My husband and I reside in Missouri with our 3 wonderful children and 3 superb cats (Riley, Kiki and Elway)

 

My husband and I had been married just a short time when Riley came into our lives. My husband's boss at work had told him about a cat that was abandoned by his owners, and how the neighbors were going to take him to the pound. We decided to have a look at the cat before they took him in....and the rest was history. Our main intent was to just look at him to make sure that he was ok, and well.....he landed himself a new home. :) Riley was 2 years old at the time. He is a beautiful 18 pound kitty. When we rescued him, he was infested with fleas...and was about 5 pounds lighter. He had been in a fight(s) & was not in great shape. I cannot fathom how people can just throw away their pets as though they are garbage. Riley has made us very happy, and we are thrilled that we could offer him a safe, loving home.

 

After Riley was well adjusted and we decided to get another kitty, along came Kiki. My son and I ventured to the nearest humane society and found a cute little white kitten with 2 spots of gray on her & amber eyes. She wasn't the prettiest cat in the pound, but after hearing her story...she suddenly became very beautiful. She had a wonderful personality from the start. She was brought in with 3 other kitty's and the mama cat. Kiki had never been around people, but that soon changed!! She is a sweetheart. Riley and Kiki are the best of friends. ^..^

 

Riley is SUCH a big cat, and unlike other cats that we have been around, that I had to find out what he may be mixed with. He has medium/long fur, a bushy tail, and a dog-like personality. After searcing the Internet regarding different breeds, I came across the Ragdoll cat. These have to be THE most beautiful cats in the world! Everything that I read about them, sounded just like our Riley. Now, if Riley is part Ragdoll...that is great. Or perhaps it is just a coincidence that he fits the breeds personality. He is not the proper color, etc. to be purebred. Enters Elway....

 

After immediately falling in love with the Ragdolls, I searched and searched to find a breeder close to where we live. No luck. But I wasn't going to give up so easily! I did find quite a few that were hours and hours away, but I did not want to have a kitten shipped to us. Finding a kitty within driving distance was very important. I finally found a breeder in Ohio that had THE most beautiful cats.

 

While the drive to Ohio was 6 1/2 hours, it was well worth it. I wanted to find a beautiful cat that was up to my standards. Spending the money that we did, I wanted to make sure that it was the color that we wanted, had a wonderful personality, etc. There was just 1 kitten from the litter left (other than the little girl kitten that the breeder was keeping) and he was just absolutely gorgeous. He is a blue bicolor ragdoll (show quality) When I first set eyes on him, I knew that all the time that I spent searching for kittens on the Internet was well worth it! Elway's personality was wonderful! I must say that I was a bit hesitant purchasing a kitten without seeing him in person first, but I am so glad that I did!!

 

The drive back home from Ohio went by so fast. I was so excited to get Elway home. We went to Petsmart and purchased the cutest blanket, mat, bed & toys for him...and I knew that my children were so excited to see him.

 

When we arrived home, I immediately took him into our bedroom, where he would spend the next 5 days to get accustomed to the change. Also, our other cats could at least smell Elway through the door and become accustomed to his smell also.

 

I cannot express enough on how exciting it is to have a Ragdoll kitten after having our other cats. I love them all, don't get me wrong, but having a Ragdoll is a whole new experience in raising cats!!