Ethical In-Home Ragdoll Breeding Program
Pastel Ragdolls was established in 2020 and is a small, in-home Ragdoll Cattery, registered with both The International Cat Association (TICA) and The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA). You can scroll down on this page to view our official cattery registration certificates.
I consider myself a “Boutique Breeder”, meaning I only raise a small number of litters per year, with a limited number of Ragdoll kittens for sale. My female Ragdoll cats are never overbred and have no more than 1-2 litters per year. I focus on the quality, rather than quantity, of my kittens. I am committed to raising exceptional Ragdoll kittens in a loving, cage-free home environment. All kittens are raised as members of my household, constantly receiving love, interaction and socialization.
I have fallen head-over-heals in love with the Ragdoll Breed.
There truly is no sweeter cat than a Ragdoll. I adore their gentle, calm and affectionate demeanour. My Ragdolls have brought me so much love, happiness and companionship. After falling madly in love with the Ragdoll breed, I wanted to produce healthy, loving and beautiful companion kittens for others to call their own - so that they too could experience the unbelievable and unconditional love that is the Ragdoll Breed!
Preserving the Traditional Ragdoll
My Background…
Hi, I’m MacKenzie! In addition to being a Ragdoll Breeder, I am also a Registered Nurse, an animal lover, and a nurturer at heart. Breeding allows me to combine my passions for both animals and healthcare. I love being able to nurture new, precious life into this world. However, choosing to bring new life into this world is also something that I do not take lightly. I have very high standards and goals for my Ragdoll breeding program.
I am dedicated to preserving the traits and characteristics that make the Ragdoll cat so special. A lot of time, consideration and planning takes place before breeding ever occurs. My breeding program aims to preserve and improve the Ragdoll Breed by focusing on:
Excellent Health ♥ Health is and always will be my first priority. I only breed health-tested Ragdolls. All of my cats are thoroughly health screened, genetically tested and regularly seen by my veterinairan. There are many health qualifications that my Ragdolls must meet before breeding in my program. All of our genetic testing can be viewed publicly on our website.
Loving Temperament ♥ I strive to produce kittens that embody the true Ragdoll temperament - gentle, confident, outgoing, floppy, playful, snuggly and affectionate. After many years of breeding and working with different lines, I have found that genetics plays the biggest role in producing the sweet Ragdoll temperament that I love so much. Proper socialization is just the icing on the cake! I am highly selective of the temperaments in my breeding cats and I do not continue breeding lines that I feel are overly active, spunky and sassy - or overly shy, skittish and timid. From personal experience, I have learned that many Ragdoll breeders do not place this same emphasis on temperament that I do. It takes dedication and many years to observe feline personality traits, how they develop in different lines and selectively breed desired traits forward.
Breed Conformation ♥ Breeding Ragdolls that physically exemplify the Ragdoll Breed Standard is also a major goal of mine, prioritized after health and temperament. A few physical features that I personally breed for in my program are correct structure, beautifully set ears, vibrant eye color and strong boning. My personal preference is for doll-faced Ragdolls, meaning Ragdolls that have sweet expressions and doll faces, without looking extreme or unbalanced. My Ragdolls often have a softer and sweeter look to them when compared to others, as I am highly selective with the look of the cats in our Ragdoll Breeding Program.
At Pastel Ragdolls, I breed and raise only traditional Ragdolls with blue eyes. I do not breed solid, mink or sepia colored Ragdolls - these nontraditional “variations” are not true Ragdolls and they do not conform to TICA’s Ragdoll breed standard.
Please consider supporting ethical breeders who are working to preserve the true Ragdoll.
Registered Ragdoll Cattery
Pastel Ragdolls is dual registered with The International Cat Association (TICA) and The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA).
Ragdoll Kitten Nursery
Our kittens are raised in-home in a clean and enriching environment, that is safe and appropriate for each developmental stage.
Weeks 0-4: During the delicate newborn stage, the kittens stay in the nesting box with their mother. This phase consists of nursing, sleeping and growing (and many cute kitten yawns and cuddles). Starting on day 1, I began touching their ears, tails and paws many times each day to get them used to human touch. Once they reach 1 week old, I also began picking them up and handling them numerous times every day. The kittens open their eyes at about 1 week old and slowly begin scooting around the nesting box. The nesting box keeps them safe and warm, since they are unable to self-regulate their body temperature at this age.
Weeks 4-8: Once the kittens begin their wobbly walks, they are ready to move into the kitten pen to start their adventures with litter box training and eating solid food! This is when the fun (and the mess) begins. I introduce them to many different toys and activities at this age to help them associate new experiences with positivity. I also begin daily noise desensitization training, which includes vacuuming and playing a 4 hour long playlist that consists of loud/unfamiliar noises such as fireworks, dogs barking, doorbell ringing, etc. Additionally, I take them on “field trips” to other areas of our home, such as the bedroom and living room, to snuggle and expose them to even more experiences, such as the television. We continue to pick them up and handle them numerous times each day.
Weeks 8-12: The kittens are typically pretty well litter box trained and weaned at this age. They graduate out of the pen and spend their days playing in the kitten room and snuggling with us in the main areas of our home. We continue to dedicate hours each day to socialization. They gain so much sweet purr-sonality and confidence during this phase, which is important before they move into their forever homes!
As a Registered Nurse, I am passionate about providing my cats and kittens with the best possible care! Pictured is our kitten ICU incubator, which offers a controlled source of heat, oxygenation and nebulization to newborns who may require extra care at times.
I have also learned other neonatal skills such as tube feeding, subcutaneous fluid administration and injection therapy. Thanks to my background in nursing, I am able to quickly step in and provide my kittens with intensive care at any moment.