Breeders who are members of the Belgian Ragdoll Club are expected to enforce the code of conduct of their association. We cannot provide any statement or guarantee regarding breeding or business practices of the Belgian Ragdoll Club members. Check the catteries thoroughly before making a purchase.
When you are ready to buy your kitten, there are a few things to look out for and ask in advance.
If you find a breeder where the asking price is much lower than the rest of the area’s breeders, ask why it is lower. Most good breeders earn almost nothing. If they are lucky, they will not lose at the end of the year. If kittens are offered for less than the average price, it could be because the breeder wants to compete with other breeders, or because they have too many kittens. They may have to lower their prices to attract people, so people will overlook the conditions in which the cats were raised. A breeder should never compromise on how to raise her kittens, and never breed more kittens than they can easily breed and sell. Even when the price of the kittens is much higher than the average price in your area, you can also deal with a bread breeder and there is a chance that health will not be taken into account. That is not responsible.
No kitten is allowed to leave the cattery before the age of 13 weeks and must be fully vaccinated, wormed and have a passport. By not taking a kitten before he is 13 weeks old you will get a much better and well socialized kitten. The kitten’s immune system will also be stronger and adaptation to the new home will be much smoother. Kittens should stay with their litter mates until this age. Kittens need to learn to be kittens, and it is better for them to do that at the breeder’s house, with their siblings and mother. Breeders know how to train the kittens to get along well with people.
Never buy a kitten or cat without a health guarantee and contract. This protects both the buyer and the seller. Read the contract carefully so you know what to expect when you need to have your kitten replaced. Most breeders require an autopsy report. This is a sad thing for a cat you just lost, and we really understand that. However, if we want to breed healthy cats, we need to know what problems we are dealing with. The vet’s guess is not good enough. We definitely need to know what the problem is and whether it can be passed on to more cats and kittens. Make sure to get at least a one-year health guarantee on the kitten for any genetic defect. Many things don’t appear until the cat is one year old.
It is always best to try to visit the cattery where you get your kitten from. This is not always possible, but it is worth it if you can. If you can’t visit, ask for references and call the people who have been there. Breeders can tell you something over the phone or email, but you don’t know if it’s true or not unless you’re visiting or talking to someone who’s been there.
When visiting, pay attention to the overall cleanliness and make sure that the litter boxes are clean. The house should not have an ‘old cat urine’ smell everywhere. Some studs produce beautiful kittens, but have terrible habits while breeding. These cats should be isolated in a hangover enclosure and will have the smell of fresh urine around their enclosure. It is a strong fragrance, but should not smell musty; suggesting it hasn’t been cleaned in a while. Their enclosures must be well lit and clean.
Make sure that an attempt is made to separate the males and the females. If not, ask how the breeder prevents unwanted nests or inbreeding. A breeder must be prepared to show all cats in her home. Many breeders don’t let you interact with young kittens, but they should be willing to show you where they grew up, even if it’s a peek through the kitten room door. Look for large numbers of cats and kittens that may indicate a “bread breeder”.
The recommendation for rearing healthy kittens is to keep the adult cats, except the mothers, away from the kittens. This is because they do not pick up bacteria from the adults who are not their mother. Kittens also shed more viruses than adults, so it is for the protection of the adult as well. If the total number of cats is small enough, there is usually no problem mixing them slightly.
On the other hand, you don’t want to buy a kitten where the kittens are so isolated that they are nervous and afraid of people and keep normal noises around the house. Ragdolls are a friendly cat by nature, but like all living things, they respond best