Welcome to I Love Ragdolls!

About Me

My name is Sam Wonder and I totally adore Ragdoll cats! I live in South East London with my husband, daughter and two Ragdoll cats Marie and Angelo.

Our Story So Far

My love affair with Ragdoll cats started when my daughter became obsessed with the Disney film AristoCats. It tells the story of a retired opera star who lives in Paris with her cat Duchess who has three kittens Marie, Toulouse and Berlioz. We must have seen this film hundreds of times! Anyway, my daughter begged me for a pure white kitten the same as her favourite kitten from the film. Not normally one to give into a child’s demands, on this occasion it I didn’t take much persuasion. I had grown up with cats and my house was definitely missing the feline touch.

I did some research into ‘pure white kittens with long hair’ and stumbled upon a breed of cat known as The Ragdoll. Instantly I and my daughter fell in love with their beautiful blue eyes and super soft looking coat. They also seemed to be docile yet affectionate. It almost seemed too good to be true! Were they really the perfect family pet? Now we were hooked, I just had to get my husband to agree! Even though he had grown up in a house with two Siamese cats called Alex and Mervin, my husband was reluctant as these were “long-haired cats and their hair would get everywhere!”

Nevertheless, I found a breeder that was only 10 miles away from my home and sent her an email enquiring about prospect litters. The breeder was expecting a litter of kittens in two weeks’ time but couldn’t guarantee that there would be a pure white kitten. It was possible but she explained they are quite rare. The litter arrived but we had to wait a subsequent 10 days until the breeder could see the colour of the kittens. Unbelievably, the breeder said she had a white kitten with subtle red tones on his ears and tail! She sent us a picture. He was stunning and we were super excited and arranged to meet him in eight weeks’ time. Time certainly dragged!

The First Visit

I was in two minds about whether to take my daughter along on the first visit but I had to see how she was going to behave around the kitten. I explained to her how small and delicate he was going to be and that she had to be very careful with him. Having just turned 3, I was hoping she wasn’t going to treat him as a toy. We arrived at the breeder’s house which was full of amazing Ragdolls. Her house was totally devoted to her cats. A massive cat climbing frame stood proudly in her living room with several cats perched on the various levels. We sat down and she fetched us our kitty. He was gorgeous. My daughter was so well behaved and careful with him and I was proud at the respect she showed for all these cuddly little kittens.

After spending a short time with the kitten and seeing how he interacted with the others in his family unit, I thought he might be sad coming home to us alone. I asked the breeder if she had any other kittens available and she showed us one other kitten. She was a Tortie Colourpoint, slightly larger in size and differently more inquisitive. She took a liking to my hand bag and even climbed inside. It was great to see how different the two kittens were and how they already had they own personalities coming through. We decided to take the two kittens but had to wait until they were sixteen weeks old before they could come home with us. Now I had to tell my husband that we were not only having a cat but there were going to be two of them :-/

Bringing The Kittens Home

Armed with a newly purchased cat carrier and blankets, I made my way across town to collect our new kittens. On arrival I checked the kittens over and they both seemed healthy and playful. I signed the paperwork, agreeing not to breed them and popped them into the carrier. I say ‘popped’ like it was easy. It took ten minutes and they really didn’t want to go in the damn thing!

On arriving home, I left the door of the cat carrier open and let the two kittens, now officially named Marie and Toulouse, emerge from their box. Marie was first out shortly followed by her brother. They stayed close to one another as they explored the hallway. After ten minutes or so I picked them up and showed them their litter tray and food. The pair happily explored the downstairs of the house for the next few hours. I had sectioned this part of the house so that they could adjust and get their bearings. If you are introducing a new cat to your family, you might find my guide on settling a new cat into your household helpful.

The I Love Ragdolls Blog

Marie and Toulouse quickly became a big part of family life following us around the house, playing, eating and sleeping close by. Our love for them led to the creation of the I Love Ragdolls Facebook Fan Page and subsequent blog. I was amazed by the popularity of Ragdolls and how many people were keen to show off their beautiful cats. It was because of this that I thought it would be a great idea to catalogue my experiences with Ragdoll cats and share them with others who already lived with them or were thinking about getting one, or perhaps two!

Sadly, Toulouse died when he was only 8 months old. This broke our hearts and Marie didn’t seem quite herself thereafter. I still get choked up now when my daughter talks of how she misses him. I contacted the breeder and asked about getting another playmate for Marie. And that’s when we got our little man Angelo. Angelo is a Blue Colourpoint Ragdoll and I am glad to say that Marie, after a few punch-ups, has warmed to him. They spend many hours enjoying each other’s company. As do we!

The I Love Ragdolls blog documents my experiences as a Ragdoll owner. I have tried to include as much information, tips and advice about the breed and hope that owners and prospect owners find it useful. I am hoping to raise the profile of the Ragdoll breed and in time become a bit of an expert.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog and feel free to get in contact if you would like to contribute in any way.

Sam Wonder x