Why Do Ragdolls Follow You Around?

Ragdolls are one of the most affectionate, loving, protective, and fiercely loyal cats that you can own. Many compare them to dogs or, at the very least, dogs who share the same traits of being a lapdog. 

Ragdolls follow you around all of the time because you are their loved one, and it’s a built-in natural instinct to behave in that way. So Ragdolls will not only follow you around everywhere, but they’ll also spend a lot of time seated right next to you or on you.

That’s just the nature of a Ragdoll cat. Therefore, it’s highly advisable to always do your due diligence before taking ownership of an animal, learning all of their specific behaviors and habits so that you know what you’re in for when the time comes. 

Ragdolls are very laid-back cats with a high level of affection for their family. They’re also one of the few cats that get along with almost everything, including other family members, children, dogs, and other pets, unless those other pets are extremely high-energy.

History of the Ragdoll

To better understand why Ragdolls have an overwhelming desire to be wherever you are at any given moment, it’s essential to know their history, breeding, and where they come from originally.

In terms of history, Ragdoll cats are relatively new to the domesticated cat breeds of society. However, a cat breeder named Anne Baker presented the first Ragdoll cat to the world. 

She didn’t even engage in some specific, specialized breeding program. Instead, she took a captured, long-haired cat from the streets and bred it with another long-haired cat, and the result was the ancestors of the Ragdoll we have today. 

After the initial breeding, Anne went on in a more selective manner, breeding affectionate, long-haired cats. Including a Siamese cat at one point also had a predilection towards being everywhere that their owner is.

Ragdolls are one of the largest in terms of domesticated cats. Weighing in at around 18lbs to 20lbs. They are known for heightened levels of affection and occasionally obsessive behavior towards their owners.

Is a Ragdoll Cat a One-Person Cat?

Many dogs exhibit the behavior of loving their entire family but also retaining that one special member of the family that they love the most and spend the most time with. 

Since Ragdolls have social and personality traits similar to dogs, it’s reasonable to wonder if they are one-person cat. 

Ragdolls form a unique bond with their owner. However, if it’s a two-person, three-person, or more type of home, a Ragdoll will exhibit that sort of high-level affection to everyone in the house. 

They may not exhibit the same level of behavior for guests and friends, but they are highly sociable and loving onwards just about anyone who is loving and caring with them. They are also very trusting upon initially meeting someone.

That being said, you should strongly consider a microchip collar if you own a Ragdoll and there is any chance that it might escape. The problem is, a Ragdoll is so friendly and sociable that it will let just about anyone pick it up and take it home with them. 

Do Ragdolls Like to Sleep with You?

A Ragdoll will definitely sleep in the same bed with you if you allow it. At the very least, it will find a comfy spot within the same room that you are sleeping in. 

They already love to sleep or sit on your lap, so it stands to reason that this behavior will extend to bedtime as well. 

Their entire goal throughout the day is to spend time with you, no matter what you happen to be doing at the time, including sleeping. 

However, if you don’t like having your Ragdoll in the same bed with you—they are very large and space-hogging cats—it’s a simple thing to have their own bed in the room and train them to sleep there. 

Don’t be surprised if, during the time period you are teaching it to sleep in its own bed, it jumps up onto your bed in the middle of the night gives you a face full of fur and paws. Of course, since they are long-haired cats, any time spent on your bed is going to leave behind plenty of long strands of cat fur. 

Are Male and Female Ragdolls Different in Their Affection Levels?

Either the male or female Ragdoll cat will be a highly affectionate cat that will follow you everywhere you go. In terms of pure affection, loving temperament, and trustworthiness, you’re going to get nearly the same level from either the male or the female. There are a few things that separate them, however. 

  • Female Ragdolls are a little more cautious if kittens are involved
  • Females probably play a little harder than males
  • Females are usually easier to purchase
  • Males tend to have more urinary tract infection issues than females
  • Neither male nor female Ragdolls change much when fixed

If you’re not doing any kind of breeding, then you don’t have to worry about a female Ragdoll being more cautious because they only tend to get that way if they have a litter of kittens. 

They do play harder, so be prepared for more aggressive play with a female Ragdoll over a male. 

Females are easier to purchase because most breeders who sell Ragdolls know that the males can breed around the time that they reach five months of age, so they focus on selling them quickly. So if you are looking for a Ragdoll and want a male, you’d better be quick.

In terms of health issues, the male Ragdoll tends to deal with UTIs, while the female is less prone to that issue altogether. If you get her spayed or him neutered, you’ll notice that their behavior doesn’t change much in any way. 

How to Tell if Your Ragdoll Loves You?

If you are worried about being able to tell whether or not a Ragdoll will love you, fear not. If it follows you around incessantly, sits on your lap whenever you kick back, rolls on its back for you, licks you, gives you that loud vibrating purr, or frequently twitches its tail around you, you’re in good shape. 

Ragdoll cats are super affectionate with all of their family members so if you notice that yours never follows you around or does anything with you, as it focuses on someone else in your family, it’s probably not because it doesn’t like you but because you don’t do much with it. 

The more time you spend with your Ragdoll, the more it will want to be around you, whatever it is that you are doing. Also, spending quality time with your Ragdoll will help regulate its behavior so that it’s not constantly under your feet, hoping for a scrap of your attention. 

Final Thoughts

If you’re Ragdoll is following you around, there is nothing that you need to worry about as this is typical behavior for this breed. 

Ragdolls are highly loving and caring cats that enjoy being with their owner, no matter where you are or what you happen to be doing at the time. 

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Sources

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/78233/8-friendly-facts-about-ragdoll-cats