Ragdolls and Children

As parents to both our children and our Ragdolls this subject is very near and
dear to our hearts. As such we have decided to devote an entire webpage to
helping you decide if a Ragdoll is right for your family and if your family is right
for a Ragdoll.

We have been blessed with three beautiful "non fur" children ages 7, 5 and 18
months. In our experience the Ragdoll is an amazing addition to our family. In our
home they can be found snoozing with our children at nap time, racing the
hallways after a giggling shoestring wielding child or just hanging out watching
the blocks go up and be knocked down. The picture above is representative of
the mutual love that is a heartwarming reality in our home.

While researching breeders to decide which cattery is right for you, you will likely
come across breeders who choose not to place their Ragdolls' with families who
have young children. This is certainly their right and we do not judge them for
their choice.  While concerns about undisciplined, unruly and destructive
children certainly can have merit, it is our belief at TruBlueDolls that judging ALL
families based on what is hopefully a small percentage does everyone involved a
dis-service. That said, it takes a special kind of family to open their hearts and
homes to our Ragdolls. A family willing to prepare, take precautions, and make a
large time commitment to ensuring a smooth and happy transition is a wonderful
home for a TruBlueDolls Ragdoll. Please be forewarned it can take alot of  
patience and diligent supervision to ensure a smooth transition and a lifelong
loving relationship between your "fur baby" and "non fur baby". We do our part
by socializing our kittens with our children and it is up to our babies' forever
homes to continue the work that we begin.

When your kitten first comes home children, of ALL ages,  MUST be supervised
and taught to be gentle and kind, particularly if this is your first family
fur-member. Please don't assume this knowledge is instinctive, even with older
children!  Clearly setting down the rules/expectations before your kitten comes
home will prove invaluable. This will let your children know that welcoming your
fur-baby in to your home is a serious and important commitment . Teaching your
children, particularly young children, can take a large time commitment and alot
of patience. Preparing your children ahead of time will go a long way to easing
the transition. To assist with this we have included some book recommendations
on the bottom of this page



**** Babies and toddlers will need to be constantly and closely supervised for the
safety of the kitten and baby!! ****

An unsupervised baby/toddler can quickly hurt or be hurt by a kitten. Modeling
good behavior (soft touches) and firmly correcting undesirable behavior
consistently is the most effective and least wearing on everyone involved. It can't
be said enough, supervision is absolutely imperative, particularly in those first
few months when your kitten is small and vulnerable. Like all things you teach
your children, reminding and reteaching will sometimes be necessary.



There are two basic rules in our home that are always enforced and have become
2nd nature to our two older children. It is our hope that these rules will be
adopted in to our babies forever homes!

1. When the kitten/cat wishes to be put down they will indicate this by squirming
and/or twisting. They must be put down at this time.
2. When putting a kitten/cat down it must always be placed gently on the floor on
all four paws (this rule applies to adults also!). No dropping, tossing, ect.

This teaches the children respect for their new family member and teaches the
Ragdoll that the children can be trusted. Learning how to properly treat your new
family member will foster kindness and compassion in your children. The
relationship that can bloom between Ragdoll and child if these guidelines are
followed will surely be a life long love.

Here are some  book recommendations to read with your children. Reading to
your children before your kitten comes home is a wonderful way to experience
the anticipation together, as well as opens up the communication airwaves! This
is a great time to get them ready for your new family member.

For older children-

Kitten Care: A Guide For Young Owners by DK Publishing

The Ragdoll Cat by Joanne Mattern


For Babies and Toddlers

Kitten by DK Publishing is an excellent 'touch and feel' book for modeling 'soft
touches' for your baby/toddler before your kitten comes home. The cover kitten
even looks like a Ragdoll!!

You can check my favorite links page for book recommendations for Mom and
Dad!
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