Caring For Your New Angel

AVAILABLE KITTENS

Congratulations!

You are now the proud parent of a new, very special, AngelGirl Ragdoll kitten! And you can’t wait to welcome your new “ball of fluff” to the other members of the family! Just as bringing a new baby home from the hospital involves a lot of preparation, so does the welcoming of a new baby kitten.

Your young kitty will be making a transition from our nursery where he or she is comfortable, to a new and even a little scary (albeit we assume a loving) environment. 

There are many steps that you can take to make this transition as smooth as possible for your kitten. Here is our own sage advice from 19 years of love!

New Angel Needs ~ What To Get!

Below we tell you the correct FOOD and LITTER TO BUY. We suggest THE RIGHT CONTAINERS for FOOD and WATER, as well as the FAVORITE SCRATCHING PAD.  There is info on the BEST LITTER BOXES FOR RAGDOLLS, and WHAT we include with YOUR ANGEL. Plus, EXTRA OPTIONS TO CONSIDER.

WHAT WE PROVIDE COMPLIMENTARY WITH YOUR NEW ANGEL

A CAT CARRIER
A SOFT AND COMFY LINER
*Assorted Colors
KITTEN TOYS
We include a small cat CARRIER, with a soft LINER, and a few kitten TOYS with your Ragdoll!

WHAT WE PROVIDE COMPLIMENTARY WITH YOUR NEW ANGEL

We include a small cat CARRIER, with a soft LINER, and a few kitten TOYS with your Ragdoll!

IN YOUR HOME...

For the first few days in your new home, it’s smart to confine your cat or kitten to one small room, while you work on putting the rest of the place in order. Prepare the room with your Angel’s carrier and bedding, food and water bowls (away from the litter box!), and toys.

YOUR KITTEN’S SAFE ROOM

When you bring your kitten home, have his or her own special place (ideally a separate room) set up and ready for them. Having a space apart from the rest of the family, and any pets that you may already have, serves two purposes. First, your kitten will have a smaller area to accustom himself or herself to. Leaving your kitten’s carrier in his or her “safe room” allows them a closed-in space that they can sleep in, return to if they feel frightened, or use as a lair that they can hide out in until they feel comfortable about coming out to explore. Just don’t forget about them in there – they’ll need a lot of cuddling and socialization with you to build up their confidence!

IN YOUR HOME...

For the first few days in your new home, it’s smart to confine your cat or kitten to one small room, while you work on putting the rest of the place in order. Prepare the room with your Angel’s carrier and bedding, food and water bowls (away from the litter box!), and toys.

YOUR KITTEN’S SAFE ROOM

When you bring your kitten home, have his or her own special place (ideally a separate room) set up and ready for them. Having a space apart from the rest of the family, and any pets that you may already have, serves two purposes. First, your kitten will have a smaller area to accustom himself or herself to. Leaving your kitten’s carrier in his or her “safe room” allows them a closed-in space that they can sleep in, return to if they feel frightened, or use as a lair that they can hide out in until they feel comfortable about coming out to explore. Just don’t forget about them in there – they’ll need a lot of cuddling and socialization with you to build up their confidence!

PRE-KITTEN ARRIVAL SHOPPING LIST!

Before bringing your kitten home, you’ll want to stock up on some necessities.

Here’s a list of recommended kitten gear that you will want to have on hand before the big day:

HILL'S SCIENCE DIET "ADULT 1-6" OPTIMAL CARE

Premium Dry Cat Food
When your angel comes to you, they will be eating Science Diet Optimum Care for young adults. You MUST BUY at least one bag of Science Diet if you get one of our babies. This is what they are used to eating and Ragdolls have sensitive stomachs. If you do not use the food that your Angel is used to, then prepare for diarrhea and irritable bowels…
Science Diet optimum Care contains vitamins and minerals needed for your baby angel when they are young. Ragdolls have sensitive stomachs until about six months of age, so we recommend you stay with this food for the first six months. After that you may switch foods, but please do it slowly and take notice of their out-take. (AND No, we have no affiliation with this food, nor do we make any money; it is just what works best for our cats.)

Premium Dry Cat Food

When your angel comes to you, they will be eating Science Diet Optimum Care for young adults. You MUST BUY at least one bag of Science Diet if you get one of our babies. This is what they are used to eating and Ragdolls have sensitive stomachs. If you do not use the food that your Angel is used to, then prepare for diarrhea and irritable bowels…
Science Diet optimum Care contains vitamins and minerals needed for your baby angel when they are young. Ragdolls have sensitive stomachs until about six months of age, so we recommend you stay with this food for the first six months. After that you may switch foods, but please do it slowly and take notice of their out-take. (AND No, we have no affiliation with this food, nor do we make any money; it is just what works best for our cats.)

Wet Canned Cat Food

Friskies Savory Shreds Turkey & Cheese Dinner In Gravy

Almost all of our kittens like this wet food. Please Buy some! Food is a wonderful way to help bond and build trust with your kitten, and it is essential you have at least a few cans for those first few days of transition. We recommend you buy at least seven cans of Friskies Turkey and Cheese and feed your kitten half a can in the afternoon. If they clean the plate, then feed them the whole can at lunch. You can experiment with other brands and types once they are over four months old, as their digestive systems are heartier at that point.

Cat Food BOWLS!

Our first choice, is the Petmate Pet Cafe Feeder, size 6 pounds, the medium size; or larger. A feeder that holds more food means that you as an owner do not have to pour dry food every day, and since many people UNDER feed their sweet Ragdolls, (who never overeat, we swear!) you really might like a feeder that keeps dry food always available. We have NEVER, EVER, EVER seen an overweight ragdoll. You MUST leave dry food and fresh water out for them at all times, please!
If you are determined to get “CUTE” bowls, please keep the food bowl full and the water bowl cleaned. Cute bowls mean you will need to add food and refresh the water EVERY DAY! Ragdolls don’t seem to care for plastic bowls, although we own some of these. They prefer porcelain, or stainless steel. Some will accept plastic. www.ETSY.com has many cute options.

PETMATE PET CAFE FEEDER – 6 LBS OR LARGER

Cat Food BOWLS!

Our first choice, is the Petmate Pet Cafe Feeder, size 6 pounds, the medium size; or larger. A feeder that holds more food means that you as an owner do not have to pour dry food every day, and since many people UNDER feed their sweet Ragdolls, (who never overeat, we swear!) you really might like a feeder that keeps dry food always available. We have NEVER, EVER, EVER seen an overweight ragdoll. You MUST leave dry food and fresh water out for them at all times, please!
If you are determined to get “CUTE” bowls, please keep the food bowl full and the water bowl cleaned. Cute bowls mean you will need to add food and refresh the water EVERY DAY! Ragdolls don’t seem to care for plastic bowls, although we own some of these. They prefer porcelain, or stainless steel. Some will accept plastic. www.ETSY.com has many cute options.

PETMATE PET CAFE FEEDER – 6 LBS OR LARGER

DISHES, FOOD AND WATER

Your kitten should be provided with fresh food and water, preferably in metal or ceramic dishes. Be sure to monitor them closely to make sure that they are eating and drinking, though they might do neither for a few hours after you first bring them home. We recommend both food and water dishes be emptied and washed daily to prevent bacteria and germs from accumulating. Also, you need to carefully monitor that your new arrival is eating. Tip their mouth into their food dish if they are not showing any interest. Many times a little ‘taste’; will activate eating. If not, using human baby food works great to stimulate poor appetites!

Water Bowl as a Drinking Fountain

Ragdolls do love the fountains as they provide fresh aerated water.

DISHES, FOOD AND WATER

Your kitten should be provided with fresh food and water, preferably in metal or ceramic dishes. Be sure to monitor them closely to make sure that they are eating and drinking, though they might do neither for a few hours after you first bring them home. We recommend both food and water dishes be emptied and washed daily to prevent bacteria and germs from accumulating. Also, you need to carefully monitor that your new arrival is eating. Tip their mouth into their food dish if they are not showing any interest. Many times a little ‘taste’; will activate eating. If not, using human baby food works great to stimulate poor appetites!

Water Bowl as a Drinking Fountain

Ragdolls do love the fountains as they provide fresh aerated water.

CAT LITTER

Buying the same brand of kitty litter that we use here is a good idea as well, as the sight and texture will be what your kitten is accustomed to, and this familiarity could possibly prevent a few accidents. We use a wonderful corn-based litter that is flush-able and causes little to no dust! We have tried many and this is our favorite. Best of all, if they eat any of it while grooming their paws, it is digestible. Clay clumping litter is NOT digestible or flush-able! You may want to use a different litter, but even if you have a cat using a different litter, you MUST start with this litter as it is what our Angels are used to, and good habits start from good beginnings!

THE WORLDS BEST CAT LITTER

THE TOP CAT LITTER BOXES

#1 WHISKER CITY CAT JUMBO TWO COMPARTMENT LITTER PAN
#2 OMEGA PAW CAT LITTER BOX
#3 NATURE’S MIRACLE HIGH SIDED CAT LITTER BOX
#4 NATURE’S MIRACLE ADVANCED HOODED CAT LITTER BOX
THE BEST LITTER CATCHER

WE SHOW FOUR (4) LARGE LITTER BOX OPTIONS ABOVE

THE BEST LITTER SCOOPER

Doskocil’s PETMATE ULTIMATE LITTER PLASTIC SCOOP #22972

THE BEST LITTER CATCHER FOR UNDER YOUR BOX

#1 iPrimio Cat Litter Trapper EZ Clean Mat

OPTIONS ABOVE
Plus, SCOOPERS and LINERS! This dual-layer mat hides litter scatter in a lower chamber, out of sight, but its honeycomb top layer is hard to clean more-liquid messes out of.

BERGAN TURBO PET SCRATCHER

CAT TREE’s AND/OR SCRATCHING POSTS

All of our Angels are taught to use the flat round scratchers you see above. Please purchase one of these. Amazon sells them from Bergan Turbo Scratcher. If you get an upright scratcher, make sure to get one that is at least 2 and a half-feet tall with a heavy base that won’t tip if your kitten gets a little enthusiastic. A good, sturdy sisal rope or carpet-covered cat tree can be a huge asset to any cat lover’s home, as the scratching post will stand up much better to needle-sharp little claws than your nice sofa or curtains. At AngelGirl Ragdolls, our kittens are trained with a water bottle and a firm “NO” to not scratch or jump inappropriately, so we recommend that you use this method if you are having issues as well.

Toilet Training Your Ragdoll

~ TOILET TRAINING ~

We’ve Done It Here. It Works.

Ragdolls are not only sweet and loving; they are very smart. Training them to use the toilet is not very difficult at all, and think of all the litter you’ll never have to buy, carry, scoop, or dispose of again! It is definitely a tempting idea worth some thought!
THE CAT SEAT – A devise used for toilet training your angel. Yes, it works!

VERY IMPORTANT!

For the first few days in your new home, it’s smart to confine your cat or kitten to one small room, while you work on putting the rest of the place in order. Prepare the room with your Angel’s carrier and bedding, food and water bowls (away from the litter box!), and toys.

YOUR KITTEN’S SAFE ROOM

When you bring your kitten home, have his or her own special place (ideally a separate room) set up and ready for them. Having a space apart from the rest of the family, and any pets that you may already have, serves two purposes. First, your kitten will have a smaller area to accustom himself or herself to. Leaving your kitten’s carrier in his or her “safe room” allows them a closed-in space that they can sleep in, return to if they feel frightened, or use as a lair that they can hide out in until they feel comfortable about coming out to explore. Just don’t forget about them in there – they’ll need a lot of cuddling and socialization with you to build up their confidence!

MEETING FURRY FAMILY MEMBERS

Quarantining your new kitten is not a necessity if you have no other pets, though having a safe room is still important for good litter habits! A new baby should be in a safe room for at least three days. They should be comfortable sleeping and eating… and going the bathroom in his or her safe room! After three days we can feel confident that your new baby won’t have accidents in your beautiful home, if they are slowly given a little space at a time. However, be careful not to give free reign to your little baby. They need to be given limits and a little bit of space slowly.
If you do have cats already in your home, you should keep your new kittens separate for at least a month. I know this sounds extreme, but if you have other cats, then new kittens and old cats all need to get another dose of FVRP before meeting one another. AngelGirl Ragdolls meets and exceeds standard breeder veterinary practices, but there are illnesses, such as Upper Respiratory Infections (URI’s) that have a long incubation period and may not be detected for up to three weeks. Quarantining ensures that all of your pets that are cats stay healthy. This quarantine period will also allow your current pet or pets to become accustomed to the newcomer’s smell and presence. Short supervised visits will help to ensure a successful introduction period.

RAGDOLLS ARE INDOOR ONLY PET’S

Now is the perfect time to make sure your new family member is an indoor only pet. Indoor only animals live longer and healthier lives. It is a fact. There are less diseases, less ability to be stolen or lost, less temptations to roam or fight, and less likely to have accidental deaths by vehicles, other animals, or trouble. In addition, cats kill over 2 billion birds in the US alone, each year.

Resist attempts by your cat to go outdoors. If your cat has NOT established an outdoor territory, he or she is less likely to be interested in going outside. If they are spayed and or neutered before puberty (between five and seven months) then they will not really be interested in going outdoors. Accessories such as window perches can ease the transition. If you play with your cat and supply lots of attention, your cat should have all he or she needs indoors.

TRAINING HABITS

Declawing is really unnecessary, and is actually a process that cuts off the top fingers of a cat by the knuckle. You are amputating your pets fingers and toes.
A cheaper and easier solution is to buy a plastic water bottle, and a cat scratch post. This is all that is needed to train a ragdoll to scratch appropriately in your home. Saying “No!” firmly and then lightly spraying them once with the water bottle is usually enough to stop them from scratching or returning to an area you want them to avoid. The water bottle can also be used if they consider jumping on countertops (most will not) or entering “off-limit” territories. We also pick our kitties up and place them by scratching post and show them how to paw on the posts after we have seen them scratching places we don’t want them to. This reinforces where they should be scratching.

TRIMMING NAILS

We also use regular nail cutters to cut their nails when they get long. It may seem daunting at first, but it is very easy. Place the nail trimmers under their nail, and pull gently away from them until it catches on their nail. Then tilt the cutters up and away from them so that you avoid any pink part of their nail, and then clip the top of the nail off.

MAKE SURE YOUR HOME IS “KITTENPROOF”

Since your kitten is still technically a baby, you’ll want to make sure that your home is kitten-proofed before he or she gets there. Keep all dangerous cleaning chemicals, pesticides, or antifreeze up and out of the way, or behind child-locked cupboard doors. Child locks can be picked up cheaply at any grocery store if your kitten turns out to beone of the dexterious ones that can open cupboard doors! In addition, any plants that may be harmful to kittens, such as those listed below, should be kept out of reach. Bulbs (includes Amaryllis, Hyacinth, and especially Lily of the Valley) Lupine or Bluebonnet Rhubarb, Azalea, Rhododendron, Tobacco, Buckeye, Horsechestnut, Spurges, Euphorbia (this includes the common groundcover, Snow on the Mountain) Black or Bitter Nightshade, Climbing Bittersweet, Horsenettle, Milkweed, or Larkspur.
One way to know for sure that your home is kitten-proofed is to stoop to their level, so to speak. Get down on the floor and check out your home from their point of view. Make sure to take care of things that might look like “toys” to a kitten: electrical cords, dangling cords to blinds, and other fun things that could also prove dangerous. Prior to your kitten’s arrival you can rub lemon juice on exposed cords that may be a temptation.

FIRST VET CHECK

Once you get your kitten home, you should schedule a checkup with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Scheduling a well visit for within the first few days of having your kitten at home will give your vet an opportunity to meet your kitten and record the health information to date that you will receive upon your kitten’s arrival. At this time, you will also be able to schedule your kitten’s spay or neuter appointment and administer or schedule the last of your kitten’s series of vaccinations. Any other questions about the care of your new kitten can also be answered at this time.

INTRODUCING YOUR KITTEN TO OTHER PETS

If introducing your kitten to the rest of the family includes him or her making the acquaintance of your pit bull “Killer” and two elderly Siamese cats named “Alpha” and “Omega”, proceed with caution. Your other pets have staked a claim on your home and need to be reassured that the newcomer isn’t there to oust them. By quarantining your new kitten, your other pets will already have been aware that he or she is there, and had an opportunity to get used to their scent. When the first meeting takes place, keep it short. Let them all get the chance to see what that odd scent in the guest bedroom was, but don’t let your kitten become too frightened or your other pets too aggressive.
From then on, allow the pets to be in the same room together, with supervision, until they’ve all become used to each other. They will work out their issues, given time. This could take two weeks or more, but exercise patience and be sure to lavish attention and reassurance on your established pets, to stop any jealousy in its tracks. By following these outlined steps, you will be able to welcome your kitten into your home with a minimum of fuss and stress on you, your new pet, and your established pets. Before long, your kitten will be settled in nicely, and so much a part of your family, it will seem like they’ve been there forever!

~ Ragdoll Do's & Don'ts ~

DON'TS

We could get lost or stolen; or pick up fleas and ticks, and we are too gentle-hearted to fight if another animal attacks us.

Lysol contains Phenol which hurts our paw pads and antifreeze is poison to us. Other cleansers are nasty too and we could lick them off our paws if we get into them.

It is not good if we associate our names with yelling. it is better to use a well aimed squirt gun or noise maker to scare us away from dangerous or forbidden things.

we could fall in the water and drown because we cannot climb up the steep sides.

We kittens love to play in crinkly bags and our neck can get caught in the handle.

Watch out for other places we could get stuck too like chair backs with slats.

If we chew them we could get shocked or burned or we could pull the iron on our heads!

I know about a kitten who swallowed kite string and he had to have a big operation to get it out! Also, drapery cords and blind cords could loop around our necks and legs.

We love hiding holes and dark, warm and snug places, and could get trapped, or worse…

Which are not grown just for us. Some are poisonous, like all lily varieties; others give us upset tummies.

DO'S

Especially to pets you already have. Let them get use to our scent while we are in our carrier or in a separate room.

Especially when we move in. Also scooped. We don’t want to step in used litter and will avoid it. If we make a mistake, try putting food or water in the exact spot; we won’t use it again if we eat there.

Introduce new food by putting small amounts in the food we’re used to.

So we don’t use your furniture for this very natural, but we know, annoying behavior.

We HATE the feelings of those things on our paws.

Practice exposing our claws when we are relaxed and sleepy – gently squeeze our paw pads to expose the nails to take the stress out of nail clipping, and give us a bath with cat shampoo occasionally.

And you should know where we are when you leave the house. This is an important check that we are safe and well. When we feel sick we tend to hide out and not eat.

So that we become familiar with your noises like vacuum cleaners (we hate closed doors and will protest loudly anyway).

So that we can nap in them sometimes and not be afraid of them if we need to go for a car ride; only in a carrier, and not just the Vet please.

We love tummy rubs, and we may roll over when you approach so that we can be tickled. Talk to us! Get silly like us!!!