Are Ragdoll Cats Hypoallergenic?
No. No cat is hypoallergenic and a Ragdoll is not, whatever a listing says. What is true is more useful than the word.
Many people with a mild cat allergy live comfortably with a Ragdoll. Some cannot. There is a way to find out which you are before you buy rather than after, and it costs an afternoon.
What you are actually allergic to
Not the hair. The main cat allergen is a protein called Fel d 1, made in the skin and the saliva. A cat spreads it over its coat when it washes and the coat sheds it into the house. Every cat makes it, long-haired and short, male and female. What varies is how much a particular cat makes, how much it sheds, and how sensitive a particular person is.
Why Ragdolls come up in the conversation
Because they shed less than the coat suggests. A Ragdoll has a semi-long topcoat and very little undercoat, so it drops less hair than a Persian, a Maine Coon or a short-haired cat that blows its undercoat twice a year. Less hair on the sofa means less allergen in the air. That is a real difference and it is why people with mild allergies sometimes do well with the breed. It is not the same as hypoallergenic. A person with a strong allergy will react to a Ragdoll the way they react to any cat. How much a Ragdoll sheds, honestly.
How to find out
Spend time with a Ragdoll before you buy one. If you are in Arizona, tell us and we will arrange for you to sit with the kitten for half an hour at the hand-over spot, then go home and see how you are that evening and the next morning. If you are out of state, spend an hour at a friend's house with any long-haired cat and do the same.
One cat is not a perfect predictor of another, because allergen production varies between individuals. But a bad reaction to one Ragdoll is a reliable warning, and no reaction to one is a good sign.
The part that catches people out
Children. The parent tests fine, the kitten comes home, and the eight-year-old's asthma flares in the second week. If anyone in the house has asthma or hay fever, test that person, not the one who wants the cat.
Living with a cat and an allergy
If the reaction is mild and you go ahead: keep the bedroom cat-free, run a HEPA filter, brush the cat outside twice a week so the loose hair leaves the house, wash your hands after handling, and wipe the cat down with a damp cloth every day or two, which removes a surprising amount of dried saliva. Some people find their reaction fades over months. Some do not.
How we handle it
We will not describe a kitten as hypoallergenic, and we will not sell one to a family that has not tested itself against a cat first, because that kitten comes back to us at six months and it is unfair on everyone, the kitten most of all. If you have an allergy and want a Ragdoll, say so when you ask about a kitten, and we will help you find out honestly. What you would be getting, if it works out.
Keep reading
How Long Do Ragdoll Cats Live?
Twelve to seventeen years, some reach twenty. Most of the difference is decided by the owner, not the breed.
How Big Do Ragdoll Cats Get?
Males thirteen to twenty pounds, females four to six, and it takes three to four years. A weight table by age from our own cats.
The Ragdoll Personality
The flop, the following, the quiet voice, the patience with children, and the four things nobody puts on a listing.