Kitten Policy

Firstly I would like to say that we see each kitten we breed as one of our babies and we look to all new would be owners as potential adoptive parents. With this in mind, please bear in mind we do vet homes and we reserve the right to refuse a sale of a kitten. WE DO NOT EXPORT.

Each kitten will be reared indoors as part of our busy family with much love and will have been fully vaccinated and vet checked prior to moving to their new homes.

We do not sell any kittens on the active register for breeding only to establish breeders already.

We will not sell a single kitten to a home were they will be alone for long periods of time. Ragdolls need company and this includes HUMAN company as well. A ragdoll will crave your attention too.

Each kitten will been fully wormed to date and treated with flea prevention medication.

Each kitten will be litter trained prior to leaving us and well socialised with everyday life including small children and other animals.

We are able to offer a neutering and microchipping service prior to the kitten leaving us for a small additional cost (Neutering can take place at 14 weeks of age - the kitten would then remain with us until 15 weeks old). Please bear in mind that Ragdolls are not fully mature until at least 3 years old so unlike some other breeds, Ragdolls are a kitten for a much long period of time. At 20/30 weeks old a ragdolls is still a baby. 

We urge all potential new owners to thoroughly research their prospective breeder. Time and effort put in at this stage can save you a lot of trouble in the future.

Remember a cat can live upto 20 years of age! This is a serious commitment. You wouldn't buy a house on a whim, the same consideration must be applied when getting a pet.

Each kitten will be registered with the GCCF Cat Fancy organisation.

As proud new parents you will receive a kitten pack which contains your kittens registration details, a five generation pedigree as well as a supply of food, litter, toys and four weeks free insurance with Pet Plan. A care and advice sheet and a lifetime of support for you and your kitten. Picture below is a sample of kitten packs we give out, this is subject to availability.

All new owners will be required to sign a kitten agreement.

Prices

Pet/Show Neuter £350.00

Breeding/Show Queen  from £600 - £850

Stud Potential from £700 - £950

There maybe times where I may have older neutered cats/kittens available at a reduced cost. Please ask for details.

 

How Young is Too Young?

Frequently, breeders are asked to part with kittens before they are 12 weeks old, and before they have received their vaccinations. This is mainly due to by-gone times when it was considered acceptable to rehome kittens at six weeks of age, but like all things, time and research have shown why this is not the an acceptable practise anymore. I have attached a link to an article written on why kittens should not be rehomed until at least 12 weeks old. Please do not ask us to allow you to take a kitten before this age. We always put the health and well-being of the kitten first.

Please take the time to read the article.

http://www.breedlist.com/faq/young.html 

Bargain Ragdolls!!
 

Have you ever seen an advert in a paper or website saying "Ragdolls - adorable kittens 9 weeks old, great temperament, available now, only £250 - £300. Sounds great doesn't it?? Haven't you ever wondered what the difference is between those kittens and the ones from reputable, registered, breeders that may cost a couple of hundreds pound more??

First of all these kittens are almost certainly not registered with the GCCF, ACFA or TICA, therefore you will have no more than the seller's word that these kittens are full pedigree Ragdolls, and will carry the fabulous Ragdoll traits. A story you may often here is, "The breeder I bought the kittens parents from didn't give me the registration papers. The parents aren't registered so I'm unable to register the kittens, BUT they are REAL RAGDOLLS"!

So why is this??? In the worst case, the owner has simply found two domestic cats that have a look of a Ragdoll and has bred them. Then you are paying £250 for a kitten with no Ragdoll blood in them whatsoever!!
The most common reason is that the person selling the kittens bought two pet quality ragdolls and bred them. These cats were sold as pets. They may not have had the correct markings, size, conformation or indeed temperament, necessary to become breeding cats. That is the reason why they were sold as pets in the first place. Those cats would almost certainly have been sold with a spay/neuter contract. The buyer signed that contract, promising to have the kittens neutered. They have lied to the breeder they purchased them from, and are now breeding themselves and cashing in on people like you. Do you want to buy a kitten from someone like that?

Think to yourself......why would anyone who has paid the high price for breeding quality ragdolls (often £700 - £900 per cat) not insist on having the registration papers?? The cat associations can be contacted to intervene and ensure the breeders supply any promised registration paperwork for a Ragdoll that has been sold. So why wouldn't this person contact them and ask for the assistance in obtaining the registration papers? Because they know they did not buy breeding quality Ragdolls, and they have violated the original contract given by the breeder by not having them spayed/neutered. If you ask them for your kitten's pedigree, they will suddenly develop amnesia and claim to have forgotten the names of the cats in the pedigree, just in case you contact the original breeder.

So should this matter to you?? OF COURSE!!! Back Yard Breeders do not have the best interest of their own cats/kittens in mind, much less the interest of the Ragdoll breed as a whole. They often breed their female every time she comes on heat, never allowing her body to recover from the last litter before she becomes pregnant again. The poor cats are often ill, kept in unsanitary conditions, do not receive regular veterinary care (that would cost them money, not make them money)

Young kittens aged 9- 10 weeks are cute, but are definitely not ready to leave their mum. Most Ragdoll kittens are only just weaned at 8 weeks; they haven't had chance to master use of the litter tray and use a scratching post. Some will be sick and won't have seen a vet. This means you could end up spending a considerable amount of your own money and time nursing your kitten back to health.

                                                           

So why do the Back Yard Breeders let them go at this stage?? Simple MONEY!!! Kittens consume a lot of time, energy and food. You will not get any insurance from the breeder, if the kitten becomes ill you will have to pay the bills. Even if the kitten doesn't become ill, kittens from Back Yard Breeders usually haven't received their vaccinations which will cost you two trips to the vet at approx £40 per visit. So your £250 - £300 kitten really isn't a bargain after all. You will have very quickly spent the money you would of paid for a full pedigree, registered, well-socialised, vaccinated, already spayed/neutered kitten from a reputable breeder.

If you decide to get a Ragdoll, ensure that you purchase a Full Pedigree Ragdoll from a reputable, registered breeder and not a Back Yard Breeder. Yes it will cost you a few hundred pounds extra in the first instance, but believe me it is money well spent!!!
 

Taken from Dorclise Ragdolls registered breeders based in Scotland, with thanks to Jayne.