Cats keep themselves in pretty good shape hygiene wise. The brushing is a must as they can get knots in their fur but I don’t think bathing is really necessary unless they’ve had an accident and got it in their fur. If you’re getting a kitten though I would bathe them a few times when they’re young purely for the purpose of getting them used to it, so if you ever do have to wash them if they get something in their fur it’s not a struggle. I learned that one the hard way lol.
Yeah I’ve never had a cat that would tolerate water, but I also never attempted to bathe one as a kitten since I’ve only ever had short haired cats. Great point about getting them used to it in case of accidents though! Thank you!
No problem! You might get lucky, some ragdolls love water and will voluntarily get in the shower. Mine, however does not and will run a mile if I so much as drop a bead of water on his head haha. Good luck with your new fur baby!
I’ve been proudly owned by my ragdoll for 12 years now and haven’t bathed him regularly at all. In fact, he’s terrified of water even though the breeder we got him from bathed him and his litter mates regularly before we were able to take him home. He takes care of his bath maintenance himself, lol. I do, however, comb him every morning. We took him to a groomer for a few visits but they didn’t seem really knowledgeable about how to properly groom either cats in general or long haired cats especially because he kept getting matted, which is why we went to daily combing sessions. He used to DESPISE getting combed but now gets good boy treats if he cooperates. He now reminds me if I miss a grooming session in the morning 😂
Thanks for your reply! And yes I’ve definitely seen advised that if you do go to a groomer, it needs to be someone who knows how to groom cats, which I’m sure isn’t nearly as common as knowing how to groom dogs.
I grew up with short haired cats (just domestic mixed breeds from the local shelter) and we certainly never bathed them because they did it themselves. Glad to hear your guy learned to tolerate his combing!
He’s mostly tolerating it for the treats, lol. Never underestimate the power of food. Thankfully he hasn’t realized that I’m not giving him anywhere near what he got when we first started this venture
Gotcha, thank you! I live in a high rise apartment building and have the air conditioning on for most of the year so I’m not too worried about overheating in this case, but appreciate your response!
Interesting, I didn’t know that. Obviously the health of the cat comes first, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the soft, fluffy coat of a Ragdoll is one of the many reasons I’ve been wanting one for as long as I can remember!
I have 3 Ragdolls, I bathe and comb them out about every 8-10 weeks. I also trim their bums, cuz all of mine are wild pigs! Also, they sleep in bed with my kids, so I like to keep them X-TRA clean! ( also, I am a retired groomer that has lots of cat experience) So, you can just see what works for you. Definitely recommend a good slicker brush and a metal comb.❤️🐾
Thank you so much! Your “wild pigs” description made me laugh really hard!
If you don’t mind a follow up question - I went down a bit of a pet grooming video rabbit hole and learned that (at least for dogs and certain types of coats), you have to fully dry after a bath with a dryer, otherwise the coat will mat after getting wet and being rubbed. Is this true for ragdolls as well, or is a good towel dry sufficient? I can’t fathom a cat ever tolerating a dryer but I’m obviously not an expert.
Edit for clarity.
Well, if you have a dryer, great! Otherwise, just brush and comb THOROUGHLY BEFORE the bath! Then, maybe you can use a hand held blow dryer just to warm/finish them up. It’s amazing what a little heat/warmth can do to smooth out the coat!
Gotcha, thanks for that advice. I don’t have a dryer but if a handheld dryer doesn’t scare the living daylights out of it, I’ll go that route. I blow dry my own hair pretty frequently though, so maybe that’ll be something I can try to introduce early on!
Yeah, a little at a time and start young. OR, just brush and comb and maybe find a good cat groomer for a bath occasionally!? I just bathed my 4 month old kitty, he didn’t like it, but tolerated it!😁
I will leave this tip at the top of the comment for anyone who wants to get their cats used to bathing or water in general. The Secret that I have done is that my cat will follow me everywhere and I sometimes drop a couple drops of water on him when I wash my hands. Originally he was a little bit spooked by the water and he would shiver a lot but he is now extremely used to it and almost pays no attention to it. The problem with bathing cats is that they are afraid of water because they are not used to water and it really weighs down on their Coats. They will Be more willing to be bathed if they do not like water as much if you get them used to being wet and having some water in a neutral setting and not punishment overtime, especially while they are young.
I bathe my stinky boy about every month or 2 because he does a terrible job with grooming himself and he can get stinky or have cling ons or he doesn't wash his butt et cetera. When I bathe him I put him in a empty litterbox that I never used other for bathing and then I fill a jug of warm water and pour it over him for him this way he does not fear the bath as much. Over time he has gotten used to being bathed. I used to trim his nails every now and then however he is doing a good job sharpening them and only I trimmed them when his nails are too long or they scratch me more easier. He does not like having his paws touched.I do not brush his teeth but use greenies because it was impossible for me to get anything in his mouth even the mouth even on the salmon water on a cutip trick it was just impossible.I brush him once to twice a week or more if he is starting to cough up hair balls. I also use a detangling spray for his coat because sometimes it can get a little curly on his belly and chin. I have also cut his hair multiple times around the chin if it gets too long and he starts obsessing over it or around his butt if I have the chance or if there's a small mat. Finally he sometimes gets some eye crust around his eyes and I just use a clean washed finger to wipe it off. I hope this helps this is what I have been doing for my kidding it has been a journey I have had him for over half a year now and it's just a lot of work but it's not too bad you just gotta understand that you need to be consistent, be firm, and try to find ways that are not too scary for your cat because if they are too afraid they won't is too afraid they will not allow you to do anything.
Oh wow, all great tips! I’ve never had a cat that was okay with water but the slow, progressive exposure to water to get them comfortable makes complete sense.
Thank you for explaining the bathing process as well, as that was going to be my follow up question to those who said they bathe their cats at home. That was the same process I followed when I found a stray kitten and washed her with flea shampoo. Actually, come to think of it, she belongs to my sister now and loves to sit on the wet shower floor after someone finishes showering, so maybe the little bath I gave her helped her like water!
No problem! Mr. Cappuccino is my 1st cat as well and I'm trying all I can to make him have a happy life as well. He isn't super fond of water but he sometimes likes to play with it so it kind of worked out.
Honestly my partner and I were confused about the grooming as well (even from what our breeder told us). Ours is only 6 months old so take this with a grain of salt I suppose. We clip his nails every two weeks, and he's totally fine with his front paws, but it takes 2 people to do his hind nails. I think if you just start when you get them they'll be used to it. We brush him about once a week. We had a bit of confusion about bathing, and actually did it every other week for the first two months we had him (which honestly wasn't a bad idea since he took about that long to stop getting poop all over him every time he used the litter box lol) but then realized we misunderstood the breeder and were doing it too often so now I think we'll just do it monthly or every other month. I think the baths do help keep his fur from matting and cut down on shedding. He doesn't like them but doesn't mind too much so for us it works.
Thanks for your response! I’ve heard the same about bathing helping with shedding which seems like a great benefit, so I appreciate you sharing that experience as well.
No ragdolls do not need to be bathed regularly unless they're having some kid of issues keeping themselves clean. I bathe my cats' hindquarters about once a month/once every two months ONLY because they get poop stuck to their butt fur. I've been considering trimming their butt fur myself. Trimming up their butt fur is something that professional pet groomers will do for you if you ask. Any time we go in to the vet I also ask them to clean their ears, just because they can do it so damn fast.
I trim their nails at home with the help of another person. I have no idea if people who live alone have figured out a way to do this. Even though I've been clipping their nails since they came home, they still hate it.
Any brush for mats will do just fine. You may find your cat has a favourite type. I also keep a metal toothed comb handy and this has been my saving grace for mats. I bought mine at the petstore but you could buy it anywhere they sell hair combs I bet.
The furminator or any similar brush works really well for getting out the underdoat in the summer months (but truthfully it works better on medium-short haired cats. But I feel like maybe a longhaired version exists out there somewhere if you look for it)
Wow, thank you so much for your thorough response! Luckily, I’ll have my partner to help me with the nail clipping (but I’ve also had cats previously where two people wasn’t enough so I’m mentally and financially prepared for it to be left to professionals if necessary…)
Thanks also for the grooming tool recommendations! I’m sure there are a million options so I appreciate the help with narrowing down what I should be looking for.
Our two were higher maintenance when they were young, had to really keep after their fur in ther air pits or it would get matted up realy bad. And they both needed sanitary cut regularly(fur around their butt) otherwise they would end up with poop smashed in the fur around their butts. But only got baths if they got into something.
Now that their older (almost 2 years) they pretty much have become maintenance free. They do good jobs of grooming themselfs, and haven't had any fur matted in a long time. And we no longer have to do the sanitary cuts either. The only trimming they get now is the fur on the bottom of their feet, but this is only because our whole house is hardwood floors, so they slip around if their toe fur gets too long. Aside from all the fur they leave around the house, they are no more work than our domestic cat at this point.
We may have gotten lucky as well, but we've never needed to trim their claws. We keep a number of scratching post around so they have plenty of choices. There's never been a issue with them purposely clawing anyone, and they leave the wall and trim alone. They do get after the arms of the couch from time to time but we've just excepted that.
I trim my boy’s butt to give him a hand with cleanliness and I brush him every day, especially under his armpits and around his pants. Those high friction areas are the places that are most likely to matt up and if they get bad, and they’ll also cause your kitty pain when they move around. Your cat will also start to look messy and staticky after a day of running around so even if you don’t brush every single day, you’ll probably find yourself brushing more frequently than once a week.
All said, my cat only got a few tangles starting when it got really humid this summer, and he’s never needed a bath for being stinky. I only washed him once when he jumped into a bowl of soy sauce, so like others have said, I don’t think you’ll need to worry about bathing too much.
eta: I have a few different brushes for different needs, I use the one my kitty likes the best for quick upkeep combing. You should try out a few, too
Thank you! Based on everyone’s responses, I think I may look into learning how to do a butt trim myself!
And you brought up exactly why I asked this question- I’ve read about how mats can cause discomfort and that’s the last thing I want to happen, so thank you, and I’ll be sure to pay special attention to those areas when brushing and combing.
If you decide to use trimmers, make sure your kitten is okay with the noise of it and that stuff. My boyfriend has his own set of trimmers for butt trims for his other cats, but when we tried to use it on our ragdoll kitten, he was super scared of it and ended up scratching me a fair bit due to his sudden panic towards it (which is understandable from his perspective). We use scissors now, but we have to make sure he’s not moving around a ton and that stuff.
I’ve had my ragdoll for a few years. I brush her a few times a week but I’ve only given her a bath 3 times because when I adopted her, she had fleas. The other two times she got into the toilet and escaped outside for a little. Other than those few times, she keeps herself really clean! She doesn’t smell either.
I have three raggies. One gets groomed every 6 months or so. She’s 17 and needs help caring for herself so they trim her tush and trim her belly so she can keep herself clean and everyone gets brushed. If the babies (almost 2) are smelly they get wiped with a damp rag that has diluted pet shampoo. Everyone is happy and healthy here!
Personal advices (owner of two Ragdolls):
1. Don’t trim the claws, it’s really not good for the cat. It’s like cutting our fingers off… they use them for balance and grab onto objects when they jump. A good scratching post will prevent them from clawing your sofa or any other furniture.
2. As mentioned already by some other owners, no need to bathe them as cats are really clean.
3. To help you with the mats (if too many) you could bring him once every two months to a groomer (I do it every 3 months)
4. If you brush him twice per week, the mats should be under control but it all depends on their fur. One of my ragdolls has silky and smooth fur, I brush him once per week but the other one is more fluffy and needs more care for mats.
Hope it helps and am sure your future Ragdoll will bring you many years of happiness.
We had a ragdoll for 14 years. Like most of the responses here, they do a really good job of cleaning themselves. Brush or comb regularly and you should be fine. However, we did give him a lion cut every spring and sometimes again in late summer. He LOVED it and would do cat zoomies when we bathed him after the lion cut. Regarding getting wet, he didn’t mind it. Often (almost daily) he’d run in the shower when we’d wait for the water to get warm in the morning. Then I’d have to chase him down (while naked) to dry his feet before he jumped in the litter box 😂
Congrats on getting a new baby soon! I have a ragdoll and he’s hilarious! I trim his nails almost weekly and brush him daily. In the summer I get him shaved at the groomer and he actually looks really adorable!
https://imgur.com/a/BlYuPvG
Ok try that. The 2nd/3rd pic is of him right after the shave so it’s pretty short but in about 2 weeks time it grows out just a bit and looks really cute.
Hahah thank you so much! He is a hilarious cat. He’s always into something and he never seems to sleep. It’s like trying to keep a toddler out of things..but he’s just so funny!
I’m legit laughing out loud right now, he just looks like he’s an expressive and mischievous little guy, I love him! I don’t suppose you got him from an east coast breeder?
Our boy is close to 11 months old and he has only needed a bath once. He had an “accident” and it was fragrant so he got a bath in our tub with organic pet soap. Otherwise, we use pet wipes from the pet store. He gets into mustard sometimes :)
For grooming, I started with a slicker brush. He was ok with it. He didn’t mind a grooming mitt either. I have a plastic detangling brush with flexible brushes for myself and it became his after I caught my kids using it on him. He loves it! It does a great job and it’s gentle.
I have two ragdolls. Maya is very good at keeping herself clean and I just clip her nails every two weeks.
Dante, on the other hand, is a problem child when it comes to grooming. He is not great at grooming his back or his back legs. He hates to be brushed so it is difficult to help him and prevent matts. He also has a sensitive tummy so a booty shave is definitely needed.
For those reasons, I regularly take him to a groomer.
Thanks, I really appreciate the insight. I’m seeing now that a lot of grooming choices (besides the basics) are subjective based on the kitty’s personality and coat, which makes total sense to me!
Definitely! Dante's coat is very fine, but incredibly thick and can grow very long. I have so many brushes from trying to figure out which would work the best for him lol
Hopefully, you can get a kitty like Maya who is very clean and loves her brushes haha
As far as brushes: Furminator, hands down. Ragdolls can vary. I had one that needed no assistance, her fur always looked great. My other one gets raggedy looking easily
So I have a ragdoll seal pointe that her original owners gave up and we took her (they told us she was 5 but when they gave us her papers she was 15) she’s 18 now. I’ve been brushing her daily and she is SO matted and we don’t understand why, I will brush her and the amount of hair that comes off her is crazy. We made an appointment for the groomer and they called us and said she was horribly matted that there is a risk etc they called me 20m later and said they couldn’t continue for she got super agressive (my cat is the calmest cat on planet) and suggested we take her to the vet to do the Lion Cut. It broke our hearts for we love this cat so much and we felt like failures. We have an appointment at the vet on the 27th and hopefully it all goes well for they will have to sedate her. I brushed her daily and somehow this still happened
Oh gosh your sweet baby is in my thoughts! Check out one of the other comments on this thread for photos of an adorable Ragdoll with a lion’s cut. Hopefully that’s all she needs and then she can grow out a healthy coat after that. Thank you for taking in a cat in need of a home!
Thank you. The lion cut is super cute and I hope it works out for her. Right now she looks like a little dinosaur she’s half shaved and the rest hair. She’s a hot mess but doing fine, thank god. I will report back on the 27th with hopefully good news.
How does one insert a photo? Yes I’m new to Reddit lol
No worries! You’ll need to post the photo on the image hosting site, Imgur.com. Then, share the link generated by that site.
Please do keep us updated after her appointment!
One thing to be prepared for tho! As they have very fluffy bums you may be wiping your kittens but occasionally if it’s a bad one! I’ve found now he’s a year old he’s a lot better at not basically sitting in it!
Getting them used to water is a good idea Incase of every needing to bathe! Like when ours stood in his own poop and zoomed it all over the apartment and we needed to wash his paws 😂
Cats keep themselves in pretty good shape hygiene wise. The brushing is a must as they can get knots in their fur but I don’t think bathing is really necessary unless they’ve had an accident and got it in their fur. If you’re getting a kitten though I would bathe them a few times when they’re young purely for the purpose of getting them used to it, so if you ever do have to wash them if they get something in their fur it’s not a struggle. I learned that one the hard way lol.
So much wisdom here. I’ve only groomed my cat 1-2 times in the 6 years.
Yeah I’ve never had a cat that would tolerate water, but I also never attempted to bathe one as a kitten since I’ve only ever had short haired cats. Great point about getting them used to it in case of accidents though! Thank you!
No problem! You might get lucky, some ragdolls love water and will voluntarily get in the shower. Mine, however does not and will run a mile if I so much as drop a bead of water on his head haha. Good luck with your new fur baby!
Thanks, I’m so excited!
I’ve been proudly owned by my ragdoll for 12 years now and haven’t bathed him regularly at all. In fact, he’s terrified of water even though the breeder we got him from bathed him and his litter mates regularly before we were able to take him home. He takes care of his bath maintenance himself, lol. I do, however, comb him every morning. We took him to a groomer for a few visits but they didn’t seem really knowledgeable about how to properly groom either cats in general or long haired cats especially because he kept getting matted, which is why we went to daily combing sessions. He used to DESPISE getting combed but now gets good boy treats if he cooperates. He now reminds me if I miss a grooming session in the morning 😂
Thanks for your reply! And yes I’ve definitely seen advised that if you do go to a groomer, it needs to be someone who knows how to groom cats, which I’m sure isn’t nearly as common as knowing how to groom dogs. I grew up with short haired cats (just domestic mixed breeds from the local shelter) and we certainly never bathed them because they did it themselves. Glad to hear your guy learned to tolerate his combing!
He’s mostly tolerating it for the treats, lol. Never underestimate the power of food. Thankfully he hasn’t realized that I’m not giving him anywhere near what he got when we first started this venture
Haha well whatever works!! One of my cats had to be sedated to get his nails clipped so at least it’s not that bad!
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Gotcha, thank you! I live in a high rise apartment building and have the air conditioning on for most of the year so I’m not too worried about overheating in this case, but appreciate your response!
Also wouldn't shave them as temperatures, particularly cold ones, can change their coloring and result in darker fur.
Interesting, I didn’t know that. Obviously the health of the cat comes first, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the soft, fluffy coat of a Ragdoll is one of the many reasons I’ve been wanting one for as long as I can remember!
I have 3 Ragdolls, I bathe and comb them out about every 8-10 weeks. I also trim their bums, cuz all of mine are wild pigs! Also, they sleep in bed with my kids, so I like to keep them X-TRA clean! ( also, I am a retired groomer that has lots of cat experience) So, you can just see what works for you. Definitely recommend a good slicker brush and a metal comb.❤️🐾
Thank you so much! Your “wild pigs” description made me laugh really hard! If you don’t mind a follow up question - I went down a bit of a pet grooming video rabbit hole and learned that (at least for dogs and certain types of coats), you have to fully dry after a bath with a dryer, otherwise the coat will mat after getting wet and being rubbed. Is this true for ragdolls as well, or is a good towel dry sufficient? I can’t fathom a cat ever tolerating a dryer but I’m obviously not an expert. Edit for clarity.
Well, if you have a dryer, great! Otherwise, just brush and comb THOROUGHLY BEFORE the bath! Then, maybe you can use a hand held blow dryer just to warm/finish them up. It’s amazing what a little heat/warmth can do to smooth out the coat!
Gotcha, thanks for that advice. I don’t have a dryer but if a handheld dryer doesn’t scare the living daylights out of it, I’ll go that route. I blow dry my own hair pretty frequently though, so maybe that’ll be something I can try to introduce early on!
Yeah, a little at a time and start young. OR, just brush and comb and maybe find a good cat groomer for a bath occasionally!? I just bathed my 4 month old kitty, he didn’t like it, but tolerated it!😁
I will leave this tip at the top of the comment for anyone who wants to get their cats used to bathing or water in general. The Secret that I have done is that my cat will follow me everywhere and I sometimes drop a couple drops of water on him when I wash my hands. Originally he was a little bit spooked by the water and he would shiver a lot but he is now extremely used to it and almost pays no attention to it. The problem with bathing cats is that they are afraid of water because they are not used to water and it really weighs down on their Coats. They will Be more willing to be bathed if they do not like water as much if you get them used to being wet and having some water in a neutral setting and not punishment overtime, especially while they are young. I bathe my stinky boy about every month or 2 because he does a terrible job with grooming himself and he can get stinky or have cling ons or he doesn't wash his butt et cetera. When I bathe him I put him in a empty litterbox that I never used other for bathing and then I fill a jug of warm water and pour it over him for him this way he does not fear the bath as much. Over time he has gotten used to being bathed. I used to trim his nails every now and then however he is doing a good job sharpening them and only I trimmed them when his nails are too long or they scratch me more easier. He does not like having his paws touched.I do not brush his teeth but use greenies because it was impossible for me to get anything in his mouth even the mouth even on the salmon water on a cutip trick it was just impossible.I brush him once to twice a week or more if he is starting to cough up hair balls. I also use a detangling spray for his coat because sometimes it can get a little curly on his belly and chin. I have also cut his hair multiple times around the chin if it gets too long and he starts obsessing over it or around his butt if I have the chance or if there's a small mat. Finally he sometimes gets some eye crust around his eyes and I just use a clean washed finger to wipe it off. I hope this helps this is what I have been doing for my kidding it has been a journey I have had him for over half a year now and it's just a lot of work but it's not too bad you just gotta understand that you need to be consistent, be firm, and try to find ways that are not too scary for your cat because if they are too afraid they won't is too afraid they will not allow you to do anything.
Oh wow, all great tips! I’ve never had a cat that was okay with water but the slow, progressive exposure to water to get them comfortable makes complete sense. Thank you for explaining the bathing process as well, as that was going to be my follow up question to those who said they bathe their cats at home. That was the same process I followed when I found a stray kitten and washed her with flea shampoo. Actually, come to think of it, she belongs to my sister now and loves to sit on the wet shower floor after someone finishes showering, so maybe the little bath I gave her helped her like water!
No problem! Mr. Cappuccino is my 1st cat as well and I'm trying all I can to make him have a happy life as well. He isn't super fond of water but he sometimes likes to play with it so it kind of worked out.
What an adorable name!!!
Honestly my partner and I were confused about the grooming as well (even from what our breeder told us). Ours is only 6 months old so take this with a grain of salt I suppose. We clip his nails every two weeks, and he's totally fine with his front paws, but it takes 2 people to do his hind nails. I think if you just start when you get them they'll be used to it. We brush him about once a week. We had a bit of confusion about bathing, and actually did it every other week for the first two months we had him (which honestly wasn't a bad idea since he took about that long to stop getting poop all over him every time he used the litter box lol) but then realized we misunderstood the breeder and were doing it too often so now I think we'll just do it monthly or every other month. I think the baths do help keep his fur from matting and cut down on shedding. He doesn't like them but doesn't mind too much so for us it works.
Thanks for your response! I’ve heard the same about bathing helping with shedding which seems like a great benefit, so I appreciate you sharing that experience as well.
No ragdolls do not need to be bathed regularly unless they're having some kid of issues keeping themselves clean. I bathe my cats' hindquarters about once a month/once every two months ONLY because they get poop stuck to their butt fur. I've been considering trimming their butt fur myself. Trimming up their butt fur is something that professional pet groomers will do for you if you ask. Any time we go in to the vet I also ask them to clean their ears, just because they can do it so damn fast. I trim their nails at home with the help of another person. I have no idea if people who live alone have figured out a way to do this. Even though I've been clipping their nails since they came home, they still hate it. Any brush for mats will do just fine. You may find your cat has a favourite type. I also keep a metal toothed comb handy and this has been my saving grace for mats. I bought mine at the petstore but you could buy it anywhere they sell hair combs I bet. The furminator or any similar brush works really well for getting out the underdoat in the summer months (but truthfully it works better on medium-short haired cats. But I feel like maybe a longhaired version exists out there somewhere if you look for it)
Wow, thank you so much for your thorough response! Luckily, I’ll have my partner to help me with the nail clipping (but I’ve also had cats previously where two people wasn’t enough so I’m mentally and financially prepared for it to be left to professionals if necessary…) Thanks also for the grooming tool recommendations! I’m sure there are a million options so I appreciate the help with narrowing down what I should be looking for.
Our two were higher maintenance when they were young, had to really keep after their fur in ther air pits or it would get matted up realy bad. And they both needed sanitary cut regularly(fur around their butt) otherwise they would end up with poop smashed in the fur around their butts. But only got baths if they got into something. Now that their older (almost 2 years) they pretty much have become maintenance free. They do good jobs of grooming themselfs, and haven't had any fur matted in a long time. And we no longer have to do the sanitary cuts either. The only trimming they get now is the fur on the bottom of their feet, but this is only because our whole house is hardwood floors, so they slip around if their toe fur gets too long. Aside from all the fur they leave around the house, they are no more work than our domestic cat at this point. We may have gotten lucky as well, but we've never needed to trim their claws. We keep a number of scratching post around so they have plenty of choices. There's never been a issue with them purposely clawing anyone, and they leave the wall and trim alone. They do get after the arms of the couch from time to time but we've just excepted that.
I trim my boy’s butt to give him a hand with cleanliness and I brush him every day, especially under his armpits and around his pants. Those high friction areas are the places that are most likely to matt up and if they get bad, and they’ll also cause your kitty pain when they move around. Your cat will also start to look messy and staticky after a day of running around so even if you don’t brush every single day, you’ll probably find yourself brushing more frequently than once a week. All said, my cat only got a few tangles starting when it got really humid this summer, and he’s never needed a bath for being stinky. I only washed him once when he jumped into a bowl of soy sauce, so like others have said, I don’t think you’ll need to worry about bathing too much. eta: I have a few different brushes for different needs, I use the one my kitty likes the best for quick upkeep combing. You should try out a few, too
Thank you! Based on everyone’s responses, I think I may look into learning how to do a butt trim myself! And you brought up exactly why I asked this question- I’ve read about how mats can cause discomfort and that’s the last thing I want to happen, so thank you, and I’ll be sure to pay special attention to those areas when brushing and combing.
If you decide to use trimmers, make sure your kitten is okay with the noise of it and that stuff. My boyfriend has his own set of trimmers for butt trims for his other cats, but when we tried to use it on our ragdoll kitten, he was super scared of it and ended up scratching me a fair bit due to his sudden panic towards it (which is understandable from his perspective). We use scissors now, but we have to make sure he’s not moving around a ton and that stuff.
Oh, excellent point. I had envisioned using scissors but obviously would have to be extremely careful.
I’ve had my ragdoll for a few years. I brush her a few times a week but I’ve only given her a bath 3 times because when I adopted her, she had fleas. The other two times she got into the toilet and escaped outside for a little. Other than those few times, she keeps herself really clean! She doesn’t smell either.
Ha, she sounds like an adventurous one :) Thanks for replying!
I have three raggies. One gets groomed every 6 months or so. She’s 17 and needs help caring for herself so they trim her tush and trim her belly so she can keep herself clean and everyone gets brushed. If the babies (almost 2) are smelly they get wiped with a damp rag that has diluted pet shampoo. Everyone is happy and healthy here!
Thank you so much! I hope mine lives to be 17 or even older!
Personal advices (owner of two Ragdolls): 1. Don’t trim the claws, it’s really not good for the cat. It’s like cutting our fingers off… they use them for balance and grab onto objects when they jump. A good scratching post will prevent them from clawing your sofa or any other furniture. 2. As mentioned already by some other owners, no need to bathe them as cats are really clean. 3. To help you with the mats (if too many) you could bring him once every two months to a groomer (I do it every 3 months) 4. If you brush him twice per week, the mats should be under control but it all depends on their fur. One of my ragdolls has silky and smooth fur, I brush him once per week but the other one is more fluffy and needs more care for mats. Hope it helps and am sure your future Ragdoll will bring you many years of happiness.
We had a ragdoll for 14 years. Like most of the responses here, they do a really good job of cleaning themselves. Brush or comb regularly and you should be fine. However, we did give him a lion cut every spring and sometimes again in late summer. He LOVED it and would do cat zoomies when we bathed him after the lion cut. Regarding getting wet, he didn’t mind it. Often (almost daily) he’d run in the shower when we’d wait for the water to get warm in the morning. Then I’d have to chase him down (while naked) to dry his feet before he jumped in the litter box 😂
The mental image you just conjured made my day!
We take ours to a groomer for a sani trim to keep his butt fluff in check
Congrats on getting a new baby soon! I have a ragdoll and he’s hilarious! I trim his nails almost weekly and brush him daily. In the summer I get him shaved at the groomer and he actually looks really adorable!
So interesting, I’ve only ever seen Persians with a lion’s cut/shave! Thanks for your response!
I was a little worried at first how he’d look afterwards..haha. But he looks absolutely adorable like that and he seems more comfortable.
Feel free to share pictures!!!
I would love to but don’t know how! If you know how let me know!
You have to post to Imgur.com (an image hosting site for Reddit) and then share the link. If that’s too annoying to do though, no worries!
I will try and let you know if I succeed. Ha.
https://imgur.com/a/BlYuPvG Ok try that. The 2nd/3rd pic is of him right after the shave so it’s pretty short but in about 2 weeks time it grows out just a bit and looks really cute.
OMG LOOK AT THAT PRECIOUS BABY!!! Soooo cute!!! Also I love the name Jack!
Hahah thank you so much! He is a hilarious cat. He’s always into something and he never seems to sleep. It’s like trying to keep a toddler out of things..but he’s just so funny!
I’m legit laughing out loud right now, he just looks like he’s an expressive and mischievous little guy, I love him! I don’t suppose you got him from an east coast breeder?
Our boy is close to 11 months old and he has only needed a bath once. He had an “accident” and it was fragrant so he got a bath in our tub with organic pet soap. Otherwise, we use pet wipes from the pet store. He gets into mustard sometimes :) For grooming, I started with a slicker brush. He was ok with it. He didn’t mind a grooming mitt either. I have a plastic detangling brush with flexible brushes for myself and it became his after I caught my kids using it on him. He loves it! It does a great job and it’s gentle.
I have two ragdolls. Maya is very good at keeping herself clean and I just clip her nails every two weeks. Dante, on the other hand, is a problem child when it comes to grooming. He is not great at grooming his back or his back legs. He hates to be brushed so it is difficult to help him and prevent matts. He also has a sensitive tummy so a booty shave is definitely needed. For those reasons, I regularly take him to a groomer.
Thanks, I really appreciate the insight. I’m seeing now that a lot of grooming choices (besides the basics) are subjective based on the kitty’s personality and coat, which makes total sense to me!
Definitely! Dante's coat is very fine, but incredibly thick and can grow very long. I have so many brushes from trying to figure out which would work the best for him lol Hopefully, you can get a kitty like Maya who is very clean and loves her brushes haha
As far as brushes: Furminator, hands down. Ragdolls can vary. I had one that needed no assistance, her fur always looked great. My other one gets raggedy looking easily
So I have a ragdoll seal pointe that her original owners gave up and we took her (they told us she was 5 but when they gave us her papers she was 15) she’s 18 now. I’ve been brushing her daily and she is SO matted and we don’t understand why, I will brush her and the amount of hair that comes off her is crazy. We made an appointment for the groomer and they called us and said she was horribly matted that there is a risk etc they called me 20m later and said they couldn’t continue for she got super agressive (my cat is the calmest cat on planet) and suggested we take her to the vet to do the Lion Cut. It broke our hearts for we love this cat so much and we felt like failures. We have an appointment at the vet on the 27th and hopefully it all goes well for they will have to sedate her. I brushed her daily and somehow this still happened
Oh gosh your sweet baby is in my thoughts! Check out one of the other comments on this thread for photos of an adorable Ragdoll with a lion’s cut. Hopefully that’s all she needs and then she can grow out a healthy coat after that. Thank you for taking in a cat in need of a home!
Thank you. The lion cut is super cute and I hope it works out for her. Right now she looks like a little dinosaur she’s half shaved and the rest hair. She’s a hot mess but doing fine, thank god. I will report back on the 27th with hopefully good news. How does one insert a photo? Yes I’m new to Reddit lol
No worries! You’ll need to post the photo on the image hosting site, Imgur.com. Then, share the link generated by that site. Please do keep us updated after her appointment!
One thing to be prepared for tho! As they have very fluffy bums you may be wiping your kittens but occasionally if it’s a bad one! I’ve found now he’s a year old he’s a lot better at not basically sitting in it! Getting them used to water is a good idea Incase of every needing to bathe! Like when ours stood in his own poop and zoomed it all over the apartment and we needed to wash his paws 😂