We hope these answers help you! If you don't find
the answer you're looking for, please contact us!
What should I expect
to pay for a Ragdoll kitten? When you purchase a Ragdoll kitten, part of what you are paying for is
the quality of a pure bloodline and all the exceptional characteristics that come
along with this particular breed (you can read about these qualities on the About Ragdollspage).
In addition, a reputable breeder has taken great care to raise their
kittens properly from birth, including veterinary visits, proper
immunizations, and quality food, to make for happy, HEALTHY kittens.
This expense, along with the cost of registration papers, keeping up the cattery,
and all the time and effort on the breeder's part, is what constitutes
the purchase price of the kitten. The purchase price will also vary
depending on whether it's being sold as a pet, a breeder, or for show, as
well as whether or not the cost of the alter is included.
Also,
keep in mind that the initial amount you spend on purchasing your kitten is
only a fraction of what you'll spend on your new family member over
its lifetime (15+ years!).
Is a deposit required for the purchase of a kitten? Yes, a deposit** is required to reserve
a kitten (deposit amounts vary; see Purchasing
page). A deposit can be made along with or after your
kitten wish list submission. The amount of your deposit will
be applied toward the purchase price of the kitten. The remaining
balance is due
when you pick your kitten up.
**Your deposit is fully refundable up until
you pick your kitten!
What forms of payment do you accept?
Cash
or Money Order
Personal Check
Credit Card
(through Paypal):
There is a 3.2%
fee when paying with credit card to cover
the expense that we incur from Paypal from accepting a credit card payment. Credit card
payments are accepted through Paypal.com (account registration is NOT
required). Look for this Paypal logo on the
Purchasing page:
Can I come to see the available kittens? Yes! It is encouraged that you come to see
the kittens in person so that you can see their personalities, hold them,
and choose which one you best connect with; however, visits are not allowed
until the kittens are 8 weeks of age. Please use the contact
information on the Contact page to set up an appointment to visit.
PLEASE NOTE: ANYONE WHO HAS SIGNS OF BEING
ILL OR HAVING A CONTAGIOUS INFECTION (I.E., PINKEYE, RINGWORM, CHICKENPOX,
ETC.), WILL NOT BE ALLOWED NEAR THE KITTENS, AS THEY ARE VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO
DISEASE AT THEIR YOUNG AGE.
Why shouldn't I declaw my Ragdoll? To put it simply, a declawed cat is a "maimed" cat. There are many
reasons why cats have claws (it's not just to claw things). They use their
claws for defending themselves, for grooming and cleaning, and for balance.
Taking their claws away from them will affect all these aspects of their
lives and their personality.
How long does it take a Ragdoll to mature? Ragdolls reach full maturity between 3 and 4 years of age. This is
when they will reach maximum growth, which can, in some cases, be in excess
of 20 pounds! They are considered the largest breed of domestic cat.
Are Ragdolls
hypo-allergenic? My husband was allergic to cats all his life, but he hasn't shown ANY
signs of reaction since being around our Ragdolls the last four years, not
even a hint of it! And he handles them all the time. I've heard
other similar stories, but really, it is a case-by-case basis. Click here for more
information.
Do Ragdolls shed? They do, but not nearly as much as other long-haired cat breeds.
Their fur is more like rabbit fur, not sparse and tangly like Persians.
It does not mat very easily either.
Should Ragdolls be allowed outdoors?
Never! This breed of cat is meant to be an
indoor-only pet. Ragdolls naturally have a non-aggressive behavior
and, therefore, not a very good fighting instinct, which means they may not
be able to defend themselves "on the outside."
Do you offer a
warranty on the kitten? Yes I do. You have 72 hours from the time you take the kitten
home to bring it to your own vet for an examination. If the vet finds
there to be any medical problems with the kitten, you will receive a full
refund if the kitten is brought back to us within that 72-hour period (with
documentation from a licensed vet).
We also have a one-year genetic defect guarantee! If the cat gets sick
or dies from a fatal genetic defect,
we will replace your kitten with a new kitten (when one is available).
Again, proper documentation must be supplied by a pathologist.
See Purchase
Agreement for more details.
Do the kittens
receive vaccines? Yes, each kitten will receive two vaccinations (one at 8 weeks and at 11
weeks old) before they are taken to their new home. These vaccines are
included in the purchase price of the kitten. The type of
vaccine given is a 3-way modified-live virus, which vaccinates against
panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, and calcivirus. Your kitten will not
need another vaccination (a booster) until its 1-year birthday, and then
annually thereafter. Please see the purchase agreement for vaccination restrictions.
How soon can a kitten
be brought home? Kittens are ready to go to their new home between the age of 12 and 14
weeks, depending on size and health; they are usually ready to go home at 12
weeks. It's very important that they
remain with their mother until this time so that they receive adequate
nutrition from the mother's milk to promote a healthy, strong immune system
and ward off common feline diseases. It is also important to remain
with the mother and littermates as long as possible in order to develop
proper socialization skills!
Also, if purchasing a pet
or show-quality kitten, spay or neuter is required before the kittens
leave our cattery. The procedure is done when the kittens are 11 weeks
old, and we require a one-week recovery period to allow the kittens to heal
before they are taken to their new homes. For this reason, and the
reasons mentioned above, 12 weeks is the minimum age at which the kittens
are allowed to be taken.
Will you ship a kitten? Yes, we will ship kittens by VIP pet carrier service through Northwest
Airlines (or another airline with similar service) to out-of-state
purchasers. The cost of this service is $375, which includes the
airfare, an airline-approved pet carrier (which you'll get to keep), and a
health certificate from the vet (required by the airline).
Why are the kittens required to be spayed
or neutered before they leave your cattery? It has been demonstrated in recent years that having the procedure done
at an earlier age allows for a faster, safer, more successful recovery for
the kitten. It also prevents the occurrence of "backyard breeders,"
who breed kittens without the authorization from the breeder to do so.
In order to use one of our kittens for breeding purposes, breeding rights
must be purchased with the kitten; this is what constitutes the purchase
price of $1100-$1400 for our breeder-quality kittens.
What if I'm interested in purchasing a
breeder kitten
for my own cattery? We are very selective in choosing kittens that we would classify as
"breeder quality." They must meet the breed standards set by the
Ragdoll cat associations and demonstrate appropriate traits in personality
and temperament. It is a Ragdoll breeder's responsibility to uphold
and improve the standard of the breed and not permit breeding of Ragdolls that would not allow for this.
When we DO have a kitten
that meets the breeding standards, it will be listed as a breeder-quality
kitten and offered only to those who meet the following criteria:
Must be a reputable
breeder and have a registered cattery OR go through a mentoring
process.
Must already own the other
breeder-quality Ragdoll(s) (of opposite sex) that will be bred with the kitten
purchased from us and provide a copy the 3-generation
pedigree for each. IF NOT, another breeder-quality Ragdoll must
be purchased from a breeder that is pre-approved by us (referrals
will be given).
Must be a breeder who
requires altering of pet-quality kittens (preferably does early alters) and has a no-declaw policy.
What does "show-quality" mean? These are kittens that demonstrate PERFECT (or close to perfect) markings and the desirably
large size that is preferred by the Ragdoll associations. Show-quality
kittens are able to be entered into cat shows for competition all over the
country and potentially win prizes and be given titles such as "champion" or
"grand champion." Showing your Ragdoll is a lot of fun and
can be very rewarding for both you and your cat! Here are some links
to some show-related sites:
Pet-quality Ragdolls are
just as beautiful and wonderful as show-quality Ragdolls; they may
just have a tiny mark here or there or not enough distance between the ears,
etc., which disqualifies them from show competition.
