Breeding under Masterpiece Ragdolls

Breeding is serious business.

There is no shortage of disheartened, animal-loving, short-sighted, get-rich-quick folks who will discourage you.

They may tell you it’s hard work. They may tell you that unless you’re breeding to the CFA standards, you’re not even a real breeder, but a kitten mill. You’ve probably read blogs about how it ruined someone’s marriage or reputation. People may warn you that there is much to fear about the business (or just buying from a breeder).

You’ve even heard naysayers sound the alarm: Breeders shouldn’t exist! ‘Adopt, not shop.’

My short answer for them is: simmer down.

The ancient Greeks had a useful motto: in all things, moderation.

Extremism is uncomfortable, and not in a productive way. We ought, instead, strive for balance. Create realistic expectations in our new adventure. How do we do that? We educate ourselves. Get the skinny on all things ragdolls, all things breeding, and all things finance from reputable sources. Therein lies the rub: how do we know who’s a good source.

Resist the urge to rely on a social media group of “experts” to provide answers. Truth will be challenging to parse out in the variety of responses from such a group posting. Facebook groups have indeed taught me much & I’ve met some fantastic breeders there, but it didn’t come without some caution and fact-checking. For example, someone told me once that my stud was deaf because he was a BEW (blue-eyed white). I was terrified! I knew he could hear. He answered my calls; he came when he heard the clanking of the dishes we typically use for wet food. And he always reacted to the doorbell like a dog. I studied up on the white spotting factor, consulted my DNA color panel testing and my mentor. The truth sat patiently in the science.

Before I get carried away with more extremists stories, let us start with some basic trustworthy sources.

The Cat Fanciers’ Association has the deets on show-quality attributes.

The British Ragdoll Cat Club posts on Temperament and has a good primer on breeding basics.

The International Cat Association is a common registry – you can find registered breeders here.

I recommend having personal experience with ragdolls before jumping into breeding. Spend a year with a ragdoll in your home, as a pet. Get to know her. Read, study, repeat. Find a kind mentor, not a dogmatic worrier. She will only drive you to drink. This business is barely regulated. It isn’t a business you learn from attending a program or trade school. Training happens on the job. And success is dependent on networking and the basics of biology. Ragdoll breeding is people business AND cat business.

If you are interested in purchasing breeder rights from Masterpiece Ragdolls, let’s schedule a time to talk.