14: Mini research

The chosen

When Meir died after a brief and aggressive illness it was the middle of the winter. We took him home to be buried and spent almost a whole day trying to dig a shallow grave under the giant pine tree in the back yard. For the first time I understood why people in northern, snow covered lands sometimes have to wait till spring to bury their dead. We put a flat stone on the grave and wrote his name in English and Hebrew.

We were sad that he had to be buried in a foreign land and hoped the pine tree will be a reminder of our old home where Keren (my youngest daughter) found him almost sixteen years before, walking down our street just a ball of white fur with two mismatched eyes, one blue and one green. She decided he was lost or abandoned and took him home. Later it turned out he was not really abandoned and belonged to the little boy who lived down the street. He was convinced though, easily, by Keren that by letting his cat roam free on the sidewalk he lost all claims of ownership.

All this history was going through my mind watching his grave and thinking about his long and adventure full life but it was time to move on. For over fifty years I was chosen by different cats to make my home their own and had no say on the matter, now it was my turn to pick my new cat and I knew exactly what kind of cat I wanted.

***

I wanted a ragdoll.

***

For years I heard stories about them; how beautiful they were, how friendly, how their name came from the fact that when held in ones hands, unlike any other normal cat, they let go and become completely limp, hence the name. This was going to be my chosen cat, for once pure bread with known qualities and no surprises.

I turned to the internet to locate a qualified breeder and found few in Maine not too far away. As I read through their web sites I was reassured once more of the unique and exceptional characteristics of this special breed, a mix between a Birman cat with Siamese point coloration and a white Angora type Persian (mama Josephine the head of the dynasty) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragdoll

These absolutely angelic cats (pictures to prove that were supplied in profusion) had the best of both breeds, the stunning blue eyes of the Siamese cats (without their nasty character) and the soft silk like fur of the Persians.

I carefully checked again the lists of characteristics and marveled at each one, it was exactly what I wanted from my chosen cat:

-          Long hair cats with no shedding or matting so basically maintenance free.

-          A strictly house cat due to their natural shyness.

“We recommend that if you decide to get a ragdoll, that it should be an indoor pet. Ragdolls by nature do not have the aggressive instincts to fight other animals or the natural ability to defend themselves as well as other cat breeds.” (http://www.ragdollcatguide.com/)

-          Loving all humans disposition makes them act almost like dogs as they follow their human everywhere.

“The Ragdoll Cat is a large breed of feline, best known for an easygoing and mellow nature. Possibly the most loving and agreeable type of cat, the ragdoll would be an excellent choice as a pet” (http://www.ragdollcatguide.com/)

-          Fun loving and playful.

“Ragdolls display many characteristics traditionally attributed to dogs like retrieving toys.

While these wonderful cats are calm and sweet, they do like playing as well! Ragdolls are very energetic.”
(fanciers.com/breed-faqs/ragdoll-faq.html/)

These statements sounded almost too good to be true. As I was going over several breeders’ web-sites I almost chocked on the pouring sweetness and boundless love to these four legged normally selfish creatures. I called few of these breeders to find out only one had a new litter ready for adoption in few weeks. And so the choice was made and I purchased a flame point pure bread female ragdoll who in the future will answer to the name Sheleg (snow).

***

Finale

Sheleg has been with us for four years now and every once in awhile I pull out the above list present it to her and together we mull over the exceptional qualities of her breed.

Big and furry, check.

Big blue innocent eyes, check

White unmated coat, check

Friendly, check

And that is where the similarity ends.

Limp in my arms? Not on your life, she looks straight at me with those blue eyes; this is not going to happen. Retrieve toys? What am I a dog? The proof is in the assorted collection of stuffed mice lying all over the house that I end up picking. Follow you around? Why, I can just spend the day on my chair which is any chair I chose today. Timid and shy? Me? I have the best time devising clever attacks on my fellow cats or hunting for mice in the storage room. Maintenance free? Sure, don’t you just love those little white puffs of hair I decorate the living room with, or your chair, your clothes, your food.

I nod my head in quiet desperation wondering if I was better off when cats chose me and not vice versa.