Are you thinking about shaving your Ragdoll cat?
Just to put your mind at ease I have been there and successfully shaved my cat and now she is back to nearly 100%.
If anyone tells you that you can’t or shouldn’t shave a ragdoll cat, they are wrong. It does work, and yes you can do it.
The pictures above are of my Grandma Cat. She is 23. The seal point colouring was something that I wanted to keep even through shaving. This type of colour is the most popular colour for ragdolls.
She was shaved in early 2018 and as you can see from the first picture she was left with a lion cut, little pompoms on her feet and a pompom on her tail. I adopted her and Maya after she was shaved.
The colour of her hair definitely changed, and most people will tell you that their colour will darken after they get shaved. This is true. Her colour has definitely come back a little darker. I would say, however, as you can see from the other picture she is lightening up as time goes on. That picture is a much more recent picture. She is the cat on the left that is sitting on the couch.
It took a solid year for her hair to really grow back solid. After a few months she was starting to get some hair back, but it took a long time for her to really start to be “fluffy” again.
I am not sure if it has anything to do with her age (23) but I am sure that younger cats will grow their hair at a faster rate.
Do Ragdoll Cats Shed?
If you are reading this then you are probably from one of two different camps. Either you already have a ragdoll and you are looking for solutions for hair problems, or you are looking into getting a ragdoll.
For the person looking to get a ragdoll, don’t let anyone fool you…YES, RAGDOLLS SHED!
It is true that ragdoll cats do not have an undercoat like a lot of cats but that doesn’t mean that they don’t shed.
I have two of them and the shed all of the time. Fortunately, it generally comes out in clumps and can be mitigated by regular grooming. You will definitely need a brush for your cat.
Best Combs for Ragdoll Cats?
This is the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush.
It is super easy to clean and it also works really well to remove mats and loose fur before it sheds. You can get one on Amazon by clicking HERE or on the image.
I live on a horse ranch and we use these all of the time when the horses are shedding. They really work, and they can help your shedding cat too. The nice thing is if your ragdoll doesn’t really like the brush this provides another option.
These are called the Pet Grooming Glove and you can get them on Amazon by clicking HERE or on the image.
Ragdoll Cat Matted Fur?
Yes, your ragdoll cat will likely develop mats over the course of its lifetime. I am amazed at how regularly this occurs. Even with brushing and regular grooming, they still seem to get matted.
Typically I just cut the mats out as soon as I find them. If they are too close to the skin what I do is just cut out what I can safely and then either brush the rest out or wait a day or two and then cut out the rest.
Honestly, some people will be screaming because I am cutting the hair out, but honestly, it grows back so fast. The thing is if you leave the mats then they will just get worse and then you will be shaving the cat. My cats are not show cats so it really doesn’t matter if they have some missing hair for a short time.
Do Ragdoll Cats Need Baths?
You can definitely bathe a ragdoll, but I would caution you if they have claws and don’t like the water. Many cats will fight pretty hard in the bath. I would only recommend bathing the cat if you absolutely have to.
When you bathe a cat it is really important that you don’t use too much shampoo and that you rinse really well. They will try to clean themselves after the bath and you don’t want them eating any of the shampoos.
Fortunately, ragdoll cats are not very aggressive. In fact, they are usually really docile and much easier to give a bath too than other cats. My barn cats would never take a bath.
Ragdoll Cats and Cowboy Magic
Cowboy magic shampoo was designed to detangle horse hair. Cowboy Magic is safe for ragdoll cats. You can get it on Amazon by clicking here. It is definitely safe for ragdolls, however after you use it on them make sure you rinse really really well. They will lick their fur after and you don’t want them ingesting any of the cowboy magic.