Once you have found an excellent Ragdoll breeder and your kitten is soon to be joining your family, you will need to prepare for the big day. The following is a guide to the main items you will need.

A good quality cat carrier: You will need this to collect your kitten from the breeder and for whenever you need to transport your Ragdoll to the vet or cattery. It is not safe to have a kitten or cat free in the car. Remember, your little Ragdoll kitten could grow into a 6kg adult Ragdoll, so invest in a carrier which will be roomy even when your Raggie is fully grown.

A good quality scratching tree: Choose one which has a good sized base and is very stable, so it can take the weight of an adult Ragoll. Any sisal covered posts should be tall enough to accommodate an adult Ragdoll at full stretch. It is also useful to have one or two less elaborate sisal covered scratch posts around the home, so your Raggie has a scratching area close by, wherever they are in the home. If you do not invest in a cat scratcher, then expect your kitten to use your carpets and furniture.

A litter tray: You need at least one litter tray per cat and sometimes even a single cat will require two trays, if they are fussy. Whether you choose open or hooded trays is personal and will also depend on what your kitten has been used to at the breeders. Hooded trays do help to minimise litter ‘eruptions’ during use by over zealous diggers and also help to minimise odour.

Litter: Find out from the breeder what litter your kitten has been using and stick to this for the first few weeks at least. Changing litter type suddenly will confuse your kitten and may lead to bad toileting habits, so make the switch slowly, by mixing some of the new litter type with old. If your kitten tolerates this, increase the amount of new litter gradually, until the switch is made.

Food: Your breeder should provide you with a diet sheet and a small supply of food, when you collect your Ragdoll kitten. Continue to feed the diet your kitten has been used to for the first two weeks at least. Changes to diet when you first bring your kitten home will lead to upset tummies.

Food Bowls: You will need bowls for food and water. Metal or ceramic are the best, as they are easy to clean. Avoid plastic bowls, because they scratch and these scratches harbour bacteria, even after washing.

Toys: Your Ragdoll kitten will need a selection of toys to keep them amused and so you can engage in play with them. Balls, mice, cat dancers etc. are all available from pet shops. Cardboard boxes, rolled up balls of foil, even a screwed up piece of paper are fun for kittens too. Always supervise play with toys.

Bedding: Most Ragdolls will want to sleep on your bed or on the sofa, but some type of bedding is useful. The most practical bedding is vet bed, as it can be laid on furniture, carpets etc. and long lasting and is washable, even at high temperatures.

Grooming equipment: Ragdolls need regular grooming to keep their coats healthy. Hopefully your kitten will already be used to being brushed. A slicker brush removes old coat and a bristle brush helps to keep the coat shiny.You can buy these separately or as a dual brush. A metal toothed comb is useful for teasing out small knots as your Ragdoll's coat matures. A good pair of nail clippers designed for cat use are worth having too, just to take the sharp tips off your Ragdolls nails.