experienced anything like this?
Never had a litter problem with my two male ragdolls. They are 6 years old and have never urinated outside of the litter box. I have only 1 litter box but it is supersized. I use FreshStep Free (perfume and dye free) scoopable and haven’t had a problem. Shedding is another issue. Both boys shed like there is no tomorrow. Winter and summer, spring and fall the fur flies. I have hand held vaccums, canister vaccums, upright vacuums, electric brooms, sticky rollers, velcro rollers, and have to utilize them all to fight the fur. Decided to wear black jeans today so I have to watch where I set, run when I see one of the boys coming my way (they love to jump in my lap or rub my legs) and keep the sticky roller close.
Wishing you the best on your litter box problem.