etting a new kitten is very exciting and most people can’t wait for that day to come. Before you bring your new kitten home you will want to make sure your house has been made “kitten safe”.
o through your house and check each room for potential hazards such as:
Broken/missing screens
Medications left out
Exposed solvents/cleaners in both the house and garage
change, small hardware pieces, loose pieces of fringe/string)
Poisonous plants to cats
Open containers of water or liquid
Open toilets
High open area’s like lofts
Fragile/breakable objects with-in jumping range
Note: You should also have your vet picked out before you pick up your new kitten.
o not move the litter box from place to place. This is the leading cause of litter box accidents. You want to have at least one litter box on each level of your house. If your house is very large or long, then you will want to have multiple boxes on each level. Your kitten is just like a small child; sometimes they can’t make it in time to the litter box if it’s too far away.
o not put the litter box near the kittens food and water. Most cats avoid eliminating where they eat. Find a quiet out of the way area to place your litter box.
emember that your kitten will grow to be a large cat, so buy a box that will be suitable for his size.
Brushing:
Ragdolls are easy to groom. A stainless steel comb or pin brush (slicker type) works well. Groom your kitten every other day so he learns to accept it and enjoy it. When he becomes older, you will only need to groom once a month if needed.
Ears:
Don’t forget to check your kitten’s ears for wax. Gently wipe them clean with a “slightly damp” cotton ball or soft cloth.
Nail Care:
Trim Nails with a good sharp nail clipper. I use the foldable made for people, but it must be a small one so you don’t pinch the paw pad or fur, plus it’s easier to handle.
Start your kitten young so he gets used to it. It’s best to do it when they are relaxed and not wanting to play. You want to trim nails in a well-lit area. Hold the paw between your thumb and forefinger and gently apply pressure to extend the claw. Clip the tip of the nail. You do not have to cut off much; you just want to take off the sharp tip. You want to stay away from the pink “quick” of the nail. If you do cut the “quick” it will hurt the kitten and bleed. Place some styptic powder on the bleeding nail to make it stop and pet and praise your kitten until he relaxes.
After each nail is clipped, you want to pet and praise your kitten. It is very easy to trim Ragdoll nails because they are frosty clear and you can easily see where the “quick” is. Trim nails twice a month.
Bathing:
You can bathe your kitten as often as once a month. Use a gentle kitten shampoo (do not use people shampoo). It is easier if you have a sprayer nozzel to wet the coat and rinse. Rinse the coat several times to make sure all the shampoo is out. Kittens and cats lick themselves constantly.
After rinsing, towel dry the kitten then use a blow dryer, lifting the hair gently in the opposite direction of how it lays. Keep moving the airflow from the blow dryer back and forth over and away from the kitten so you don’t burn its skin. When the fur is completely dry, use a pin brush to brush the coat out. Never let your kitten air dry. Kittens and cats chill very easily when they are wet.
he ideal place for your kittens first days with you is in your bedroom. Have the litter, food, water and some toys in the bedroom. Gently place the carrier on the floor and open the door. Let your kitten come out on its own. Some kittens will come out right away and some will take a little longer.
et your kitten walk around the room and explore its new surroundings. Show your kitten where the litter box is and then show him the food and water if he hasn’t already spotted it.
fter a day or two, open the door and let him explore the rest of the house. Make sure you show him where all of the litter boxes are placed.
f you have another animal, slowly introduce them to each other and make sure you give your first pet lots of attention at first so he does not feel rejected.
emember that punishing a kitten does not result in a positive response. Punishment will always make your kitten afraid of you and many times will increase the undesired behavior.
our kitten will not need any help in knowing what to do with the scratching posts and cat trees. The kittens are 75% trained to the scratching post before they leave our home. Their mothers teach them how to use them early on. If your kitten does go to scratch the furniture, just say No firmly and pick him up and take him over to the scratching post and start scratching it. Your kitten will probably start scratching it with you. You will only have to show him this a few times before he understands. Ragdolls are very easy to train.
ittens and cats scratch not only to file down their claws, but they also scratch when they are happy. Provide them with scratching posts and you will not have any problems. DO NOT DECLAW your kitten. When you have your kitten
declawed, your vet is not just taking out the claws; he is actually cutting off your kittens first set of knuckles. It is very painful and not needed with the Ragdoll.
t 8–9 weeks old your kitten will have had its first 3-way shot and at 11-12 weeks old he will receive his second 3-way shot. The 3-way shot consists of (FPV) Feline Panleukopenia, (FHV-1) Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis and (FCV) Feline
Calicivirus.
ome vets like to give a third 3-way shot. That is OK, but do not let the vet give more than one shot at a time. A severe reaction can occur.
Please note: Your kitten has been vaccinated with “KILLED” vaccines. We do not allow modified live vaccines to be given. Please make sure you do not allow your vet to give modified live.
t 5–6 months old your kitten is ready to have his Rabies shot.
o not give your Ragdoll shots for (FELV) Feline Leukemia Virus or (FIP) Feline Infectious Peritonitis. There is no need to vaccinate against these diseases because your Ragdoll is an indoor cat and will not be at risk of exposure. If you do allow your cat to be vaccinated with FELV or FIP it will automatically cancel the health guarantee on your kitten.
hen your Ragdoll is one year old he should receive his 3-way “Killed” booster shot and a month later his 3-year Rabies shot. After that, your kitten will only need to be vaccinated every three years.
ou want to keep your kitten on the same food that the breeder is using. A change in food can cause diarrhea and stomach problems.
ince Ragdolls are a slow maturing breed you will want to keep your kitten on dry kitten food until he is 2 – 3 years old. Then slowly switch to adult food by mixing the adult food in with the kitten food and gradually decreasing the kitten food amount and increasing the adult food amount.
eave the dry kitten/cat food out all the time and let your kitten/cat “free feed”.
ive some canned food in the morning and in the evening until 8 months old. After 8 months your kitten will do fine on canned food once a day and “free feeding” dry food when ever he gets hungry.
ake sure there is plenty of fresh water left out all of the time. Clean the water dish and replace with fresh water daily.
se glass, ceramic, or stainless steel food and water dishes. Some types of plastic dishes can cause feline acne on the chin area.
etting a new kitten is very exciting and most people can’t wait for that day to come. Before you bring your new kitten home you will want to make sure your house has been made “kitten safe”.
o not move the litter box from place to place. This is the leading cause of litter box accidents. You want to have at least one litter box on each level of your house. If your house is very large or long, then you will want to have multiple boxes on each level. Your kitten is just like a small child; sometimes they can’t make it in time to the litter box if it’s too far away. 
emember that your kitten will grow to be a large cat, so buy a box that will be suitable for his size.
he ideal place for your kittens first days with you is in your bedroom. Have the litter, food, water and some toys in the bedroom. Gently place the carrier on the floor and open the door. Let your kitten come out on its own. Some kittens will come out right away and some will take a little longer.
et your kitten walk around the room and explore its new surroundings. Show your kitten where the litter box is and then show him the food and water if he hasn’t already spotted it.
fter a day or two, open the door and let him explore the rest of the house. Make sure you show him where all of the litter boxes are placed.
f you have another animal, slowly introduce them to each other and make sure you give your first pet lots of attention at first so he does not feel rejected.
our kitten will not need any help in knowing what to do with the scratching posts and cat trees. The kittens are 75% trained to the scratching post before they leave our home. Their mothers teach them how to use them early on. If your kitten does go to scratch the furniture, just say No firmly and pick him up and take him over to the scratching post and start scratching it. Your kitten will probably start scratching it with you. You will only have to show him this a few times before he understands. Ragdolls are very easy to train.
ittens and cats scratch not only to file down their claws, but they also scratch when they are happy. Provide them with scratching posts and you will not have any problems. DO NOT DECLAW your kitten. When you have your kitten
declawed, your vet is not just taking out the claws; he is actually cutting off your kittens first set of knuckles. It is very painful and not needed with the Ragdoll.
ome vets like to give a third 3-way shot. That is OK, but do not let the vet give more than one shot at a time. A severe reaction can occur.
hen your Ragdoll is one year old he should receive his 3-way “Killed” booster shot and a month later his 3-year Rabies shot. After that, your kitten will only need to be vaccinated every three years.
ake sure there is plenty of fresh water left out all of the time. Clean the water dish and replace with fresh water daily.
se glass, ceramic, or stainless steel food and water dishes. Some types of plastic dishes can cause feline acne on the chin area.
