Is My Cat A Purebred Ragdoll?

London_lover1

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I’m working with someone who has been breeding ragdolls for years. Her ragdolls are all TICA registered. I’m curious to know if anyone thinks this female cat is a Siamese mixed with a Ragdoll. Most ragdolls that I see have medium to long gorgeous hair. I could be wrong, but she doesn’t look like a purebred Ragdoll to me. Her ragdolls sell for $1,100 to $1,200.
 

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abyeb

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If she comes with pedigree papers, then she’s a Ragdoll. She’s probably not “show quality”, which is why her fur doesn’t look quite as thick as the Ragdolls you see on the TICA website. Also, her fur might be thinner since it’s summer, in which case she could be more fluffy in the winter.
 

lutece

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Cats are either longhaired or shorthaired. The cat in the picture is a longhaired cat with pointed coloring, which is consistent with being a Ragdoll. If it is registered with TICA as a Ragdoll, it is a Ragdoll... although registered pedigreed cats can vary in quality. Some registered pedigreed cats don't look a lot like their breed standard, if the breeder doesn't breed to the show standard, or if the cat itself is pet quality.

This particular cat may not have a very good coat for the breed, or it could be "out of coat" due to seasonal shedding, or it might have had a short coat at the time the picture was taken because it was shaved down for convenience (a lot of Persian breeders do this) and just growing back its coat.
 
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London_lover1

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I’m still waiting on her papers. I will call to verify the pedigree when I get them, because I know some people have fake TICA papers too. Her hair was that length in the winter time too. She doesn’t have that sweet temperament like most ragdolls either, but that could be due to whatever places she was kept for breeding though because when I got her—her fur was stained with urine and she smelled so bad from it. Finally, she only weighs a little over 8 pounds, which isn’t the norm for a 3 year old female Ragdoll, but she does have all the standard markings of a Ragdoll with the blue eyes.
 
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London_lover1

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That makes perfect sense. Her originally breeder had her on the market as a pet that she was going to sell instead of breeding. I’m not sure why though. When I became her next co-partner she took her from another breeder and gave her to me to breed her. She’s an excellent mom to her litter, but has never been an affectionate cat like most ragdolls though. God only knows what she went through at her other homes. Thanks for the information.
 

lutece

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Unfortunately the Ragdoll breed seems to attract some breeders that don't have the best interests of the breed at heart. There are plenty of wonderful Ragdoll breeders too... but there also seem to be a lot of people who are just producing kittens for sale. It's unfortunate that she had stained fur and smelled like urine when you got her, and that you are worried about the conditions in which she was kept. Good breeders take better care of their breeding cats than that! Are you planning to spay her after her litter? She might be happier and more affectionate with people after she is spayed.
 
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London_lover1

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Tell me about it. Some people just breed for the money. I know for a fact that the lady who owns her is one of those individuals. Overall, she is a good cat. I’m just trying to get her to the point where she will stop trying to attack my yorkie for no reason. She has her moments where she just goes up to her when she is playing with her toys, or walking around and will just scratch her. Then she has her moments where she walks up to her to just rub against her in order to display affection. She is something else. If not I will have to give her back to her owner who will most likely put her into another home for breeding.
 

talkingpeanut

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Why not have her spayed and see how she adjusts? She really doesn’t sound happy as is. Hormones are really hard on her, and on introductions. I would not give her back to any situation where she is being mistreated.
 
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London_lover1

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I don’t own her. I’m just a co-partner who is under her. She has full legal rights to her, so she determines when the cat is spayed and how long she will continue to have litters.
 
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London_lover1

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Some breeders who have catteries that have been breeding for years will make their business bigger by getting co-partners all over the world to increase their profits. Some co-partners aren’t good breeders and some are. I’m one of her co-partners/breeders.
 

lutece

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If you aren't comfortable with this person's breeding practices, why work with her and support her breeding program? Breeders who are just in it for "profits," without looking out for the welfare of the cats, do harm to everyone... poor breeding practices aren't good for the cats, or for the breed as a whole, and it gives all breeders a bad name.
 
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London_lover1

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Even though we are totally on a new subject than what I originally posted I will address this new concern too. I have no problem with her breeding practices, but it’s one of the breeders she chose to be one of her co-partners. I’m not sure how the rest of them are. I can’t fault her doing it for the income, because even though most TICA and CFA breeders claim they do it only to keep the breed existing only I find that hard to believe. If that was the case Ragdolls wouldn’t sell with such a high price tag, such as, $1,100 to $2,000. Some breeders go even higher. Finally, in order for a breeder to obtain breeders rights the new breeder has to pay $2,000 to $3,000.
 

lutece

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... even though most TICA and CFA breeders claim they do it only to keep the breed existing only I find that hard to believe. If that was the case Ragdolls wouldn’t sell with such a high price tag, such as, $1,100 to $2,000 ...
There's nothing inherently wrong with making a profit as long as you are operating an ethical breeding program, however when folks are primarily motivated by profit, it can sometimes interfere with ethics, leading to cutting corners on vet care, substandard living conditions and minimal socialization for the cats.

Although those kitten prices may seem high to you, it's very common for "hobby breeders" (those with small breeding programs who are working to preserve their breeds) to lose money or (if we are lucky) barely manage to break even. I lose money on my breeding program... not even counting the money I spend on showing my cats... and I sell pet kittens in that price range. Breeding is an expensive hobby!
 

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At the end of the day, it is your choice and you know what is going on better. I think any good breeder is not rolling in the cash over $1,200 for a cat though. I never bred cats nor have I bought them, but paying for the care of my pet cats is not cheap. I can't imagine paying for extra tests and fees.

you were questioning whether this cat is actually a ragdoll. And now that it seems legit, people are concerned over this business because you already described them As somewhat shady in other ways. Because the breeder doesn't have a knife to your throat, don't be afarid to back out. I hope that helps if you change your mind.
 
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London_lover1

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I definitely agree with you on the cutting corners on vet care, substandard living conditions and minimal socialization for the cats. I’ve been a Yorkie, Persian, and Siamese breeder for years. I stopped breeding cats for a good amount of years though. I ran across this breeder on social media though, and decided to try it out since I’ve always loved the Ragdoll breed. I’ve seen the breed for years, but refused to pay over $ 2,000 for breeders rights.

I decided to try it, since there was no money involved but a partnership 50/50. What I have seen is cutting corners in vet bills (kittens get shots at 13 weeks only), substandard living conditions with one co-partner, and minimal socialization by the way my cat behaves when I received her.

I’ve never done cat shows and went down that long road of getting licensed and registrations for my little fur babies, so I can only imagine how much that costs. I love watching the whole stages of development until they are sold to approved homes after my extensive interview process. Lol
 
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London_lover1

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I appreciate all the feedback from everyone, so I have made up my mind. I’m giving her the Ragdoll back. I’m going to start my own cat cattery again, since I do love the Ragdoll breed. I’m not looking forward to paying over $2,000 for each kitten just to obtain breeders rights, but it is what it is. That’s the standard fee for all Ragdoll breeders in comparison to the cheaper fee amount I paid for Persians, Siameses, and Yorkshire Terriers.
 

lutece

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I'm glad you want to move forward and establish a breeding program that is more in line with your own ethical standards. You didn't sound very comfortable with this cat's breeder.

I understand that you need to respect the agreement you have with the breeder and return the cat, however when you do that, you could talk to her about how you feel this cat would be better off spayed and placed in a home as a retired breeder (assuming that's how you feel).

If you like the idea of a partnership, you might also look around and see if you can find another Ragdoll breeder who has a good breeding program that meets your standards, and who is open to building a partnership with you. Sometimes this can work out well for everyone involved... some people (like yourself) love to raise kittens, interview families and match kittens to the right homes... while other people are more interested in showing their cats, or researching pedigrees and designing long-term breeding plans, or other aspects of breeding. As you already have experience raising kittens and working with pet buyers, you could be an asset to someone's breeding program, if you find the right partner.
 

lutece

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I'll just add, though, that I don't know how long ago you were an active breeder... but speaking as someone who started in the late 80s, just about everything involved in breeding cats is a lot more expensive now than it used to be! For example, I remember paying $150 for a c-section once upon a time... now a c-section costs me $3000-4000 (although it may not be as expensive in your area). If finances are a concern, you might try to find a partner who can help with costs if necessary, and you may also want to plan ahead by calling your vet's office and discussing costs for various services (prenatal care, health testing, routine kitten exams and shots, spaying and neutering, emergency services if necessary, etc). Registering kittens with CFA or TICA is a lot smaller expense for me than routine vet care.
 
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