Health issues

When we choose to start breeding ragdolls, we have very clear objectives.  We want to grow healthy and harmonious cats, and will always put the temperament and health in front of apperance.

We want the ragdoll to stay as a long and beautiful cat of medium to large size.  We do not want to breed giant cats with short bodies, and low profile.  We want to keep the ragdoll coat as described in the ragdoll-standard - a cold, smooth, silky hair- seperating when the cat moves.

All our cats are in insured in Agria - breeding girls have a breeding-insurance, and all kittens are insured against hidden errors.  Male cats and non-breeding cats has an health insurance.  All our cats gets all regular vaccinations and health checks.

It is known that the ragdoll breed has a genetically inherited heart disease.  This disease appers in a sense, that if you mate two carriers of the gene, today known as HCM-ragdoll, you might run a risk that the kittens develop this disease.  From 2008 it has been possible to take a gene test for this particular gene-disease (earlier tests was HCM-1 and HCM-2) related to ragdoll-cats.  The test is sent to a laboratory in Australia or Germany for analysis.  If the test is negative the kitten is a non-carrier of the Ragdoll HCM-gene.

Some breeders perform an ultrasonic scan on their breeding cats to determine whether cats suffer from this disease.  I have been been in contact with my catclub regarding this ultrasonic test (which is unusual to do in Norway), and we concluded that it is  unnecessary to make this ultrasonic test on cats that are non-carriers of the gene, nor has any known diseases on the lines in front.  Our cats will not be scanned if it does not occur suspected illness.  Gene-carriers should be scanned regulary to make sure that the cat have not developed illness.

The usual method of DNA-testing is that the breeder take the test on their own cats, and submit it to the laboratory.  Our kittens will be testet for HSM- ragdoll by a veterinarian, at the same time as we set the microchip and take vaccination and health checks.  We feel that correct test-result are more secure in this way.