Adopting a Ragdoll cat in Manchester: rescues, rules and costs

The figure under the short answer comes straight from our listings: every Ragdoll and Ragdoll cross with the cat rescues we list in and around Manchester, each linked to its rescue. Ragdolls seldom reach these rescues, so a count of none is common. The long-coated cats they do list tend to be domestic longhairs rather than Ragdolls, and if it is the soft coat and calm nature you are after, our Manchester long-haired cats page is worth a look. Pedigree Ragdolls tend to be rehomed through breed channels instead: the GCCF, a UK pedigree cat registry, says each affiliated club has a welfare officer who keeps lists of older or rescued cats needing homes.

Usually because the owner's life changes. Over the past few years The British Ragdoll Cat Club has found new homes for upwards of 60 cats annually, and it names two causes: owners whose circumstances have changed, and serious health or welfare problems. Its rehoming page adds that many cats come from homes with children or other pets they found hard to live with, which is why so many listings ask for a quiet, adult home.

Neither pedigree route prints a fee, so ask before you apply. Strawberry does spell out what comes with a cat: its homepage lists neutering, vaccinations, a microchip, flea and worm treatment and 5 weeks' free insurance, and its adoption page makes lifetime insurance a condition of adopting.

Buying means £200 to well over £1,000 for a registered pedigree (Cats Protection), and you should check which vaccinations and vet checks the breeder has done. The running costs are the same either way: at least £79 a month, says PDSA. Remember the travel too, since neither route is close to Manchester.

Ragdolls can carry a gene for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a heart disease that can lead to heart failure at an early age, says the GCCF. A DNA test has been available since 2007, and every Ragdoll registered for breeding with the GCCF since 24 February 2016 must be tested for the known Ragdoll HCM gene. A rescue cat's parents are rarely known, so their results usually aren't either.

• A quiet heart can still be a sick one. International Cat Care lists Ragdolls among the breeds more at risk of HCM and says early disease often has no signs, although a vet may pick up a murmur.
• Ask what has been checked. Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue has every cat seen by a vet when it is vaccinated, but it doesn't DNA test, scan or X-ray every cat, so ask what is known about the one you like.
• Kidneys and coat. PDSA lists polycystic kidney disease, where cysts gradually stop the kidneys working, alongside HCM, and asks for brushing at least weekly, paying attention to the armpits and neck where mats form.

Expect to keep an indoor cat, whatever your home. The British Ragdoll Cat Club advises against letting Ragdolls roam, because their easy-going nature may leave them less aware of danger, and like most pedigrees it treats them as indoor cats; each listing says what outdoor space a cat needs, such as a catio or a secure garden. Living in a flat is no bar at Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue, provided you keep windows closed and either cat-proof a balcony or keep the cat off it. The GCCF calls the Ragdoll one of the largest breeds, and it may take until four to grow fully, so leave room for a big cat.

No rescue sells a Ragdoll. You apply for a named cat, the rescue or club chooses the home that suits it best, and you pay an adoption fee rather than a price. Most of these cats are adults whose owners could no longer keep them, and Strawberry Persian and Pedigree Cat Rescue keeps no waiting list for kittens of any breed. Our Manchester Ragdoll page shows anything listed near the city today.

Going to a breeder? Cats Protection's advice is to pick one registered with a breed body, the GCCF for example, and to meet the kitten and its mother where they live, never buying off the back of a video or a social media post. The breeding parents should have been DNA tested for the Ragdoll HCM gene, so ask to see both results (GCCF). Report a scam advert to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud).