How Big Do Ragdoll Cats Get?
A male Ragdoll finishes at thirteen to twenty pounds, a female at four to six, and it takes three to four years to get there. A one-year-old Ragdoll that looks grown is not.
People expect a cat to be finished at twelve months. A Ragdoll at twelve months is a lanky teenager with big feet. Here is what to expect, by age, with numbers from our own cats and litters.
Weights by age
| Age | Male | Female | What is happening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 3 to 4 oz | 3 to 4 oz | Eyes closed, white, doubling in a week |
| 8 weeks | 2 to 2.6 lb | 1.8 to 2.4 lb | Weaned, color showing, all legs |
| 12 weeks | 3 to 4 lb | 2.6 to 3.5 lb | Go-home age, gaining 3.5 oz a week |
| 6 months | 6.5 to 9 lb | 5.5 to 7.5 lb | Lanky, baby coat gone |
| 1 year | 10 to 13 lb | 7.5 to 10 lb | Looks grown, is not |
| 2 years | 12 to 16.5 lb | 9 to 12 lb | Chest broadens, ruff fills |
| 3 to 4 years | 13 to 20 lb | 9 to 13 lb | Finished. Belly pad appears |
The ranges are wide because the breed is. A small female and a large male can differ by eleven pounds and both be correct. Our queen is at the light end for a female. Her sons will be at the heavy end for males, because their father is.
Why they grow so slowly
Ragdolls were bred for size and substance, and big frames take longer to fill. The growth plates close later than in a small cat, and the chest and shoulders keep broadening into the third year. Feeding a Ragdoll faster does not make it grow faster. It makes it fat, and a fat adolescent Ragdoll is set up for joint and heart trouble later. We feed kittens freely until six months, then by weight. Why weight matters more in this breed than most.
The belly pad
An adult Ragdoll has a loose flap of skin and fat on the lower belly that swings when it walks. It is in the breed standard and it is not obesity. You tell the difference with your fingers: on a healthy Ragdoll with a pad you can feel every rib under a thin layer. On a fat one you cannot.
How long they are
Length is the measurement that surprises people. A grown male stretched out is often over three feet from nose to tail tip, and the tail alone can be sixteen inches. A Ragdoll on a lap overhangs the lap on both sides. That is part of the charm. It is also something to consider if your lap is small.
The part that catches people out
Buying for the kitten. A litter tray that suits a domestic shorthair is too small for an adult Ragdoll; buy the largest you can find, or a storage box with a door cut in it. Scratching posts need to be three feet at least, so a cat a meter long can stretch. Carriers, cat flaps and cat trees should all be bought for the cat the kitten will become. The kitten will grow into them by Christmas.
How we handle it
Pearl, Ace, Milo, Bambi, Rossi are 14 weeks old and around about three and a half pounds. Rossi is 11 weeks and about two pounds. All of them will be five times that in a year, and we tell every family the weight to aim for at six months and twelve. The first twelve weeks, week by week, and the kittens available now.
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.
Are Ragdoll Cats Hypoallergenic?
No. Nothing is. But plenty of people with a mild allergy live happily with one, and there is a way to find out before you buy.
The Ragdoll Personality
The flop, the following, the quiet voice, the patience with children, and the four things nobody puts on a listing.