# Ragdoll breeding advice needed!



## Michelle86 (Jul 28, 2018)

Hi all, after a bit of advice. I own and breed ragdolls and I have one beautiful girl who is now 3 and for one reason or another is failing to fall pregnant. We own a Male and she has had plenty of seasons and yet no babies. I have noticed that she allows him to mate her but she gets very angry half way through and kicks him off, could this be the reason she isn’t getting pregnant? And help or advice would be much appreciated. Thankyou


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

As a breeder you will have observed matings before and know it is perfectly normal for the queen to react very angrily as the male withdraws. Your description does not sound as if she's 'kicking him off' halfway through at all but rather as a normal conclusion to a mating. Is the male a proven stud with other females? If so then this girl should be spayed because the risks to her health outweigh any reasonable hope of a successful pregnancy. If the male is not proven then the problem could lie with either of them and you aren't really doing them any favours healthwise keeping them entire.


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## Michelle86 (Jul 28, 2018)

Hi, thankyou for your reply, he is proven and has sired 4 litters for my other queens, it’s not the screaming as I have observed before she growls and gets angry almost as soon as he enters and he gets scared off, when watching other matings with my girls they are all typical with the screams, but this girl doesn’t even seem to get that far, she just gets very angry, growls and goes for him aggressively. Why would I spay her just because she won’t fall pregnant?


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

Michelle86 said:


> Why would I spay her just because she won't fall pregnant?


Why would you not?


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## Michelle86 (Jul 28, 2018)

She is an indoor cat living in my home, our Male has seperate quarters she would never be at risk of any other pregnancy than one I arranged. I’m more than happy to keep her unspayed in the hope that one day she will give us kittens from her lines. I only asked for advice on the mating situation not spaying advice.


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## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

Michelle86 said:


> Why would I spay her just because she won't fall pregnant?


Because the girl is 3 years old and despite repeated matings/attempts at matings she has failed every single time to get pregnant. Aside from the fact that she may have some internal failing that is preventing pregnancy, queens who are difficult to get mated can prove to be terrible mothers, landing you with all that entails. I'd take the hint and spay her now.


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## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

The risk of leaving unspayed and no pregnancies is pyo. I'm not sure what I would do, but it seems very unusual, even in a slow maturing breed, to not have had a litter at 3 years old. There is possibly an issue in her genetics, which may come out in the line if you intend to keep from her. Having had a similar experience myself - my first girl was neutered pre-kittens due to issues in her mother's line - I would be inclined to neuter to be on the safe side.


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## Michelle86 (Jul 28, 2018)

We got her when she was slightly older and have had some discrepancies with the breeder’s information. Being sold to us saying she hadn’t had a litter only to be informed at a later date than she had actually had a litter, and when she came to us she had milk so I questioned the breeder and her false information. She has also been almost a surrogate mother to a litter of kittens we had bred, would go into the box and snuggle with them and I have found her on numerous occasion with other cats kittens suckling on her. So I believe that she has in fact had a litter of kittens before but obviously haven’t had the full truth from the breeder and perhaps she was sold before her kittens were ready to leave?? Which is why I can’t understand why she hasn’t fallen pregnant with us? She is quite a nervous cat and the “breeder” (I use that term loosely) kept her outside and I am concerned that her nervous/volitile behaviour towards the Male is what is causing issues here.


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## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

Michelle86 said:


> We got her when she was slightly older and have had some discrepancies with the breeder's information. Being sold to us saying she hadn't had a litter only to be informed at a later date than she had actually had a litter, and when she came to us she had milk so I questioned the breeder and her false information. She has also been almost a surrogate mother to a litter of kittens we had bred, would go into the box and snuggle with them and I have found her on numerous occasion with other cats kittens suckling on her. So I believe that she has in fact had a litter of kittens before but obviously haven't had the full truth from the breeder and perhaps she was sold before her kittens were ready to leave?? Which is why I can't understand why she hasn't fallen pregnant with us? She is quite a nervous cat and the "breeder" (I use that term loosely) kept her outside and I am concerned that her nervous/volitile behaviour towards the Male is what is causing issues here.


She doesn't sound at all suitable for breeding - you have no accurate information as to her history, which is a huge red flag. Spay and take it as a lesson learnt.


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

Is this a suitable temperament to breed from ?


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## Michelle86 (Jul 28, 2018)

SusieRainbow said:


> Is this a suitable temperament to breed from ?


I'm really not sure to be honest, she is a lovely girl and has settled so much here, from what she was. She is very affectionate, although sometimes her traits do come out of her. Especially with the Male. It's a difficult one for me as I've seen how she is with the kittens and I know she's going to be ana amazing mum if she ever gets the chance again, my only choices are to do some testing at the vets, try a stud cat or spay.


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## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

Michelle86 said:


> I'm really not sure to be honest, she is a lovely girl and has settled so much here, from what she was. She is very affectionate, although sometimes her traits do come out of her. Especially with the Male. It's a difficult one for me as I've seen how she is with the kittens and I know she's going to be ana amazing mum if she ever gets the chance again, my only choices are to do some testing at the vets, try a stud cat or spay.


Fertility testing at a vet may be incredibly expensive - look at how much it costs in humans. Whatever you decide, it might be wise to make a decision sooner rather than later for her health


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## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

Michelle86 said:


> We got her when she was slightly older and have had some discrepancies with the breeder's information. Being sold to us saying she hadn't had a litter only to be informed at a later date than she had actually had a litter, and when she came to us she had milk so I questioned the breeder and her false information.


She may well have some hormonal issue, or maybe the kittens she'd had before were abnormal/dead so the previous owner quickly passed her on so they got some money back from her; such people exist sadly.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Michelle86 said:


> I'm really not sure to be honest, she is a lovely girl and has settled so much here, from what she was. She is very affectionate, although sometimes her traits do come out of her. Especially with the Male. It's a difficult one for me as I've seen how she is with the kittens and I know she's going to be ana amazing mum if she ever gets the chance again, my only choices are to do some testing at the vets, try a stud cat or spay.


If you do not trust the information you were given when you got your girl, perhaps she had problems with a previous litter. Does she call strongly? If not, she may have some abnormality.

Sorry, Tigermoon, didn't see your post.


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## Michelle86 (Jul 28, 2018)

QOTN said:


> If you do not trust the information you were given when you got your girl, perhaps she had problems with a previous litter. Does she call strongly? If not, she may have some abnormality.
> 
> Sorry, Tigermoon, didn't see your post.


She does call strongly and frequently and I think your right, I have been in regular contract with the breeder but she hasn't been forthcoming with any information and I have since learned from other breeder friends that she is known to be less than honourable. Which is such a shame as like I say my girl is such a lovely cat and she is a part of the family. I have done everything possible to bring her out of her shell and give her a loving home. Spaying wasn't/ isn't something I had given much thought to right now as i have no issues with her, she is healthy with no other concerns


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

Your first priority should be the health and well-being of your cats. You’ve taken on an entire girl from another ‘breeder’ without any proper history. You have to ask yourself why she was let go. Pyo isn’t the only problem, she is at increased risk of mammary tumours and continued calling is a risk to her overall health - breeding queens call, they don’t have ‘seasons’. Sometimes (quite often in breeding) things don’t work out the way we’d hoped and planned but we’re still responsible for the animal and beholden to do the best by them.


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