F.A.Qs
ARE YOUR KITTENS REGISTERED WITH THE GCCF?
Yes all of our breeding cats are registered on the GCCF ACTIVE REGISTER (Registered Breeding Cats). The pedigrees of our cats are available to view by potential owners and comprehensive details of the kittens pedigree is provided with your kitten. All of our kittens are registered on the GCCF Non-Active Register (meaning they can not be used for breeding).
I’VE SEEN RAGDOLL KITTENS ADVERTISED LOCALLY FOR MUCH CHEAPER THAN YOUR KITTENS … WHY IS THIS?
“Cheap “ragdoll kittens can be found advertised up and down the country. These ragdolls can often be unregistered, unvaccinated, not vet checked and not have been provided with the basics of kitten care such as regular worming or assistance for the many illnesses young kittens suffer from. They may have been raised on low quality food and may have been born to unregistered parents who are bred from at every available opportunity. They are often kept in sub standard living conditions. These kittens can be in ill health and come with no health guarantee, not fully litter trained and barely old enough to eat solid foods. If anything goes wrong, you are alone. These breeders are usually breeding for financial gain and not for the love of the breed. The kittens parents can often be closely bred, ie, sisters to brothers, mothers to sons etc, the chances of genetic deformities becoming apparent as the kitten matures is greatly increased. These breeders are known as “Back Yard Breeders”. Some of these “breeders” have been known to copy pedigree breeding cat names from reputable breeder’s websites to construct fake pedigree certificates (This is the reason we no longer publicise our cats registered names on our website). ALWAYS ask to see the GCCF pink slips (accompanied by the breeders white copy) before you part with your money as this is the only way to check that the kitten you are buying is registered with the GCCF. A 200 pound “bargain” kitten quickly becomes very expensive when you take into account vaccination costs, further health checks and treatments, time away from work for visits to your vet, micro chipping, worming, de-fleaing and the worry involved in raising an un socialized, sick and unsettled kitten. BUYERS BEWARE!!
HOW DO THESE KITTENS COMPARE TO A CHIFFONDOLL KITTEN?
All of CHIFFONDOLL breeding cats have been selected for their outstanding health, temperament and type. They conform closely to the standard of points (A definition of what makes a “perfect ragdoll”) as laid out by the GCCF. Registered, breeding cats of breeding quality cost significantly more than registered pet quality cats because of this. A considerable amount of money and time has been invested in the purchase of our cats from reputable breeders with outstanding pedigree lines to ensure they have the best chance of producing exceptional quality kittens. Our kittens are raised with love in a family home and have the best that money can buy (whether that be food, toys, veterinary care etc) , in short – they have the best possible upbringing to ensure they come to you as healthy, well socialized kittens ready for their new lives as a pet.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU BREED FROM YOUR CATS?
Our cat’s welfare is VERY important to us and as such, our girls have, at most, one litter of kittens a year. If we feel our girl would be compromised by having another litter, she will be retired – even if she has only had the one litter. We occasionally will not breed from a girl if we feel she hasn’t reached the potential she had shown as a kitten. In this instance, she will be neutered and offered for re homing or kept by ourselves as a pet. We introduce our girls to the stud when we feel the time is right FOR THEM. We won’t breed a girl under the age of 13 months; this is often later if we feel the girl still needs more time to mature. Our girls are retired after 3 litters. Our stud boys begin working between the ages of 8 and 18 months old – depending on when they are ready. Our studs live in luxury accommodation and “work” until they are around 3 to 4 years old after which time they are neutered and begin their “transition period” where they are integrated back into the household and become “lap cats”. All mating's are carefully considered and planned. We only undertake a mating if we feel the resulting kittens will be a credit to the ragdoll breed in general. Our aim is to further the breed and to improve it in any way we can.
WILL YOU LET ME HAVE A RAGDOLL KITTEN OF 8 WEEKS OLD?
Absolutely not. Ragdolls are a slow maturing breed of cat and as such, are not mature enough at 8 weeks old to deal with life away from mum. The EARLIEST we will home a kitten is at 13 weeks when all vaccinations and vet checks have been completed. We occasionally have times where we feel it would be in the kitten’s best interests to remain with mum for a while longer, or if we need a little extra time to assess the kitten for breeding or show potential. It’s extremely difficult to spot these qualities in a younger kitten. Should this be the case, you will be offered back your deposit or given the option to wait until the kitten is ready to come home with you.
WHEN CAN I VIEW THE KITTENS?
Some breeders will allow viewings / take deposits when the kittens are 6 weeks old. At CHIFFONDOLL, we wait until the kitten has received the first vaccination and vet check to ensure the kitten is 100% healthy before accepting viewings and deposits. Regular updates of kittens will be posted on the website, if you see a kitten you’d like, please contact us. We will add your details to our contact list and we will invite you to view the kittens when the kittens are 8 – 9 weeks of age. We do not operate a “first come first served” policy. Each kitten is as closely matched to the potential owners as is possible. If you have a busy household … that beautiful but quieter blue point girl may not be for you, however, her boisterous, confident sister could be! We take time to ensure our kittens go to homes where they will be as loved and as cherished as they are here and reserve the right to refuse a kitten sale if we see fit. Please do not be offended if we ask you to remove your shoes at the door and make use of the antibacterial hand gel before viewing / handling our kittens.
AM I ABLE TO MEET MY KITTENS PARENTS WHEN I COME TO VIEW THE KITTENS?
Of course! We are proud of our cats and love showing them off! Our kittens remain with their mums until the time comes to leave for their new homes and will be keeping a watchful eye on them while their babies “check out” the new people in the house! If our stud cat is “daddy”, we will gladly introduce you to him too. We occasionally send our girls to an “outside” stud. In this instance, we will provide you with his pedigree details, pictures and details of his breeder so that you can contact them for further information or arrange to meet him if you wished. We are happy to show you around our cattery so that you can satisfy yourself that our cats and kittens are kept and raised in a clean and healthy environment.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF MY KITTEN?
Your kitten will come to you with a 5 generation pedigree, fully vaccinated as documented in their vaccination card, having completed a kitten worming schedule at 6, 9 and 12 weeks, have had a preventative flea treatment, already having passed 3 thorough veterinary inspections, a comprehensive kitten pack including samples of food your kitten has been used to, a sample of cat litter they have been used to, various toys, a fleece blanket with mums scent on (to help them adjust to your home), a detailed kitten care information booklet tailored to your kitten and insured for 4 weeks. We provide ongoing help and support for any worries or queries you may have regarding your kitten.
I’VE NOTICED THE TERM “HCM” MENTIONED ON MANY BREEDERS WEBSITES … WHAT IS THIS?
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopahy (HCM) is a heart condition in all breeds of cats (and random bred cats) which causes the wall of the heart's left ventricle to thicken progressively as the cat gets older. This means, eventually, that the heart may not be able to function efficiently and the thickening can progress until the cat's life cannot be supported. Too many cats die from HCM each year.
There is no cure for HCM. HCM is a genetic condition and can be inherited. The Ragdoll and Maine Coon breeds have been now studied in connection with feline HCM. Recently, there was a major breakthrough when one of the genes for HCM in Ragdolls was identified. All of our cats have been tested for the known HCM mutation and we are pleased to say, they have all been recorded as “negative” meaning they neither have HCM, nor carry the gene. Any kittens born to our cats will be free of this known gene. Further information can be found on -
http://ragdollresearch.org/index.php
http://www.fabcats.org/hcm/
WHY DO I HAVE TO SIGN A CONTRACT?
We as breeders are constantly striving to provide the very best for our kittens, part of this includes the use of a kitten sales contract. This contract has been drawn up by a qualified lawyer and is fully enforceable through the Scottish and English courts. All kittens sold by CHIFFONDOLL on the non-active register are required to be spayed / neutered before the age of 7 months. We withhold the pink transfer certificate until proof of neutering / spaying has been received.
DO YOU SELL KITTENS FOR BREEDING??
We do occasionally sell kittens for breeding after the kittens have been assessed. Only kittens that we consider to be exceptional quality will be sold for breeding purposes. Chiffondoll are willing to assist new breeders and will provide help and mentoring. If you are interested in breeding these wonderful cats, please contact us in the first instance. We will not change a cat onto the active register after it has been sold to you on the non-active register (although a gorgeous kitten, there’s a reason the kitten was regarded as not quite good enough for breeding!). There is usually a waiting period involved in taking home a breeding quality kitten as we cannot guarantee that we will have such quality kittens born in every litter. This waiting period is the perfect time to increase your knowledge of the breed by researching, attending shows, talking to us and other breeders and if possible, witnessing the birth of a litter of our kittens. Please contact us for further information.
CAN I PAY FOR MY KITTEN BY INSTALLMENTS?
After much consideration, we recognize that the price of a kitten can sometimes be difficult to raise. We are willing to accept payment in installments for your kitten by cheque. We will provide a receipt for every cheque provided. We ask that the final installment be made one week before you plan to collect your kitten. Please contact us for further information.
I WORK DURING THE DAY, IS A RAGDOLL KITTEN FOR ME?
Ragdoll cats are extremely sociable and may find it distressing to be alone in the house all day. If you work long hours, we would only be prepared to sell the kittens in pairs, or to a home where there is already a companion animal.
WHY DO I HAVE TO SPAY OR NEUTER MY KITTEN?
Spaying / neutering your kitten before the age of 7 months is the best way you can protect the health of your kitten (and your own sanity!). As the female kitten matures, she will "call" for a mate. This calling is not just confined to the day time hours and many a sleepless night has been had in my house, listening to the wails of one of the girls in heat. This is repeated month after month for up to 7 days at a time, during which time, your girl will be uncomfortable, unsettled, lose condition and begin to look "poor" due to an unwillingness to eat, she will be crying at windows and doors in a bid to escape and find increasingly clever ways to outsmart you as you open doors etc. Unspeyed females are at risk of developing conditions such as pyometra which is an infection of the uterus and is often fatal. Unneutered male and female Ragdolls are very challenging to live with! ... it isn't just the males who "spray" to mark their territory. Females are also big culprits! Any surface is fair game if the female thinks it will attract a local unneutered tom cat (which it usually does). When this happens, it isn't only your house and furniture that take on this "aroma", but your doors, doorsteps, window frames and gardens. "spraying" is a very difficult habit to break once it has started and is a big reason for cats being abandoned each year.
