Its Origin Clouded In Intrigue And Controversy

The fact that this breed of cat has beautiful blue eyes and highly recognizable color point coat is no accident or result of evolution.  
If we believe the breeder, Ann Baker, the original Ragdoll cats were the consequence of a government experiment back in the 1960's. It seems that one of her neighbor’s cats named Josephine, got into an accident involving a car, and for some reason was taken to a laboratory at the University of California. There was nothing special about Josephine. She was a non pedigreed Persian/Angora mix, white domestic long-haired cat, who by that time already had provided her owners with several litters, that was nothing special. Sired by several unknown Burmese-like cats, one of which had the Siamese point coloration, her litters tended typically to be playfully aggressive.   

The next litter following her surgery however, produced a litter of  
unusually docile and friendly cats. Mrs. Baker claimed that it was all part of a secret government genetic experiment. Genetic experts have rejected this theory and of course the government denied any such project. None the less when Josephine’s subsequent litter produced more of the “ragdoll” type kittens, Baker knew she was on to something. The name “Ragdoll” was coined because these original kittens, and all that have followed, have the tendency to go limp and completely relaxed when being picked up. Already a savvy breeder Mrs. Baker, believing she was on to something new and wonderful, bought several of the kittens and set out to create the new breed known as The Ragdoll cat.

In a brilliant move Mrs. Baker shunned the established cat registry, trademarked the name Ragdoll and started her own registry, International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA) in 1971. Her strict breeding guidelines led to several riffs within the organization, until in 1975 Denny and Laura Dayton, began breeding what is now widely accepted as to days Ragdoll standard. The IRCA dissipated over the years, and after Baker’s death in 1997 other factions emerged which eventually brought us the Ragamuffin line. If you are considering getting involved or you would like more in depth history, the largest international Ragdoll association is the Ragdoll Fanciers' Club International (RFCI)

Disposition And Health
The Breed For You

Remember how this breed of cat got its name. Unlike the Maine Coon, a large cuddly cat whose origins are that of a hunter, the Ragdoll is docile, non aggressive, and a people lover. It is a very striking cat with those beautiful blue eyes, and long-haired Persian-like appearance, without posing the grooming problems usually associated the typical Persian. They get along wonderfully in a mufti pet environment, and kids just adore them.

For the most part the Ragdoll is a hearty, and healthy cat. A healthy Ragdoll with proper diet and exercise can live to be twenty years old. I don’t want to scare you with big medical terms, so I will just say that Ragdolls can suffer from certain heart conditions. They also have a tendency to eat to fast which can stir up their sensitive stomachs and on occasion lead to vomiting. Of course like most cats, they can get upper respiratory and urinary tract infections.

Should We Bother To Train A Ragdoll    
All They do Is Lay Around

It is the between time that you might have to worry about. There are Ragdoll cats that go about their business using the litter box properly every day, get along with their house mates, and leave your furniture alone. Then there are Ragdoll cats that are prone to litter box mishaps, have fits of aggressive behavior, and sink their claws into every piece of furniture you own on a daily basis. If you are considering getting a Ragdoll for the first time or your cat falls into problem type, or you just want to learn everything you can about this magnificent breed than there is help for you. If you continue to surf the net you will be able to find a lot of information on cats, but very few breed specific total information on Ragdolls. For about what it might cost for bag of fancy cat food, a real Ragdoll owner and trainer  has written just such a book. You will learn the secrets and tips on how to guarantee that your cat is healthy, happy, and well mannered.  Please go to: My RecomMANNdations

When clicking on Pet Lovers you will also find other pet related information like how to get rid of fleas once and for all.

More Than 200 Years Of Evolution

This cat is a big cat lover’s cat. Although hugely popular outside of the state, these beautiful long-haired cats did actually originate in Maine. The seaports of the Colonies were breeding  ground for rats, and thus attracted heavy bodied and powerful short haired cats, that had come from European countries such as France and England. Back than cats were used for rat control on any ship crossing the Atlantic, and than most of them simply let loose. It was during the formative years that our new country began to see ships from the Baltic and Scandinavian areas, bringing with them, their own breed of cats. Though smaller, these cats had something that let them adapt to the harsh climate of the central seaboard states, they had unbelievable long hair. The current residence had no problem crossbreeding with these cats, and so began the evolution of the uniquely American breed, known as the Maine Coon Cat.        

For anyone who owns one, they are primarily known as a big cuddly, sweet, and an intelligent companion. Their evolution can be explained like that of any other pioneer. The thick weeds and bush of the New England countryside no doubt had something to do with its long, deep chested, rectangular body. Being able to fight the local carnivores, explains their incredible mass and strength. If you are just starting to consider them as a pet, the first thing you will notice is the 7-8 diameter furry tail, known as a brush. For those of you that are considering one for the first time you should know this. Although they have the look of a Persian, the Coon has no exotic wild-species bloodlines in them, and are at least 3-4 times the size of one. If there are young children you must also be made aware of the cat’s long  "saber-tooth" like teeth. Remember, though the modern Maine Coon is sweet and cuddly, its roots are still that of a hunter. With all that said, despite its size and strength the Maine Coon is for the most part  friendly, playful, and good with children.

A Gentle Giant
Guinness World Record Holder

As I have stated, the Maine Coon is one of the largest breeds of domestic cats. In 2006 a purebred named Leo was awarded “Longest Cat,” measuring 48 in(129cm) in length, from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. Incidentally, he weighed 35 lb. or
(16 kg). Although his age is not stated, he would have been at least three or four, because the Coon doesn’t normally reach his full potential size until then. Before you get too excited, that by no means is anywhere near the normal size of a Maine Coon. On the average the male will weigh between 13 and 18 lbs. ( 5.9 and 8.2 kg) with females weighing between 8 and 12 lb. (3.6 and 5.4 kg). The height of the adult will also vary, 10 and 16 in (25 and 41 cm),
and length, including the tail, which can reach lengths of up to 14 in (36 cm), up to 40 in (100cm).

Can the Maine Coon Be Trained?
Intelligent But Stubborn

For anyone considering a Coon, or if you just recently acquired one, or you have one that is completely running the show, the answer is yes. If not controlled, it will turn your furniture into scratching posts, jump up wherever it chooses, and be so aggressive as to keeping friends and visitors away. Not to mention biting and clawing, to name just a few problems you’ll have if not properly trained.

There are all sorts of places you can go for help. If you are looking into professional breeders and trainers, make sure that they specialize in the Maine Coon. There are of course all sorts of Forums on the web that might be able to give you some guidance. In my research I came across someone that took a full-grown Coon and trained it. Boy, wouldn’t you like to have her help? Well, she has made her information available, and whether you are new to the breed or a seasoned veteran you will discover something new so that you can appreciate and live a great life with your wonderful cat. Of course I can’t go into everything that she will be able to help you with, but if you want to learn more about The Secrets of the Maine Coon, including a year of personal e-mail help, please go to: my RecomMANNdations

In the Pet Lovers section you also find out how to get rid of fleas, once and for all.

Nothing is worse than a bored cat, particularly when they take that boredom out on, say, your new sofa. Keep kitty interested, and you'll keep your furniture and feet intact. Bonus points for doing it with things you have around the house!

1. Mirrors
Particularly fun if your cat has never seen its reflection, as cats tend to go nuts the first time they see a mirror. Lean a mirror on the wall or place it on the floor and watch the cat go nuts. If its hair rises on end when it looks at itself in the mirror, avoid touching it, since that's a good way to get your hand mauled!

2. Ping Pong Balls
If you have a hard floor (not carpet, it doesn't work quite as well) bounce a ping pong ball on the floor. The noise instantly attracts cats, and they're fascinated with them. Make sure to pick up the ping pong ball afterwards, or you'll be woken up at three in the morning to the sound of ping pong balls bouncing around your house.

3. Empty Boxes
Working from home, I get a lot of packages in the mail. I discovered that if you leave a box open on the ground, cats like to sit in or on the box. Any sort of carton works great for this, especially those with hand holes on the sides for them to look out of.

4. Shoelaces, String, Yarn
Pretty much a staple of cat toys. Drag the shoelace on the ground, and cats will chase after it. Hold the shoelace in the air, and watch the cat jump and try to catch it!

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Cat Palm and Red Sister Cordyline poisonous to cats?

I just recently purchased two house plants, the Cat Palm and Red Sister Cordyline, but I cannot find any information on if they are poisonous to cats. I have three indoor cats so I'm concerned about their health if they end up munching on a few of the leaves. I have looked at lists for both poisonous and non-poisonous plants to cats and these two are on neither of them. Also if anybody has any advice for keeping cats from eating houseplants that would be extremely helpful. Thanks!

I would call a plant nursery and inquire if they know which ones might be toxic. Plant nursery customer sometimes request a non-toxic type of plant specifically so they wont harm their animals. Call your vet also to see if they can assist with that information as well. You have to be very careful about houseplants. I have a Christmas cactus and know it is toxic to cats as well as a variety of other houseplants. I keep my plants up on wrought iron plant stands that have no room for the cat to jump up on the stand to sit on it to be tempted to sit and eat on the plant and the plants are generally out of reach. I always thought spider plants were toxic too. My plants tend to be large leaf plants that they dont seem interested in. I do have one that is a flowering plant that is more ivy like and smaller leaf that one cat showed an interest in but I put it up and out of the way and she doesnt bother it. Providing your cat with cat greens/cat grass is good. You can buy pre-grown cat grass at Petsmart or buy the cat grass kit at Walmart in the pet aisle near cat supplies. The kit contains the container/cat sees/instructions on how to grow the grass in just a few short days. It works. My cats love it! Most cats crave greens. P.S. Here's a good website for a pretty good list of toxic plants-http://www.sniksnak.com/plants-toxic.html
Best Wishes!!

If you want to know exactly what your cat is being fed each day, then the best way is to prepare a homemade cat food recipe yourself. However, for your cat to remain healthy, it is important to ensure that your homemade cat food recipe includes sufficient animal protein, calcium, phosphorus, iodine and vitamins. This is usually obtained from red meat, liver, kidney, heart, chicken and sometimes milk.

Generally, raw food contains more nutrients as cooking destroys some vitamins, especially vitamin B. If you are squeamish about feeding raw food to your cat and intend to feed your cat cooked food instead, then you may need to provide pet food supplements in your cat's diet. Your vet will be able to advise you on appropriate pet food supplements, based on your homemade cat food diet.

Here are some important ingredients which you should incorporate into your homemade cat food diet:

INGREDIENT #1 - Meat and Meat By-Products

Both red and white meat contains protein, B-group vitamins, fat and energy. Highest sources of protein are beef, chicken (meat) and liver, followed by heart, chicken skin, lamb, kidney and chicken necks.

All types of meat are deficient in vitamin A therefore, it is good to feed liver to your cat as it is rich in vitamin A. However, liver should not be more than 10% of your cat food diet as too much vitamin A can lead to skeletal problems and other abnormal bone growth. If you are worried about an overdose of vitamin A, feed cooked liver to your cat instead of raw liver. Or as a rough guide, feed raw liver not more than once a week.

INGREDIENT #2 - Fish

It is good to have a mix of the 2 main types of fish: white fish and fatty/oily fish (such as tuna). White fish is leaner but is weak in vitamins A, D, E and K.

Fatty and oily fish on the other hand, contain high levels of vitamins A and D but your cat may suffer a case of steatites (a painful inflammation of fat deposits under the skin) if it is fed too much fatty fish.

In the case of fish, it is advisable to cook the fish first. Raw fish contains thiaminase, an enzyme which destroys thiamine, an important vitamin B. Cooking destroys thiaminase and helps to retain more vitamins in the food.

Whole fish (including the bones) is very nutritional cat food as fish bones contain calcium and phosphorus. However, to prevent fish bones from getting caught in your cat's teeth or throat, it is good to soften the bones first. You can do this by pressure cooking, boiling or stewing.

INGREDIENT #3 - Eggs

Eggs are high in animal protein, iron, vitamins, fats and carbohydrates and are ideal to include in your homemade cat food. However, too much may be harmful as the egg whites contain avidin which destroys a B vitamin that is essential for good hair and skin health and proper muscle function.

As a general guide, feed raw egg not more than once a week. If you feed the egg yolk only, then you may increase this to no more than 3 times a week.

INGREDIENT #4 - Milk, Cheese and Yoghurt

Dairy products are high in protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and the B vitamins.

Kittens generally like warmed milk and cream. But as they mature, they become lactose-intolerant and may develop diarrhea. You can get low-lactose cat milk which is available in supermarkets. Cream is fattening and too much may result in an obese cat.

Cheese may be a better dairy alternative as it does not contain lactose. However, some cats do not appreciate the taste and will not eat it.

INGREDIENT #5 - Fats and Oils

Fats are essential in your homemade cat food to ensure your cat's skin doesn't become itchy, dry and scurfy.

Good sources are safflower or corn oil and fish fats. Safflower is the preferred choice.

INGREDIENT #6 - Vegetables

Vegetables provide vitamin C and some are rich in B vitamins. It also provides fibre which should form about 5% of your homemade cat food diet. Mix vegetables with meat or fish and cook it as a stew. Most cats will eat the vegetables if cooked this way.

INGREDIENT #7 - Grains

Grains provide carbohydrate, proteins, minerals and vitamins. Good sources are:

Wheatgerm - thiamine, vitamin E
Yeast - B vitamins, minerals, recommended for older cats
Rice - most cats will eat this and it is a good base for mixing with meat and fish
Wheat, oats, barley - higher protein content and less fattening than rice

INGREDIENT #8 - Water

Lastly, and probably more important than any of the above, a fresh clean supply of water must always be available. Generally, your cat will need about 40ml of water per kg of body weight. However, environmental temperature, your cat's consumption of dry food and ailments may require you to adjust accordingly.

Your cat is an individual and will have its own likes and dislikes. Different pedigrees may also have different requirements. It is always advisable to check with your vet and seek professional advice before preparing your homemade cat food.

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