Ragdoll Cat Lifespan: How Long Do They Live?

Fluffy, affectionate, and relaxed, Ragdoll cats are beloved companion animals. Besides their beautiful coloring, sparkling blue eyes, and tendency to go limp like a doll, they’re a long-lived breed. They have a life expectancy of 12–15 years and can live even longer if they’re kept healthy. Due to this, the Ragdoll has one of the highest life expectancies among cat breeds. This guide tells you more about how long they live and what affects their life expectancy.

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What’s the Average Lifespan of a Ragdoll Cat?

The Ragdoll cat is a relatively healthy breed and is often kept indoors due to their docile nature. They have a life expectancy of 12–15 years,1 though many have been known to live over 20 years. They’re one of the longest-lived cat breeds that you can find.

Why Do Some Ragdoll Cats Live Longer Than Others?

1. Nutrition

ragdoll cat eating cat food
Image Credit: Snowice_81, Shutterstock

Diet plays an important role in your cat’s health. The higher quality and more nutritionally balanced their diet is, the healthier your Ragdoll will be. Make sure your cat’s food, wet or dry, is manufactured to meet AAFCO guidelines and uses quality ingredients. This will ensure that it is nutritionally balanced and will keep your cat healthy.

Nutrition also plays a part in your cat’s weight. A healthy Ragdoll will weigh between 10 and 20 pounds. Too many table scraps and treats and their willingness to take frequent naps can make them prone to obesity. You’ll need to carefully adjust your Ragdoll’s meals based on how active they are and how many treats they’re given during the day.


2. Environment & Conditions

Most of the time, Ragdoll cats are more than happy to spend their time cuddling with you or lounging around the house. They also prefer to remain at floor level rather than climb to the top of bookcases. Their preference for laziness over adventure, however, doesn’t mean they can’t get into trouble in your home if it’s not safe enough.

Make sure your cat can’t get out of the house when you open a window or the front door. Due to their quiet, relaxed, and placid temperament, a Ragdoll isn’t suited for outdoor adventures unless they’re supervised.


3. Housing

Despite their size, Ragdoll cats aren’t the most energetic breed. It’s a good idea to encourage them to get exercise through playtime to reduce the risk of obesity, but they don’t need much to keep them content. A gentle game of fetch in your living room is often enough for these cats.

Their docile temperament and happiness to lounge make them suitable for large houses, tiny apartments, and everything in between.

ragdoll kitten playing with owner
Image Credit: Tatyana Vyc, Shutterstock

4. Size

Part of your responsibility as a pet owner is to make sure your Ragdoll maintains a healthy weight. Fully grown, your adult Ragdoll should weigh between 10 and 20 pounds. If they’re under- or overweight for their age, they can have severe health problems.

Not eating enough puts them at risk of nutritional imbalance and starvation, or it could be a sign of a more serious health issue. However, obesity increases the risk of your Ragdoll developing diabetes and other illnesses. Both can interfere with your cat’s lifespan.


5. Genetics

Your cat’s lineage is another factor to consider. Genetics plays an important role in how long your Ragdoll lives. A breeder will be able to tell you the health history of their cats, both the parents and the kittens. Reputable breeders will also screen for common health issues.

One of the biggest hereditary conditions that this breed can suffer from is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Most hereditary conditions, like HCM, can be screened for by breeders, and you should ask for a full health history when you buy a new kitten. That said, this doesn’t guarantee that your cat will never develop the condition.

ragdoll cat with its kittens
Image Credit: Tatyana Vyc, Shutterstock

6. Healthcare

Ragdoll cats are generally healthy, but this doesn’t mean they’ll never get sick at all. Fortunately, most health issues that Ragdoll cats deal with can be caught early by regular visits to a veterinarian. HCM and other health issues often show clinical signs before they become bigger problems, enabling you to either prevent or properly manage the condition. Routine checkups, a healthy diet, and regular exercise will all help keep your cat healthy.

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The 4 Life Stages of a Ragdoll Cat

Kitten

If you think that Ragdoll cats are adorable when fully grown, they’re even cuter when they’re kittens! Ragdoll kittens stay with their mother for 12–14 weeks before they’re ready to be adopted.

Until they’re about 12 months old, these kittens are inquisitive about the world around them while still showing the docile nature that the breed is loved for. As they grow, your kitten will learn how to react to you, your home, other pets, and strangers.

cute ragdoll kitten
Image Credit: Gwendoline HODBERT, Shutterstock

Young Adult

Most cat breeds are fully grown once they reach 12 months old, but Ragdoll cats take a little longer to properly mature. Ragdolls between 1 and 4 years old are still growing and may benefit from kitten food for longer than most other breeds. Also, for many Ragdoll cats, it takes 2 years for their fur color to properly develop and 4 years to reach their adult weight.

Between these ages, your Ragdoll’s kitten-like excitement will begin to mellow. They’ll start to settle into their maturity and begin cuddling with you as often as they can.


Mature Adult

Once your Ragdoll has finished growing, they are considered a fully mature adult cat. It’s this stage that demonstrates how placid and easy-going the breed is. They’ll be more inclined to laze around rather than explore. They’ll still want to play with their favorite toys, though, and you should encourage them to do so as often as possible.

ragdoll cat outdoors
Image Credit: Atmosphere1, Shutterstock

Senior

Once your Ragdoll hits 10 years old, they’re considered seniors. As a healthy breed, though, the Ragdoll is long lived and continues to be healthy long into their seniority. You should still encourage them to play, but be prepared for them to develop age-related issues like arthritis. Many Ragdoll cats live well over 15 or 20 years.

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How to Tell Your Ragdoll Cat’s Age

If you don’t buy your Ragdoll cat as a kitten from a breeder, it’s nearly impossible to know for sure how old they are. Even if you go to a shelter to adopt your Ragdoll, there’s little chance that the establishment will know when or even where your new family member was born.

It’s relatively easy to determine a rough estimate for a kitten’s age, but for adult cats, there’s no real way of knowing how old they are. Still, your veterinarian might be able to help you estimate their age and determine what weight they should be. Knowing for sure is only possible if you get your cat from a breeder who keeps birth records.

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Conclusion

Ragdoll cats usually live between 12 and 15 years. Healthy Ragdolls can live much longer, though, up to and beyond 20 years. Their lifespan depends on their diet, weight, environment, genetics, and healthcare. You can help your cat live longer by ensuring that they have a nutritionally balanced diet, maintain a healthy weight, and receive routine healthcare.


Featured Image Credit: Serita Vossen, Shutterstock

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Are Bones Safe For My Dog? Vet-Approved Facts & Safety Guide

It seems natural that dogs and bones should go hand-in-hand (or rather paw-in-mouth). But despite their begging demeanor and your impulse to give in to it, not all dogs should be given a bone.

The right bones make an excellent treat for pups that are suitable candidates for having bones as a dental chew. However, whether or not your pup can be given a bone depends on their personality and chewing habits and is something  you should discuss with your vet.

That’s why it is impossible to tell if bones are okay for your pup until a veterinarian or dog trainer assesses them on an individual basis. In this article, let’s examine how to tell if your dog might be a potential candidate for receiving a bone, and the types of bones such a dog should be given.

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Are Bones Okay For My Dog?

Certain raw bones can make an excellent dental chew for some dogs. Not only do bones provide such dogs with enrichment and a way to beat boredom, but they also help control tartar.

However, not all dogs should be given bones. Dogs that are overly ambitious chewers, quick eaters, and excessively hyper may suffer injuries if given a bone. For such dogs, biting on a bone too hard may result in dental injuries, injuries to their gums, and other injuries in their oral cavity. Extremely ambitious chewers may break a bone and swallow a small piece. This is dangerous, as the bone may become a choking hazard, lodge somewhere along their digestive tract, or even perforate parts of the tract.

In addition, puppies shouldn’t be given bones, as their deciduous teeth (also known as milk teeth) are softer than adult teeth, and therefore more prone to injury from biting down on a bone.

Toy and miniature breeds usually struggle with large bones as well. As a general rule, bones offered to dogs shouldn’t exceed the size of their heads.Furthermore, if your dog is under medication or ill (especially with a gastrointestinal issue) – always double check with your vet before giving them a bone (even if they were fine with bones before).

Finally, the most important factor when deciding if your dog is a suitable candidate for a bone is to ask your vet. Your vet will help you make this decision based on your dog’s breed, age, size, any underlying health issues, and information about their personality and chewing habits. Offering your dog a bone of any kind before consulting with your veterinarian is strongly discouraged.

vet checking the siberian husky dog in the clinic
Image Credit: Pressmaster, Shutterstock

Types of Bones Safe for Dogs

If your vet determines that your dog is a suitable candidate for having bones, you should still proceed with caution and observe them with the bone at all times. Ask your vet for advice on which bones are best for your dog.

When considering which type of bone is the safest for your canine friend, choose raw over cooked bones. Avoid feeding cut or split bones, and once the bone is gnawed to the brittle hard part, your dog risks making splinters, so replace it.

While maintaining the rule of raw bones only, the safest bones you can give to your dog (factoring in their size) include:

  • Beef Bones: Dogs can safely eat beef ribs and steak bones if they are large and not susceptible to breakage or splintering.

  • Lamb Bones: Since lamb bones are dense like beef, similar rules apply when feeding them to your dog. While you can also give your four-legged friend a cooked lamb bone, if it’s large and thick, raw is always better.

Choose large thick bones instead of narrow small ones as your dog is less likely to chew these into shards or tiny swallow-able pieces. But avoid giving your four-legged pal a bone if they suffer from digestive issues such as frequent diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome, IBS, as the marrow’s richness may exacerbate such problems.

Remember that bones are a complement or treat after food and shouldn’t be an alternative or supplement. Therefore, try minimizing the amount you’ll offer, and limit gnawing time to five or ten minutes if it’s their first time chewing on a bone.

raw beef bone with marrow for making broth
Image Credit: Adam J Chan, Shutterstock

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How to Tell If the Bone You’re Feeding to Your Dog Is Safe

If you ask your dog, there’s no good or bad bone, so it’s up to you to use discretion when selecting the best bones that you can safely feed. Once you’ve eliminated the risk with factors like size, brittleness, and breakability, you’ll pick the safest bone if you know what aspects to look for.

  • See how thick the bone is or if it can be easily bent or broken. While that depends on your dog’s size, bone density is essential because if you can break it, so can your dog.

  • Feel the bone whether their surface is smooth, jagged, or rough. Rough and jagged bones risk cutting into your dog’s mouth, while pores and holes on a bone indicate brittleness and the likelihood of shards breaking.

  • In addition, scratching the bone’s surface will show whether there’s a chalky residue, which means it’s weak and likely to splinter.

Which Bones Pose a Threat to My Dog?

Monitoring your dog while they’re chewing bones is essential since even raw ones can have disastrous results on your pooch’s health. In addition, there’s no safe bone for some dogs, as gnawing on a large, round knucklebone can cause broken teeth.

Dogs chew bones differently according to their personality, and if your mutt is a chomper or quick chewer, small pieces or splinters can become choking hazards.

Raw bones may also harbor food-borne pathogens like salmonella if left outside for an extended period, which is dangerous for immuno-compromised pets and persons in your household. However, when faced with the lesser of two evils, go for uncooked bones instead of cooked ones as these pose less danger.

Due to the brittleness created by cooking, your dog’s chewing broken shards from cooked bones will risk internal injuries when fragments get stuck in the intestines. Not only can that cause constipation and blockage, but intestinal damage will also lead to costly vet visits that may result in surgery.

Besides broken teeth, constipation, and gastrointestinal blockage, other hazards that come from cooked brittle bones include:

  • Tongue, lower jaw, and mouth injuries

  • Esophagus and windpipe blockage (choking)

  • Rectal bleeding

  • Punctures in the intestines or stomach cause bacterial infections

Bones to Avoid
  • Chicken or Turkey Bones: Veterinary expert consensus is that chicken and turkey bones, whether raw or cooked, are unsafe for dogs due to their propensity for splintering and breaking. Sharp pieces may cause your dog to choke, and splinters will puncture the gastrointestinal tract, causing extreme pain, infection, or death.

  • Pork Bones: Like chicken, these bones splinter and break easily, leading to consequences of adverse health impacts for your dog.

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Are There Benefits to Giving My Dog Bones?

Bones are tough and long-lasting, meaning they’ll keep your dog busy chewing for long, but mainly for recreation and not for express nourishment.

Chewing is also one way to provide a healthy outlet for your canine. Studies show there’s a release of happy hormones in your dog when they chew, which helps curb aggressive behavior.

Furthermore, occasionally chewing on the right bone helps your dog clean their teeth and prevents plaque buildup, reducing chances of gum disease. However, bones shouldn’t replace regular brushing and vet teeth cleaning visits if you’re to maintain your dog’s dental hygiene.

Although bones contain trace nutrients like phosphorus and calcium, your dog should refrain from swallowing any of the shards since these may pose a challenge to digest. Instead, nutritional benefits are derived from any attached soft tissue like meat, cartilage, or internal marrow that provides fats, vitamins, and proteins. If you intend to feed your dog bones (as part of a raw diet), the bones should be finely ground and mixed into their food. Always consult with a canine nutritionist and your vet prior to transitioning your dog to a raw meat based diet.

Dog chewing on bone treat
Image Credit: James Smith, Pixabay

How to Store Raw Bones for Your Dog

Freezing is the best storage method for raw bones, especially natural ones with some residual flesh tissue on them. You can then refrigerate or thaw the bone before offering it to your dog, ensuring that the surface on which they gnaw their treat is also clean.

When you decide that your dog has had enough for the day, you should gently wipe the bone before putting it back in the fridge or freezer. Use a bag or container to separate human and dog food so there’s no contamination or use a separate unit.

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Tips for Keeping Your Dog Healthy, Safe, & Happy

Besides choosing the best bones to feed your dog, you should be proactive about their health, safety, and happiness in your household. Allowing them sufficient bone-chewing time is a great start, but you can also do the following:

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Conclusion

Deciding if bones are appropriate for your dog requires the input of your veterinarian or a dog trainer. If your dog is a suitable candidate for bones, there are several options to choose from. You can safely feed your dog with appropriately-sized raw beef or lamb bones if they’re thick, dense, and larger than your dog’s muzzle. That’s so the bone won’t break or splinter into dangerous shards, and there’s a lower risk of swallowing. Dogs should always be monitored when they’re chewing on bones.

Avoid brittle and easy-to-break bones such as poultry and some pork chops, especially if your dog’s size means it can easily swallow them. Ingested bones pose a health threat to dogs, including injury or punctures to their mouths, stomach, and intestinal tract.


Featured Image Credit: alexei_tm, Shutterstock

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18 Types of Goldendoodle Colors & Patterns (With Pictures)

The Goldendoodle is one of the most popular hybrid dog breeds, and it’s no wonder: When you combine the loving and social Golden Retriever with the intelligent and athletic Poodle, you can only end up with a fantastic dog!

If you are looking for a smart, social, energetic, and somewhat hypoallergenic dog, you need the Goldendoodle in your life. Goldens typically come in cream, golden, and red, but the Poodle comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns, and so does the Goldendoodle.

Here, we explore the ranges of colors and patterns found in these family-friendly dogs, and maybe you’ll pick a favorite—or three!

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The 18 Types of Goldendoodle Colors & Patterns

Goldendoodles With Solid Colors

1. Apricot Goldendoodle

goldendoodle
Image Credit: Godsgirl_madi, Pixabay

Apricot is a soft creamy red color and one of the most popular Goldendoodle coat colors. It’s slightly warmer than cream and lighter than red. Apricot is one of the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) officially recognized Poodle coat colors.


2. Black Goldendoodle

black goldendoodle laying on grass outdoors
Image Credit: kovost, Shutterstock

Black Goldendoodles are rare because to achieve this color, both the Poodle and Golden Retriever must carry a recessive black gene, which is the only way for the offspring to be entirely black. This includes the eyes, paw pads, noses, and of course, hair.


3. Blue Goldendoodle

A blue color on a Goldendoodle is essentially a combination of gray and black with a bluish hue. This is a rare color that comes about from multiple generations of breeding Goldens with blue Poodles.


4. Champagne Goldendoodle

goldendoodle lying on the floor
Image Credit: Kim Lewis Photography, Shutterstock

Champagne is a rare color for Goldendoodles, which is a pale yellowish hue on a pale coat. This color comes from a recessive dilute red gene, so it can also have a light tint of apricot or gold.


5. Chocolate Goldendoodle

chocolate brown goldendoodle dog in a harness outdoors
Image Credit: MathieuLphoto, Shutterstock

Chocolate Goldendoodles come in a range of brown colors, from a warm chocolate to a dark cocoa. They are often born almost black, which fades as they age, and they might even take on a silver color. This occurs because brown can sometimes carry a recessive gene color of silver or black. The AKC also recognizes brown as an official color, and it’s a popular one for Poodles.


6. Cream Goldendoodle

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Image Credit: Sammy-Williams, Pixabay

The Cream Goldendoodle gets their color from both parents because the cream Poodle is a recognized color, and the touch of gold comes from the Golden Retriever parent. There are many variations of this color, and the Goldendoodles can have pink or dark noses and varying shades of cream.


7. Gray Goldendoodle

Gray Goldendoodles are born very dark or even black, which fades as they age. They usually acquire their full silver color by 2 years of age. This is a fairly rare color that can only occur after multigenerational breeding.


8. Red Goldendoodle

Goldendoodle
Image Credit: Matthew Yoder, Shutterstock

Red Goldendoodles are commonly sought after. This eye-catching color can occur with a dark Poodle mating with an average-colored Golden Retriever. Their color can range from deep ruby red and warm mahogany to cinnamon red.


9. Sable Goldendoodle

Sable gives the Goldendoodle the appearance of two different colors due to the black-tipped brown fur. The dog is typically born chocolate or black, and the hair closer to the roots fades as they age.

The base tends to be tan or cream in color, but the tips are always black or dark brown. The darker color is usually more concentrated around the face and ears.


10. Silver Goldendoodle

The Silver Goldendoodle is rare and a lighter variation of a blue or gray Goldendoodle. They are born darker, and the color fades until the silver is left, usually in about 2 years. You’ll start noticing the color change when they are about 6 to 10 weeks old.


11. Tan Goldendoodle

female goldendoodle puppy
Image Credit: cine-nomadic, Shutterstock

These Goldendoodles usually get their coloring from their Golden Retriever parent. It’s essentially a dilution of the red pigment, and many tan dogs will also have shades of cream, white, or pale apricot mixed in. This gives the coat a golden tan color.


12. White Goldendoodle

goldendoodle on the grass
Image Credit: Rena Schild, Shutterstock

Since Golden Retrievers aren’t white, White Goldendoodles get their color from their Poodle parents. However, even these Goldendoodles aren’t typically pure white, and you might see shades of soft cream mixed in. Still, they are paler than Cream Goldendoodles.


Different Goldendoodle Patterns

13. Abstract Goldendoodle

The Abstract Goldendoodle has a color pattern featuring less than 50% white in the coat. This pattern is also referred to as chrome and mismark.

The white is typically found randomly on the face, chest, and legs, without any discernable pattern. The dominant color can be any color.


14. Brindle Goldendoodle

The brindle pattern is unique because it gives the coat an almost tiger stripe look. On Goldendoodles, the coat is usually a brown or black base, with light red and brown stripes.

Each Brindle Goldendoodle has a unique color and pattern variation, and in some cases, the striping won’t be that noticeable. This is a rare pattern that is a result of a recessive gene.


15. Merle Goldendoodle

blue merle goldendoodle dog smiling up at the camera
Image Credit: emcoops, Shutterstock

The merle pattern is not a natural pattern found in Poodles and technically only occurs when a Poodle is bred with an Australian Shepherd. It can sometimes happen in Goldendoodles when breeding two Goldendoodles together.

At least one parent must be merle, but two merle parents bred together should never be done because the offspring are likely to be born deaf or blind or with other defects.


16. Parti Goldendoodle

mini parti goldendoodle puppy dog
Image Credit: maceyhurley, Shutterstock

The parti pattern is typically white and another color. This differs from the abstract pattern in which less than 50% of the color is white. Parti is 50% white with 50% of another dominant color, most commonly apricot or tan.

This pattern results from a recessive gene and is rare in Goldendoodles.


17. Phantom Goldendoodle

phantom goldendoodle dog sitting on wood planks outdoors
Image Credit: Kevin Butz, Unsplash

A rare pattern, the Phantom, consists of a base shade, usually solid black or chocolate, and a lighter color. The lighter color tends to be found on the muzzle, around the eyes, and legs.

The most common Phantom color variation for the Goldendoodle is black and tan. But the lighter highlights can be other colors, such as red and silver. Both parents must have the recessive gene for the puppy to inherit this pattern.


18. Tuxedo Goldendoodle

black tuxedo goldendoodle puppy outdoors
Image Credit: Brian C Lafleur, Shutterstock

The Tuxedo pattern is similar to the Parti except that the white is concentrated on the chest, belly, and hind legs, giving the dog the appearance of wearing a tuxedo.

This doesn’t mean the other dominant color must be black (though it is a striking combination), as it can be any color.

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What Color Can You Expect Your Goldendoodle Puppy to Be?

Many Goldendoodle puppies are born with one solid color that might lighten as your puppy ages. This is called “clearing.” If the color stays the same, it’s called “holding.” Many Goldendoodles tend to hold their puppy color on their muzzles and ears even when the rest of the coat lightens.

When you’re choosing a puppy, it’s recommended that you aim for a puppy with a darker coat color than what you are hoping for. This way, when the colors fade, as they usually do, you’ll have an adult Goldendoodle with a coat color that you love.

woman giving treat to her goldendoodle dog in the nature
Image Credit: EB Adventure Photography, Shutterstock

Why Do Goldendoodles Come In So Many Colors?

This is primarily due to the Poodle. The AKC recognizes 11 colors for the Poodle, and they can come in 16 other color combinations (not recognized).

Golden Retrievers only have three recognized colors, which are dark golden, golden, and light golden.

It’s due to their Poodle parents that Goldendoodles have such a wide range of colors and patterns.

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Conclusion

It’s interesting to consider the wide variety of coat patterns and colors that a Goldendoodle can have. Their coats can also be straight, wavy, or curly, so each Goldendoodle’s appearance can be quite distinct. But underneath all of that fur and regardless of the color, the most important thing is that they are in good health and are well-adjusted. So, the moral of the story is that the color of the dog doesn’t matter, but what they bring to you and your family does.


Featured Image Credit: ALTEREDSNAPS, Pexels

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