# My ragdoll boy looks terrible and thin any help please



## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

hi all just wondering if anyone has ever had a boy....(he is a year old) that sometimes looks like he's been dragged through a hedge backwards? I have been worried about this for a while now. Prince is a hefty eater but doesn't seem to put on weight. He's not really thin but when he is sat his hips pertrude making him look like he is. Sometimes my friends will walk in and say he looks terrible! 

So about a month and half ago I took him to the vets. She said he seemed absolutely fine but the fact he wasn't neutered was why he would sometimes look greasy,skinny and rough. Although he had been mated a few times I decided to get him neutered and booked him in for the following week. 

In the meantime, whilst waiting to return him to the vets he got attacked by a Tom . 

This knocked my poor Prince for six . After spoiling him and feeling like a very bad mum he recovered and went in for his surgery. 

It's been 3 weeks now but he still looks pretty thin on his hips to me and I have got up today and there is a strange black mark on his nose. My camera isn't very good but I wil try and get a pic. 

Do anyone think I should give it a bit more time? Or should I take him back in? He's not Poorly in himself. 
Thanks in advance guys. Your great x


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Firstly what is he eating, and how much? Secondly it will take some time for the hormones to really settle down.


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

He has royal can in dry...which I'm pushing out slowly..I don't want them on it...he has gourmet gold with his whiskers tin in the morning....raw minced beef but he isn't fussed, then he eats an encore chicken at lunch with some dry and then the same wets for supper. He loves tuna too . He has always worried me with his weight so we have tried varies foods and brands. I have always just left the dry food out for them to have when ever but just stopped doing this as I am trying to wean him off it. X


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

Royal canine****


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

That's not a great diet. A raw diet might be best for him, so long as it's a complete diet - just raw mince isn't. Maybe the first step is a grain-free diet, better biscuits than RC and less of them, and make the beef mince the high-fat one, not the super-lean. Some grain-free foods are in the supermarkets - butchers, Sheba Fine Flakes are two of them. I avoid ones where labels include either cereals or 'various sugars' in the ingredients. A great place to look is Zooplus.


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

Thanks so much for your help. I ordered them off zooplus. I have got so over whelmed and confused that I think I may need to start afresh. He doesn't eat very well. My other two will eat a variety of things where as he's fussy. He doesn't touch the raw mince. When I bought my kitten, her breeder had put the gourmet sample and encore chicken chicken in, as well as the raw mince so thought I would keep to that as I thought she must know what she's doing. prince is more interested in the kittens dry almo nature food. I have to man all feeding times so I can make sure they eat they're own foods and To make sure Prince eats properly. Do you think I should scrap this diet and start afresh introducing new, better foods to him? X


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Cerijoanne said:


> Thanks so much for your help. I ordered them off zooplus. I have got so over whelmed and confused that I think I may need to start afresh. He doesn't eat very well. My other two will eat a variety of things where as he's fussy. He doesn't touch the raw mince. When I bought my kitten, her breeder had put the gourmet sample and encore chicken chicken in, as well as the raw mince so thought I would keep to that as I thought she must know what she's doing. prince is more interested in the kittens dry almo nature food. I have to man all feeding times so I can make sure they eat they're own foods and To make sure Prince eats properly. Do you think I should scrap this diet and start afresh introducing new, better foods to him? X


I wouldn't just scrap the diet he's on now, he might end up refusing all food. Best to wean him slowly on to better foods, cats don't like sudden changes in their routines.

Be patient, start off with a teaspoonful of the new food on a separate plate or saucer alongside his current food. Be prepared to throw it out if untouched after 2 hrs. Try again next day, give it a week. Once he starts eating the new food you can increase the new gradually and reduce the old food.

If you have cats who are all on different diets it is good to buy some Sureflap microchip feeders, which you scan for each individual cat. I have one each for my girls, as they like to eat their food over a period of a couple of hours, and it stops the boys stealing their food. The feeders are not cheap but they are so worth every penny I paid for them! 

I'd add some omega 3 oil to your ragdoll's diet. It will improve his coat and skin. Use salmon oil or krill oil. I use krill oil capsules (for humans) as they are more acceptable to my cats. Pierce the capsule, squeeze the oil on to the food and mix well.


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

Hi @chillminx, thanks for your help. The feeders sound like a great idea! I will definitely look into them. I didn't mean scrap his diet and start again literally but could really use maybe some of your ideas of a meal plan? And do many people use pumpkin? I was given a tin and told to mix in with foods. It's hard as when I first had him I was told royal canine was great....then read so much about dry food being unhealthy that I thought I would change but have got myself into a bit of a pickle  x


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Cerijoanne - is the diarrhoea chronic? (i.e. every day) Has he had a stool sample tested for bacterial infections & parasites ? I would want to try and determine a cause of the diarrhoea before adding pumpkin to his food. Pumpkin will firm up his stool, but could mask an underlying problem.

If the diarrhoea is occasional then it could be diet related. Dry food can be one of the worst culprits for causing diarrhoea. Or it can cause constipation in some cats and then they get 'constipation overflow' where fluids from the bowel leak out past the blockage. Do you know which your cat has? i

Re: wet foods. I would feed him grain free foods. Does he like pate type foods, or foods in chunks in jelly or gravy? Lots of choice in pate type foods. Have a look at The Happy Kitty Co. Ropocat is a sensitive food that seems well tolerated by most cats. I feed it to one of mine who has skin allergies. He loves it!

http://www.happykittycompany.co.uk/collections/cat-food/RopoCat

There is also Macs Sensitive, which might be worth a try too.

http://www.happykittycompany.co.uk/collections/cat-food/products/macs-sensitive-turkey-200g-new

Other than that from Zooplus, I'd suggest e.g. Animonda Vom Feinsten, Grau grain free, Catz Fine Food, Miamor Sensitive.


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

Thanks so much for your time. He has never had toilet problems. His bowel movements are regular and normal. I was just given the pumpkin with my kitten and told to put it with their foods, I haven't yet. He doesn't really like his pate..I bought loads of the gourmet ones, he loves meaty chunks in jelly...like whiskers...but don't touch the raw mince or cooked chicken...

I see quite a lot of ragdolls that are fed normal whiskers or felix pouches and they seem much bigger than him even though I always have bought him what I think or thought was best. He got attacked and was neutered in the last month so do you think I just need to give him a bit more time? I think he became depressed after his encounter with another Tom but seems to have perked up since bringing home our new kitten.


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

If he got a bad fright from being attacked by the other tom then this could've had quite an impact on him - is he 'nervy' generally as that can stop them putting on weight?

A year is quite old for him not to be neutered (great he is done now) and again this could've had an impact on him as he would be worried about other toms (even if he's not got into fights before / was indoor) - it will take a few weeks for his hormones to stabilise.

As others have said, feeding a better quality food is def worth a try - http://www.happykittycompany.co.uk/ or http://www.zooplus.co.uk/ both have excellent ranges to meet all price ranges.

I'd weigh him once a week for say a month and, if he still doesn't gain weight on better quality foods, I'd pop him back to the vet for a thorough check up (and before that if you're still really worried)


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

@Lilylass hiya... He is not nervous generally but if something happens....like the fight with the Tom he becomes depressed which don't help his looks. He is an indoor cat. Before being done the offending Tom cat and my boy used to cry to each other all through the night! The weighing idea is a great one so I shall definatly be doing that! I have been ordering in bulk from zooplus but I get overwhelmed by all the different products. I currently have here...
Royal canine ragdoll...dry...for Prince and my older girl Yoko
Royal canine kitten pouches wet...for prince as I thought it may help
Encore tins...chicken....for prince and Yoko
Carny kitten tins....for my baby Sweetie
Almo nature kitten dry...for Sweetie
Raw minced meat bag ...for all of themwhiskers pouches and tins .....for prince and Yoko.
He also loves his tuna x


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Cerijoanne said:


> @Lilylass He is an indoor cat. Before being done the offending Tom cat and my boy used to cry to each other all through the night!


Ahhhhhhh that's very telling - I'm afraid that will have been really stressful for him and may well be the route of the problem.

Fingers crossed now he's neutered, and once his hormones settle, he'll put his energy into putting on a bit of weight and not trying to let the local tom(s) know he's there!

I'd maybe try a few more of the Zoo+ foods and maybe get a trial pack or 2 from the HKC to see if he'd eat any of them. If you pop on to the 'food club' thread at the top of the board, there's often members offering foods that their cats won't eat for postage/small sum etc


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

You have been a massive help! Thank you SO much! I knew I was going to ruin his beautiful, gentle personality by keeping his as a Tom and studding him that is why I decided to get him neutered. He became quite cocky for a while after being mated a few times lol. It came to the point that I couldn't even cuddle him as he would try to hump me at every chance he had....even biting my face (not too hard) one night in bed when I was led next to him! He did this very slowly and carefully but I knew then at that moment if I wanted to keep my lovely boy..lovely...he would have to be done. I shall have a look now tonight through the food threads. THANK YOU VERY MUCH  xx


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Good luck - stick around and let us know how he's getting on


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Cerijoanne - just to add, if his stools are normal then he doesn't need the pumpkin. Cats don't need veggies in their diet.


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

You know I did wonder @chillminx . I thought it rather a strange thing just to add to their food without reason. You are all a fab help x


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## SaraCat (Jul 4, 2015)

How much does he weigh?
I think it's a very good thing to get the cats weighed whenever you bring them to the vets for any reason and get the weight marked on the vaccination book.
It's a good way to keep track of their wight, either for weight gain or loss that might be worrying.
Since he's a breed cat and he's been mating I guess he and the queens have been tested negative for FIV, FELV and so on?


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

Oh yes I always make sure they are tested,fully vac etc. he has been too. I'm not sure about his weight I'm going out first thing to get a set of scales that's for sure. He's just started dashing about like mad, playing with the kitten, and he looks beautiful again, Princes mood also reflects an awful lot through his body language and after sitting and reading through all thread I think he is ok and coming through after he had taken a bit of a beating from off the neighbourhood Tom and being neutered. I don't know what I would do with out this site lol. Your all so helpful.i have checked his vet booklet but nope, they didn't state his weight when he was neutered  x


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## SaraCat (Jul 4, 2015)

No, vets don't do that, but you can ask for him to be weighed and the weight reported, it's a good record for you to keep.
I'm sure he wll recover soon, once you set up a good diet for him and the stress of being not neuteres wears off.
Anyway, if the stools keep being erratically bad even after you have him on a regular diet, since he goes out it might be woth looking into parassitosis like coccidiosis o giardiasis.
Keep us posted!


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

I sure will...and thank you all so much again  x


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

Sorry if you have already considered this - but have you had his thyroid checked? I had a huge cat who lost a lot of weight very quickly and it turned out she had an overactive thyroid. She was on medication for a while (her kidneys had been damaged and needed time to recover) then had surgery which sorted her problem out.

Hope you get to the bottom of this worrying problem.


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

Hi...no I haven't had that checked yet as he hasn't drastically lost weight and when I took him to the vets she said with all he had been through he looked rather ok for it. On the plus side he seems to be perking up a lot and our new baby addition has helped this a lot!  . I shall buy scales tomorrow, along with some new additions to his already rather large diet haha and start a weight diary  x


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Cerijoanne said:


> Oh yes I always make sure they are tested,fully vac etc. he has been too.
> <snip>


I would test him again following the incident with the other tom cat.


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

Well I did ask the vet that but because heels to due for another vac until the end of July she said he would be covered. Should I second opinion that or wait being as he due to go back in about 3 weeks? X


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

He is...not heels lol x


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

You can't vaccinate against FIV & FeLV in the UK. I'm suggesting the snap test that is normal before taking a queen to stud, not testing for FHV / FCV etc.


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

wow...now i am confused . This is his vac record......


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Sorry forgot about FeLV, but it doesn't cover FIV. You said he was attacked, any possibility he was bitten?


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

No I took him straight to the vets. They checked him right over. Just had a scratch on the top of his head. It was lucky that our local Tom ....who is always hanging round at the moment...is only quite young so he is not overly aggressive. It looked worse than it actually was due to all the fur he had lost . Having a bit of a nightmare problem in our street with cats at the moment. None of them neutered or properly cared for yet I have phoned cats protection numerous times, rspca and even asked the vets in the end to help us by phoning the cats protection too but no one will help. It's ridiculous. And doesn't help that we have a lot of "feeders" who take great pleasure in feeding all the Tom cats and leaving windows open for them to enter their homes for food. You couldn't make it up honest. It doesn't matter how many times you explain to these feeders the harm they are creating not just for our pets but for the toms, they take no notice


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## Catharinem (Dec 17, 2014)

OrientalSlave said:


> You can't vaccinate against FIV & FeLV in the UK. I'm suggesting the snap test that is normal before taking a queen to stud, not testing for FHV / FCV etc.


You CAN vaccinate against FeLV in the UK, and in my opinion SHOULD as a responsible owner, especially if your cat is going outside. Ask for it when he has his other vaccs. You will need to give it as an additional single vaccine, and repeat 3-4 weeks later, or you can start again with a vacc that includes FeLV, and repeat that combination 3-4 weeks later. You must give the FeLV component twice, then after that he can be boosted annually.

It's worrying that he has been mated to other people's queens whilst being allowed in contact with outdoor cats. Is he on the active register as a breeding stud? If so I'm amazed that his breeder didn't give you better advice to maintain both his own health and that of other people's queens, who will be much loved members of their family. If not, why on earth did you stud him out? I hope you had him SNAP tested for FIV/FeLV 24 hours prior to mating visiting queens, or he could have infected them, their kittens, and other cats in their households. It's not enough to have tested visiting queens if he himself has been allowed out to fight and mate with anything. This is a warning to the owners of queens to insist on seeing the stud's test results too.

I appreciate you have now neutered him, but had to say how unacceptable this was, for the benefit of readers to the thread who might think this is ok and a good idea. There's 2 threads on PF at the moment about Grazia promoting breeding your pedigree pets, it has stirred up a real storm of protest from people who care about the welfare of the cats and dogs being bred and their offspring, please read.

I'd second getting him tested for hyperthyroidism if things don't improve shortly, and he comes back FIV/FeLV negative ( fingers crossed), but 1 year old does seem very young for that to be the problem, it's normally an elderly cat's disease.

I also see that he is fed raw minced meat - this is a classic way to get /Salmonella, so you could test for that. If he has Campylobacter/Salmonella I would cook his mince for him. Yes, cats eat raw mice, rabbits, birds etc, etc, but they are not farmed in the high densities of poultry that lead to chronic infection of the flock and resulting meat. You wouldn't feed raw chicken to yourself ( maybe a rare beef steak or lamb chop) , so be very careful of feeding it to your pets.


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## Catharinem (Dec 17, 2014)

Cerijoanne said:


> No I took him straight to the vets. They checked him right over. Just had a scratch on the top of his head. It was lucky that our local Tom ....who is always hanging round at the moment...is only quite young so he is not overly aggressive. It looked worse than it actually was due to all the fur he had lost . Having a bit of a nightmare problem in our street with cats at the moment. None of them neutered or properly cared for yet I have phoned cats protection numerous times, rspca and even asked the vets in the end to help us by phoning the cats protection too but no one will help. It's ridiculous. And doesn't help that we have a lot of "feeders" who take great pleasure in feeding all the Tom cats and leaving windows open for them to enter their homes for food. You couldn't make it up honest. It doesn't matter how many times you explain to these feeders the harm they are creating not just for our pets but for the toms, they take no notice


Pot, kettle and black spring to mind here. Haven't you only just neutered your boy at a year old, having studded him out? And, having had advice from your vet that being entire was why he was looking "skinny with greasy fur", you let him out again, whilst still an entire tom himself, to get into a fight. How can you possibly criticise others on your street for letting out their entire toms when you do so? Just as well the Cats Protection or RSPCA didn't respond to your complaints, or he could have been taken off the streets too.


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

@Catharinem ...hello thank you for your time. He has been vac against FeLV twice...he is due booster at end of the month. He has never been allowed outside unsupervised. I very thoughtlessly went out...leaving my window open and my Prince fell out . I felt so so awful. This happened way after he had mated. He mated twice and yes it was very stupid of me....I have never had contact properly with his breeder as he was bought quickly and when I wanted help I received no reply. This is why I got him neutered as I want to attend shows and gain knowledge of this beautiful breed so I can do everything properly when the time comes. It's been very difficult to get any help to be honest. This site has been a god send x


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

And @Catharinem my Tom was never allowed to roam the streets or spray at people's doors. He fell out ONCE. And like I said I didn't know I was doing harm and when I did I rectified the situation by having him done straight away


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## Catharinem (Dec 17, 2014)

Cerijoanne said:


> And @Catharinem my Tom was never allowed to roam the streets or spray at people's doors. He fell out ONCE. And like I said I didn't know I was doing harm and when I did I rectified the situation by having him done straight away


Yes, I noted and commentated you had now neutered him, criticism was of past events so others don't make same mistakes in future and not realise the dangers. I'd give him a few weeks to settle down hormone wise, if weight still not back up check out for Campylobacter/Salmonella. I think hyperthyroidism is a very outside chance at his age, but possible - if so it can be treated. Sorry if I came across as rude, top marks to you for giving all the details so you could get full answers. Hope he gets better soon.


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## Cerijoanne (Jun 28, 2015)

Thanks for your help. He is definitly looking better than he did so I think it was the fact he wasn't neutered and his fight . Silly I was. I wish I knew what I know now before jumping in and doing things with out all the correct protocol. If anything ever happened to him I would never forgive myself. Hopefully now I have found this site and you helpful knowledgable people we shall be alright    x


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Catharinem said:


> You CAN vaccinate against FeLV in the UK,
> <snip>


Yes, I added another post some 20 minutes before you posted.


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## Catharinem (Dec 17, 2014)

OrientalSlave said:


> Yes, I added another post some 20 minutes before you posted.


Yes, got interrupted part way through typing my post, and didn't read your correction before hitting "post reply". However, I'm still surprised you managed to "forget" we have FeLV vaccines (several) for the UK, there's been quite a debate here on PF as to whether breeders should use it as standard or not, so surprised you managed to completely blank it to the point you would say *"You can't vaccinate against FIV & FeLV in the UK."* If I make correct claims you demand links, I was merely correcting your totally wrong claim, so people know what protection is available for their beloved pets, and can make their own choice as to whether they wish to take advantage of the available vaccines - several are available against FeLV, sadly no cure as yet.


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## Catharinem (Dec 17, 2014)

Cerijoanne said:


> Thanks for your help. He is definitly looking better than he did so I think it was the fact he wasn't neutered and his fight . Silly I was. I wish I knew what I know now before jumping in and doing things with out all the correct protocol. If anything ever happened to him I would never forgive myself. Hopefully now I have found this site and you helpful knowledgable people we shall be alright    x


Brilliant news indeed.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Ragdolls if not neutered tend to have a more course coat and be thinner.
That's what I read up anyway.
Neutered raggies become bigger and have very soft fur.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wasn't this the boy that was offered for stud on Facebook a few weeks ago? If so, you were well aware of the harm you were doing, and very, very rude when called out on it!


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