Raising quality kittens that capture your heart

Hours of Operation: Mon - Fri 8:00am - 8:00pm

Ragdoll Care

We are currently using the following products:

  • Royal Canin Baby Cat dry food for kittens beginning to wean and nursing mother cats.
  •    As kittens get older, I add ProPlan dry kitten food 
  • Wet food that we use, Royal Canin Mother & Baby Cat, mixed with Royal Canin kitten thin slices with gravy or Fancy Feast Gravy lover's chicken.
  • We use World's Best corn cat litter, green bag or the zero mess in the blue bag


Preparation:

Preparing for a kitten requires time and planning.

The following is a list of recommended/required supplies:

  • Kennel or Carrier
  • Two Litter Boxes,for one cat, three boxes for two cats.
    • World’s Best Cat Litter or other quality litter
    • Ceramic food and water dishes, or stainless steel. Three dishes one for water, dry food and wet food
    • Cardboard scratcher
    •   multiple cat toys
    • cat nail trimmers
    • Cat bed or blanket
  • Medium Sized Cat Tree
    • Kittens prefer a cat tree with a space for them to sleep over the very basic scratching post.
    • Stores such as Petsmart, Petco, or Mud Bay carry cat trees.  Costco carries cat trees once or twice a year as well.
    • Online, Amazon, WayFair, Wal Mart, and Costco have cat trees.
    • grooming comb and brush.  I do send home a comb with your kitten. You may want to buy an additonal medium wide tooth come and a slicker brush.
    • Flea comb, good to have on hand, just in case.


Probiotics:

  • These are excellent to have on hand. Many kittens experience gastrointestinal upset when moving to their new homes and switching foods.
  • Probios Gel
  • Intelliflora powder, by Probios
  • Forti Flora powder, by Purina
  • Advita Powder Probiotic
  • Bene-Bac Gel


  • Food Recommendations:
    • I provide some dry and canned food when you pick up your kitten.  Please keep them on the same food as they are used to for at least a week.  Kitten will need time to adjust to his or her new home.
    • I highly Recommend continuing the feeding of canned food daily.
    • My Veterinarian recommends wet food along with good quality dry to prevent bladder and kidney issues in cats.
    • Cats need the extra moisture in their diet to make up for eating dry food, water alone does not have enough moisture.
    • Since canned food is not the main diet, only a supplement to their diet, do not worry about what brand you buy.
    • If you have the time, boiling chicken breast and chopping it up for your cat is good for adding moisture into their diet.
    • When switching dry food brands, please mix the new food in slowly as to not upset your new kittens delicate digestive system.
    • Online, most foods and litter can be purchased from Chewy.com, they have excellent customer service.   Amazon as well
    • You can also purchase these brands at the usual pet stores in your local area.


Make sure you have a veterinarian picked out for your new kitten (s). Locate an emergency vet within reasonable distance; you never know when an emergency might sneak up. It is better to be prepared.  You will need to make sure you keep up with the vaccine schedule as well as planning to have your kitten spayed or neutered by 6 months of age.

Kitten proof your house, make sure there are no loose wires, cables, toxic substances, toxic plants or objects that can be swallowed lying around. Check to make sure there aren't any places for your kitten to hide, get stuck, or lost in.  Keep toilet seat down in bathrooms or close bathroom door.   Always make sure to close your doors when going outside. Watch carefully when leaving your home to make sure your kitten or cat did not sneak out with you.  Kittens-Cats are naturally curious and can easily sneak out.


GROOMING AND NAILS:

My Ragdoll Heaven Kittens are taught that grooming and nail trimming is part of the regular routine. We groom kittens weekly and trim their nails every two weeks so they become accustomed to being  handled.  They also are given one bath before leaving.  I trim their nails the day before going home with you.  It is recommended you keep up with grooming and nail trimming routine.

 We provide them with scratching posts and cat trees.  My Ragdoll Heaven has a STRICT NO DECLAW policy; it is part of our contract.  We  suggest you supply him/her with a good sized cat tree with sisal rope on it. A scratching post/cat tree will generally prevent your kitten from using your furniture and other house old items for scratching. Cat trees are a wonderful addition for your kitten, cat trees give them something to climb, instead of your furniture!

A ragdoll's coat is quite easy to groom and generally does not mat. Their coats are medium to long in length, with a very soft silky texture. It is often compared to rabbit fur. Ragdoll's will groom themselves regularly. However, we still recommend you brush your Ragdoll once or twice a week.  It helps with shedding and helps the cat not swallow so much of their fur which will help prevent hairballs in their stomach.  Nails should be clipped every 3-4 weeks or you risk the nails curling and growing into their paw pads. A bath may be required to maintain proper skin and coat health.  Always use shampoo pH balanced for cats/kittens and always rinse extra well.   Never use human shampoo. Kittens will generally enjoy a regular grooming, because they like to receive love and attention. Take advantage of this and continue grooming your kitten as he/she ages.

As your Ragdoll ages it may beneficial to have him or her groomed professionally. There are many grooming shops and veterinary offices that offer cat grooming. Along with mobile groomers who will come to your location. There are numerous benefits to having your Ragdoll groomed by a professional.  It does help with shedding especially in the early spring, when they shed their winter coats.  Speak to your professional groomer and get your Ragdoll set up on a grooming schedule of once or twice a year.  To ensure your Ragdoll tolerates the professional grooming setting we recommend taking your Ragdoll to the groomer before one year of age as part of the socialization process.


VACCINATIONS:

Before your kitten leaves My Ragdoll Heaven, it will be up to date on its vaccines. It is recommended that you continue the vaccine schedule. Make sure you speak with your vet to see what schedule is best for you and your kitten. Email us if you would like to see our recommended vaccine schedule.

Article written by Elsie Olson