We are located in Portland, Oregon
Please don’t hesitate to contact us and send us an email if you have any questions about us or our ragdoll kittens! We will get back to you as soon as possible. And check out our list of Frequently Asked Questions.
Our email is RagdollsPDX@gmail.com, before sending us an email, please complete our Adoption Questionnaire.
Also, follow us on Instagram @RagdollsPDX to see more pictures of our adorable cats and kittens or check out our galleries of past litters!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few common questions, if you have other questions please contact us.
Q: Why does my Ragdoll Kitten “bury” its food after it eats?
A: When your kitten “buries” (pretends to bury) its food it just means it is done eating. There is nothing to worry about, it doesn’t mean they don’t like their food or anything like that. In the wild, big cats often bury their food when they finish eating so that other predators can’t smell the food. Obviously, Ragdolls don’t actually have any predators to worry about, but they still have the instinct to do this funny behavior. Not all kittens do this, so if yours doesn’t that’s okay too!
Q: Why does my cat knead on me?
A: For cats, kneading is a way of showing affection. As a baby, your Ragdoll Kitten would knead on its mother while nursing, because of this it is very comforting to knead. If you don’t like it you can try moving your kitten so that they are sitting near you instead of on you, or you can put a pillow or blanket over the part of your body they are kneading on.
Q: How can I keep my Ragdoll Kitten from chewing on cords?
A: The good news is, most Ragdolls stop chewing on cords as they get older, but while they are still kittens you will want to make sure they don’t chew on your cords. Not only can this be an expensive habit, but it can also be dangerous. The best way to fix this issue is through simple prevention techniques such as hiding your cords behind your desk or to buy a cord concealer if you are looking for more solutions, contact us.
Another important method for deterring this behavior is to provide lots of fun toys for your Ragdoll Kitten to play with and chew on. As your kitten gets older and moves out of their teething phase, they should stop trying to chew on your cords.
Q: How can I teach my kitten to sleep at night?
A: One of the hardest parts of having a kitten is teaching it to follow your sleep schedule. Since cats are naturally nocturnal, it is important to start teaching them good habits while they are young. If your kitten is asking for attention in the middle of the night, it is critical that you don’t pet them or show them affection. If you give them attention at night, they will continue to expect that from you at night.
Instead, make sure you give them lots of love and playtime before bed so that they sleep through the night. Also, provide them with lots of quiet toys to play with at night so that they can stay entertained and hopefully not bug you too much.
Q: My vet told me my Ragdoll Kitten is overweight, what should I do?
A: It is very common for vets who have not worked with Ragdolls to think that they are overweight as kittens. An average cat is between 6 and 9 pounds, whereas your average Ragdoll Cat can weigh up to 15 pounds. This means that as kittens they get quite a bit bigger, faster than other kittens. Ragdolls also grow for a lot longer than other cats, not reaching full size until 3-4 years. This is why we recommend feeding kitten food to your Ragdoll longer than usual. If your vet says your kitten is overweight, don’t change how much you are feeding them, Ragdolls are meant to be large.
Q: Why does my cat have hairballs?
A: When cats clean themselves they ingest a lot of fur. For the most part, they are able to digest the fur, but sometimes it can upset their stomach, causing them to regurgitate the fur. Hairballs can be very annoying and there are some ways to help prevent them.
One thing you can do is brush your Ragdoll regularly. Brushing helps to get rid of some of the dead fur so that they don’t have to get it off themselves. Make sure to brush your Ragdoll from kittenhood so that they get used to it.
Along with brushing, you can give your Ragdoll hairball medicine. There are many different brands of hairball medicine, talk to your vet about which kind they would recommend. Please contact us if you are having issues with hairballs.
Q: Why can’t I let my Ragdoll Kitten outside?
A: Ragdolls have been bred to be extremely docile cats, this means they don’t have good survival instincts that would be needed to live outside. Ragdolls are also extremely sweet, meaning they might get stolen if they are outside all alone. An outdoor cat’s lifespan is half as long as an indoor cat’s. If you do want your Ragdoll to experience nature, you can teach them to walk on a harness and leash. Start teaching your Ragdoll Kitten to walk on a leash while they are young, start indoors with the leash until after they have gotten all their vaccines please contact us if you are wondering how to train your Ragdoll Kitten.
Q: Why can’t I declaw my Ragdoll Kitten?
A: It is absolutely pivotal that you NEVER declaw your Ragdoll (or any other cat for that matter). There are lots of misconceptions about the declawing process, it is not just clipping your cats’ nails extra short. In fact, declawing is actually amputating the last bone on your cat’s paw. To help understand this, imagine cutting off your finger at the top knuckle.
Besides being extremely painful for the cat, this procedure can create many behavioral issues including eliminating outside of the box. These are the reasons that it says very specifically in our contract that you agree not to declaw your Ragdoll Kitten.
Please contact us if you have any other questions!