How to List a Ragdoll for Adoption in the United States

Should you list your Ragdoll for adoption or return it to the breeder?

Start with your paperwork. Many breeder contracts and rescue agreements ask you to return the cat to them if you can no longer keep it, and the breeder may already know approved homes. If there is no such clause, or the breeder cannot help, a direct adoption listing lets you choose the home yourself.

• Return to the breeder or rescue if your contract says so; it keeps the cat's records and registration together.
• List it yourself if you want to meet each applicant and choose the home.
• Ask a breed rescue such as Ragdoll Rescue USA if you cannot screen applicants yourself; some rescues cover only certain states.

Breeders placing a retired breeding cat should say so clearly and state whether the cat has been spayed or neutered.

What adopter criteria should you set for a Ragdoll?

Decide your criteria before you list, so you can explain decisions fairly. Base them on this cat's needs and the breed's:

• Indoor home. PetMD says Ragdolls need to be indoor-only cats unless they have a safe, fully enclosed catio or yard.
• Gentle handling. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) describes the breed as docile and trusting, so homes with young children should explain how they will supervise.
• Careful introductions. CFA advises introducing Ragdolls carefully to existing cats or dogs.
• Company. PetMD notes Ragdolls are happiest with another pet if everyone is out during the day.
• Budget. The ASPCA estimates about $1,149 a year to keep a cat, before heart scans or dental work.
• Landlord permission in writing for renters.

How do you prepare a Ragdoll before listing it?

1. Book a vet check and update vaccines; ask for a printed record.
2. Spay or neuter if it is not done, or state it clearly in the ad; the ASPCA estimates the cost at about $150.
3. Find any HCM records: the MYBPC3 R820W result (clear, one copy or two copies) and the date of the last echocardiogram. If none exist, say so honestly.
4. Test for FeLV and FIV if the status is unknown.
5. Check the microchip number and registry so you can transfer it.
6. Comb out any mats and trim nails, and note how the cat accepts grooming.
7. Write notes on food, portion size, litter type and routine.

How much should a Ragdoll adoption fee be?

A fee screens out impulse takers and people who want a popular breed to resell, and it can recover vet work you paid for. These figures give a sense of scale:

Look at current Ragdolls for adoption near you and at local shelter fees. Some owners lower the fee for seniors or cats with medical needs. Say in the ad exactly what the fee covers. A free listing for a breed that sells for high prices can draw people who want to resell, so a modest fee protects the cat.

How do you write a Ragdoll adoption listing and screen applicants?

• Clear, recent photos and the cat's age, sex, pattern and color.
• Spay or neuter status, vaccines, microchip and FeLV/FIV result.
• Heart history: DNA result, scan date and any murmur, or that it has not been tested.
• Temperament with children, cats and dogs, and any dislikes such as being carried.
• Medical needs such as bladder issues, a special diet or dental work.
• The home you want, the fee and what it covers, and your general area, not your address.

Keep your phone number out of the ad text and ask applicants to message you first. Then screen in three steps:

1. A short written application: household, other pets, work hours, indoor plans, vet and landlord.
2. A phone or video conversation, to hear how they talk about the cat.
3. A meeting at your home or theirs before you agree anything.

Be cautious of anyone who will not meet, wants the cat shipped or collected by a courier, or offers more than your fee. When the profile is ready, list your Ragdoll for adoption.

What should a Ragdoll adoption contract include?

• Both parties' names and contact details, and the cat's description and microchip number.
• The fee paid and what it covered.
• Health disclosures, including heart test results or the lack of them.
• An indoor-only promise, or outdoor access only in a safe catio.
• A spay or neuter deadline if the cat is still intact, and no declawing; declawing is banned except for medical reasons in New York, Maryland and Massachusetts.
• A clause that the adopter returns the cat to you, or contacts you, before rehoming it.

Hand over vet records, food and a steel comb, transfer the microchip the same day, and ask for an update after two weeks. Adopters may read how to adopt a Ragdoll. If you are placing a much-loved pet rather than a retired cat, how to rehome your Ragdoll responsibly covers disclosure in more detail, and breeders with a litter should read how to sell Ragdoll kittens.