# Is this a ragdol?!



## Gg123 (Apr 17, 2013)

I'm posting for a friend who's a about to folk out a few hundred for a ragdoll kitten. I have no idea as I've always had domestic cats and never a breed so thought maybe you guys could give her some opinions??

The breeder has said that the kitten will come with a 5 generation pedigree certificate ( no idea what that means if anything?) 

Here's the mother


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## Gg123 (Apr 17, 2013)

Here's the dad


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## Gg123 (Apr 17, 2013)

And the kitten


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

I would say that without proper papers there is no way of knowing. With today's computer technology, anyone can make up papers. Frankly, looks like a DSH to me - just a cute domestic short hair. SO many adorable kittens at the shelters, it seems a waste to pay so much for a kitten without authentic papers (I am not implying that the papers and lineage are fake, she just needs to thoroughly research this herself).


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## Gg123 (Apr 17, 2013)

I have just been looking at images of ragdoll cats now and the parents do look like ragdolls also the kittens seems to have the points that ragdolls do after doing a bit of research?? Who knows though. I don't even know what she means by a 5 generation pedigree certificate is this proof?


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## tate (Jan 17, 2010)

I am no expert on Ragdolls but from a glance they look like Ragdolls to me. The kitten comes with a pedigree which is a record of the kitten's ancestry, so that is a good thing. Do you know if the kitten will have registration papers? These would most likely be from the CFA or TICA if you are in the US.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

Gg123 said:


> I have just been looking at images of ragdoll cats now and the parents do look like ragdolls also the kittens seems to have the points that ragdolls do after doing a bit of research?? Who knows though. I don't even know what she means by a 5 generation pedigree certificate is this proof?


The 5 gen pedigree certification is a piece of paperwork that shows the kitty's parents (formal name & sometimes color as well), grand parents, great-grand parents,... up to 5 gen ago. If the pedigree is from a well estabilished cat association, like CFA, TICA, GCCF, FIFE, etc. depending on where you live, then it is a very good proof that the kitty is indeed a pure-breed Ragdoll. Someone said earlier that a paper can be faked, that's true, but pedigree come with registration number. One can contact the association and look up in their database -- THIS cannot be faked. 

However, if the pedigree comes from a not so established cat association (I can only think of TCA as of now), then it is not a solid proof of purebreed. Because with a fee, these assocations will register any cat as the breed that the owner claimed.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Anyone know if Ragdolls typically have lynx tipped ears? The breed standard doesn't say anything about them, but the cat in the first pic has them.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

I don't recall reading any standard from any association about whether Ragdolls should or should not have ear lynx. I do have a friend whose pure-breed Ragdoll (pet quality but both parents are champions) has fairly long ear lynx though. So I guess it's not a breed indicator for Ragdoll. 

PS: The mom cat doesn't look like a breed/show quality to me, but then I'm not a Ragdoll expert and maybe that one photo doesn't do her justice


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## spotty cats (Sep 23, 2011)

Ragdolls can have ear tufts, on a show cat they'd be removed.

A quality Ragdoll costs more than a few hundred (few meaning $200-$300)

A pedigree can be printed from breeding software, it's not registered and doesn't have a registration number for the kitten, just something from the breeders personal records.

I provide a home printed pedigree in my kitten pack, and the certified ped from my association arrives a week or so later, but here the breeder does all paperwork, owners cannot submit and forms as they can in the US


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## Gg123 (Apr 17, 2013)

It's costing her around $500 if that makes a difference?


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## tate (Jan 17, 2010)

Do you know if it has registration papers? A pedigree alone is not proof that the cat is purebred.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

$500 sounds a bit low for a Raggie to me...but not awfully low. I believe they're priced similarly to Maine Coons which go for $600-800 for pet quality.

But more importantly than price or registration papers, the things to be looking for are:

Are the breeders lines free of HCM, a genetic heart disease common to Ragolls? Same thing for Feline Mucopolysaccharidosis...are the lines free of this gene? If no or she doesn't know, then run away.

Does she provide a health guarantee? Do the terms seem fair?

Does she keep the kittens till they are 12 weeks old? 

Are the kitten raised underfoot in the house or are they off in a kennel somewhere? Kennel raised kittens are often under socialized which can cause behavior issues down the road.

How many litters is she producing a year? A small cattery, doing it right, will produce only a handful of litters per year. 

Does the kitten come spayed or neutered? If not is there a requirement to get it done (Holly's breeder wouldn't provide registration papers until it was done). If the breeder doesn't care about spay/neuter that's a red flag.

Does she show her cats? Typically an indicator of someone in it to improve the breed rather than just make money off kittens. 

There are more things to look for in a good breeder, but this is a good start. If the breeder is doing all these things then she's probably getting a good quality kitten.


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