Let's talk Ragdolls

Tailored health nutrition has a fundamental role to play in maintaining the health and beauty of Ragdoll cats. Food provides energy to help with vital functions and a complete nutritional formula for Ragdolls should contain an adapted balance of nutrients. Feeding them in this way will offer a diet that’s neither deficient nor excessive, both of which could have adverse effects on your cat’s health.

Clean, fresh water should be available at all times to support good urinary regularity. Cats are also naturally adapted to eating small servings – between 7 and 10 times a day. Giving them the recommended daily ration of kibble once a day will let your Ragdoll cat regulate their own consumption.

The following recommendations are for healthy animals. If your cat has health problems, please consult your veterinarian who will prescribe an exclusively veterinary diet.

Growth is an essential stage in a kitten’s life. It is a time of big changes, discoveries and new encounters. When it comes to their energy, protein, minerals and vitamin requirements, a Ragdoll kitten’s are much greater than those of an adult cat. They need energy and nutrients to maintain their body, as well as to grow and build new cells. A kitten’s growth comes in two phases:

Construction - From Birth to 4 Months:

Weaning is the transition a kitten makes from liquid - or maternal milk - to solid food. This period naturally corresponds to the time when they cut their milk teeth, at 3 to 6 weeks old. At this stage, kittens are not yet able to crunch, so a soft meal (rehydrated kibble or an adapted wet food) helps facilitate the transition between liquids and solids.

Between 4 and 12 weeks after birth, the natural immunity a kitten receives from the mother’s colostrum - or first milk - decreases while the kitten’s immune system gradually develops. This critical time, called the immunity gap, requires a complex of antioxidants, including vitamin E, to help support their natural defences.

Kittens go through an intense and particularly delicate period of growth during which they’re prone to digestive upset. Their diet at this time should not only be rich in energy to meet their essential growth needs but should also contain highly digestible protein for their digestive system that’s still maturing. Prebiotics, such as fructo-oligosaccharides, can also support their digestive health by helping to balance intestinal flora. The result? Good stool quality, all around.

Consolidation and Harmonisation – From 4 Months to 12 Months:

From the fourth month, a kitten’s growth slows down, so a food lower in fats is recommended. This is particularly important after a cat is sterilised.

On top of maintaining a healthy urinary function as for all cats, the main nutritional goals for adult Ragdolls are:

Helping to preserve the health of their skin and the beauty of their impressively soft and silky coat with the enriched addition of targeted nutrients, such as amino acids, vitamins, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids

Maintaining healthy bones and joints without excess calories

Helping to maintain a healthy cardiac function with nutrients such as taurine, EPA and DHA

Supporting good oral hygiene thanks to a kibble shape that’s adapted to their medium-short muzzle with a texture that induces chewing.

A senior cat – one over the age of 12 – may sometimes have difficulties with absorption. To maintain the weight of the ageing cat and minimise the risk of deficiency, they should be given an extremely digestible food filled with essential nutrients.

As they get older, cats increasingly suffer from teeth problems, and in some senior cats, the sense of taste and smell may decline as well, which can lead to a lowered intake of food. To ensure that they continue to eat enough, the shape, size and hardness – meaning texture – of their kibble needs to be tailored to their now potentially more fragile jaw.

Note that the best energy level for any cat still depends on their lifestyle, even those who are ageing. A senior cat that continues to go out regularly will benefit from a diet with a slightly higher fat content. On the other hand, ageing does not reduce an indoor cat’s risk of obesity. Their calorie intake should still be closely monitored. A food with a moderate fat content then may be optimal.

High-quality protein. Contrary to a widely held misconception, lowering the protein content in food brings little benefit in limiting kidney failure. On top of it, older dogs are less efficient at using dietary protein than younger dogs. Reducing the phosphorus content is a good way of slowing down the gradual deterioration of kidney function.

A higher proportion of the trace elements iron, copper, zinc, and manganese to help maintain good condition of the skin and coat.

A higher quantity of polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) to maintain the quality of the coat. Dogs can normally produce these fatty acids, but ageing can affect this physiological process.

As they age, dogs increasingly suffer from teeth problems. To ensure they continue to eat in sufficient quantities, the size, shape, and texture of their kibble need to be tailored to their jaw. An adapted kibble shape may help reduce the rate of food intake to help your dog maintain a healthy body weight.