Children and Ragdolls

Ragdoll cats were initially bred to be calm and docile in temperament.  They are a non aggressive breed of cat.  Their lack of aggressive tendencies make the ragdoll breed unsuitable to outdoor life.  Ragdolls generally lack the ability to defend themselves in a fight.

Because Ragdolls are non-aggressive they make lovely pets for children to be around.  When ragdolls play they do so without using their claws during a typical play session.  Even when rough housing with other cats ragdolls tend not to extend their claws.

A word of caution with children and ragdoll cats:

Ragdolls are not suitable for hyperactive or aggressive children.  These cats have placid personalities and usually do not defend themselves when provoked.  This easily leads to the cat being injured and he may even develop a fear of people.  As with all animals, small children should be well supervised when playing with pets.  Rough housing with any pet only encourages bad play behavior and should be avoided.