How to Select a Ragdoll Cat Breeder - Interview with Lynn - Part 3

Two Happy Raggies sharing life with Lynn.

Now to Continue our Interview with how the process of adopting Bentley was. Bentley is the 2nd and younger ragdoll kitten in the family.

5. How did you find Bentley's breeder?

Boo was an “only” for about 3 years. During that time period, his breeder went out of business and I became an active poster on a Ragdoll forum where I really learned A LOT.
I became enchanted by the color and pattern of blue lynx mitteds, and we decided that the time was right to add a second Raggie to our family. I was very nervous venturing away from the wonderful breeders at Ragdoll Central (that by now I felt I had really come to "know" and trust) -- but none of them had any blue lynx mitted babies. Plus, I wanted to avoid shipping the kitten, if at all possible, which limited me demographically; it was very important to me that I meet the breeder, and see the cattery myself, first hand.

So I started looking around, and I first found out about Megailee Ragdolls from a "kitten available" post on Ragdoll Central. By the time I saw that post, that baby had found his forever home, but in the process, I checked out Megailee’s website and saw that there was a new litter with TWO blue lynx mitted kittens – and both BOYS, to boot! (I am such a sucker for little boy kittens!)

6. How did you research this breeder?

I put both her name and her cattery name into multiple internet search engines, and carefully read every link. Through another Ragdoll forum (where I only posted occasionally) I found two people who had adopted kittens from her. I contacted them both and got two RAVE reports on her, the cattery, and her kittens.

Also, I e-mailed Gail a few times with questions and got very positive responses from her. We talked on the phone, and I liked what I heard. I didn’t feel rushed, she was very patient with my many questions, and her genuine affection for her cats came through loud and clear. I asked her for references, and she sent me two, and those people also had nothing but wonderful things to say about her and their kittens.

Next I asked several of my “breeder buddies” from the forum if they knew her or had heard of her, and one of them said she had heard very good things, and the others said they didn’t really know of her, but they had never heard anything NEGATIVE about her, either, and apparently (in the breeder world/grapevine) that’s not nothing!

Then finally I posted on RC about it, and one regular poster there said she knew first hand of three different people who had gotten kittens from Megailee Ragdolls and had nothing but positive experiences. By this time, I was feeling like I had found the breeder I had been looking for.

6. What were your biggest concerns?

Well, there was a logistics problem, namely that I was in Pennsylvania and Megailee’s is in North Carolina -- 500 miles away. My husband and I would be able to make one car trip down to pick up the kitten, but realistically we just weren’t going to be able to make two.

So at point, I had to make a decision. Sending a deposit and committing to this kitten would mean that I wouldn’t get to meet him, or Gail, or see the cattery before pick-up day. This made me nervous, because I had promised myself I would not do that!
But I also felt like I had done my due diligence, and had every reason to hope for and expect a positive, happy outcome. So with fingers, toes, and Boo’s whiskers crossed , we made the decision to trust our instincts and take a bit of a leap of faith.

7. What questions did you need to ask and get satisfactory answers to?

Oh, I had so many questions! My primary considerations were the kitten’s health and temperament. I needed to know that both of his parents had been DNA tested for the HCM gene identified in Ragdolls and were negative. I wanted to know if he had any health concerns? Had his birth been uneventful? Had he had any problems at all, ever? Remembering Boo’s problems, I asked about loose stools or diarrhea. Weepy eyes? Any signs of URI? I wanted to know his weight and his size. What was his temperament like? Was he feisty or bashful, outgoing or shy? Once he had his vet check, I wanted to know if there was any sign of a heart murmur. When it came time for him to be neutered, I worried and paced until I got the update from Gail that all was well.

Each week I looked forward to photos and an update, and we came to love this little boy long before we ever met him in person.

8. Since this was out of state were you satisfied with communication?

Yes. But e-mails can be tricky… they can get lost or overlooked, so there were times I had to email Gail more than once with a question. I also reminded myself that she was busy, and “had a life” beyond breeding Ragdolls. She has a home and a child to care for, and of course, other potential clients to respond to as well.

Once we got close to pick-up day, the communications especially picked up; there was so much to plan. But it all went off without a hitch, and soon we were (FINALLY!) able to meet Gail and pick up Bentley.

9. Was Bentley what you expected?

Bentley exceeded my expectations, and my expectations were VERY high! When I first saw him, I was amazed at how HEALTHY he looked. Big, bright, clear eyes; clean, dry ears and nose; soft plush fur… and so alert and inquisitive. I loved the fact that he’d been raised underfoot, in the midst of a family. Honestly, he was so perfect that I could hardly believe he was ours and that we were going to be able to take this precious baby home with us!

We had a 10-hour car ride home that I was a little nervous about, but he was an angel -- an absolute delight.

Once we got home, he had a complete check-up and got a perfect bill of health from our vet, which thrilled me beyond words. His adjustment to our home, and to his new big brother went seamlessly and he and Boo quickly became the best of friends.

Bentley is sweet and gentle, curious and fearless. He has a quiet purr and a soft little squeak of a meow, which has lovingly earned him the nickname “Squeak”. He has always had excellent litterbox and scratching post habits.

To be honest, he’s not so much of a lap cat as he is a “likes-to-be-near-you” cat, which is how Boo is most of the time, too. Sometimes they prefer cuddling each other to cuddling us mere (furless) humans… but we (try to) take it in stride! They sleep with us (most nights), and greet us at the door after work every day. There are only two places in the house that they are “not allowed”, the kitchen counters and the dining room table, and we have had to tell each of them “no!” only once.

I simply can’t rave enough about our Ragdolls. Both of our cats are wonderful, beautiful animals who have enriched our lives beyond measure.

TO BE CONTINUED............... The Breeders Perspective of The Process