author Robert Hamera                                    Slice of Life

Asked! Ha. Do you call withholding one’s food (It is my snack between breakfast and lunch. Very important meal.) until he writes something asking? I call it inhumane treatment of animals. Someone should report this guy.

It is a good thing that I am so easy going and harbor no resentment. (Just wait until he’s trying to sleep tonight.) Well, at least he has the computer set up for me.

I guess I had better sit down and get started.

Where should I begin to tell the story of how great a love can be? Sorry, my mind wandered for a moment. Well, the other day I walked into the living room when I noticed a spot on the rug? No matter what you think, I didn’t leave it. What was it? I know it wasn’t there five minutes ago when I passed this exact spot on my way out to the litter box. Oops. TMI. Anyway, I went to investigate. I was all set to pounce on it when suddenly it moved to a different spot. What’s going on?

Then it totally disappeared. I must have scared it. That will show that spot who rules this house.

These people I live with can be real slobs. They just leave things on the floor. I could easily trip over them or even crawl into them.

Around noon the mail came. I was expecting my copy of Fluffy’s Felines (don’t tell this guy that I subscribe). I wanted to go through the mail before he had a chance to just in case it was there. It wasn’t.

After I checked the mail it was time for my exercise routine. Staying in shape and looking this good requires some effort. Somehow a stupid ball got trapped in this contraption and I can’t seem to get it out. That thing beside it is not the trapped ball just in case you were wondering.

This exercising makes me hungry so I thought I would put something on the stove to warm. Just want to take the chill off of it. I hate waiting for food to warm.

I don’t like to talk about my ailments, but once I had an eye infection and needed to go to the doctor. The nerve of her. She gave me some drops, which weren’t bad, but then she had one of her staff put this thing around my head to keep me from scratching it. Oh the shame of it all.

Sometimes this guy I live with thinks he is being cute. He dangles something in front of me. At first glance I think it is some kind of food. After all, shouldn’t it be? When I go to investigate he pulls it away and makes me jump to see what it is, It is not food. He laughs. He thinks it’s funny. I don’t. More cruel treatment of animals if you ask me.

Did I mention that I live with two other housemates besides this guy and his wife? Well, I do. Most of the time I can tolerate them. I just show them who is boss. Occasionally they become a bit annoying and I need to find a place just to get away. This works well for me. It is up and out of the way.

Well, I think that is all I want to say for now. I hope he is happy. I am exhausted. I think I will go take a nap. No one had better disturb me.

author Sara Thornton DVM                           iCandy RagaMuffins

When a person decides to show their RagaMuffin cat, learning how to properly bathe that cat is essential. Hopefully, a kitten has had practice baths and blow dries at the breeder when young. I always make sure my iCandy kittens get at least a couple of baths prior to going to their forever homes. It’s good practice for Ragamuffin kittens to get used to gentle handling. The babies generally object to the dryer much more than the actual bath, so to make it easier, I towel dry well and lightly dry from a distance, especially the first time.

To get a RagaMuffin kitty ready to show, start well ahead of time. Regular combing with a quality comb such as a Chris Christensen Buttercomb to keep the coat in good condition is a must, along with regular nail clips. Fortunately, most RagaMuffins have easy care coats that rarely mat. There is Persian in the RagaMuffin background and occasionally, there will be a muffin that needs more intensive grooming to keep their coats in condition.

The day before a show is the time for a show bath. I bathe my cats in the kitchen sink. I start by gathering up my RagaMuffin kitty and giving a bit of yummy treat. I put him/her in the sink with no water in it. The first step is degreasing. Depending on the degreaser used, you may need to wet the cat down first or not. I do not have a favorite product. One cat may do well with one product, while another may do better with a different one. Cats’ coats change depending on the season, you may need to use different products if you find that  the coat is not looking up to your expectations.  I generally use one degreaser, rinse well, then use a second one. There are a number of products in my arsenal, which includes, but is not limited to, Groomer’s Goop, Davis degreaser, Jerob degreaser, Filthy Animal, Dawn Dishwashing detergent.  After the second degreaser, I rinse my wet RagaMuffin well again.

The next step is using a coloring shampoo is desired. If I have a RagaMuffin cat with a lot of white, I like to use a whitening shampoo on the white areas to really brighten them up. Chris Christensen produces a number of coloring shampoos. Using the black shampoo on black cats seems to increase the depth of color. Following the directions on whatever shampoo used is important for best results. Again, rinse well.

The last shampoo I use is a clarifying shampoo to get rid of any residue. People have their favorites. Some use human products, others use products made for animals. The important step again is rinsing thoroughly.

The last step is the vinegar rinse. I use a clean empty detergent bottle and fill it about ¼ way up with vinegar and the rest of the way with warm water. I tell my RagaMuffin it is salad time and I pour the mixture all over the kitty’s body. Some people fill the sink with water and add vinegar to it and “float” the cat’s coat in it. I have found my cats are not happy with that process, so I don’t do it. After the vinegar rinse, yet another complete rinse finishes out the process.

A couple of places to be sure are not missed during the procedure are around the ears, as that tend to be a very greasy area and the tail, especially in unneutered males as stud tail can be a difficult problem.

After the final rinse, squeeze excess water out of the RagaMuffin’s coat while still in the sink. Then wrap the kitty in a fluffy dry towel to absorb excess moisture. The last step is the blow dry. Having a forced air dryer for animals is very helpful. Our  personal hair dryers take a long time and get too hot. The first time I went to a show, it took me three hours to blow dry my RagaMuffin kitten. I then bought a forced air dryer. I have gone through a number of different brands. My latest one is the Flying Pig. I can dial the force of the air up or down while drying and it has a warm temperature setting that I can use or turn off. I also like my Chris Christensen dryer, but the model I have does not allow for warm air. It warms up as it is used, but starts out cold.

After drying, a nice comb ou,t adding a bit of an antistatic product if needed, and, voila, there is your beautiful show RagaMuffin.

author Jessica Woodhead                      RagaMuffin lover

When I was about 8 or 9 years old, I begged my dad to let me get a cat. As a man who was raised on a farm where cats lived in the barn for the purposes of catching rodents, he was not too keen on the idea. Thanks to some family friends who wholeheartedly supported my deep desire for a cat, they helped me wear down my dad and we adopted a black and white tuxedo kitten from the ASPCA who I named Mittens. While Mittens was not my first pet – RIP Spot the parakeet – she was quickly a beloved member of the family. She had her quirks, and had she not met a coyote on one of her nighttime adventures, I believe she would have lived many years past the 17 we had with her.

I went many years without another cat. She was my most important childhood pet, and I didn’t realize that it took me so many years to make peace with her sudden passing. I finally decided I was ready to fill the cat-shaped hole in my heart and began searching for cats that would be a good fit. I looked at local rescues and while I met many sweet animals I’d love to have given a home to, they didn’t quite fit that place in my heart.

It was at this time I stumbled across iCandy RagaMuffins. At this point, I had a daughter, Ellie, who was roughly 2.5 years old, so I was looking for a particular personality in a feline. Muffins sure did come across as an excellent fit – their tendencies for being laid-back and patient being major selling points with my rambunctious red head.

I pulled the trigger and reached out to Sara for a kitten – and got one! We brought home our little Teddy Bear and fell in love. Sadly, however, Teddy Bear was not long for this world – at barely 6 months of age, he developed FIP – something very rare and virtually impossible to cure or catch early – and he passed. The cat-shaped hole in my heart was briefly filled and ripped open once again. At this point I had 2 options – I could get a refund, or try again with another kitten. In our brief time with Teddy Bear, I knew a RagaMuffin was the perfect fit for us. So we patiently waited for another kitten.

Enter Pickle – our sweet-faced orange and white bundle of RagaMuffin love. Quite literally from day one, he has been the social butterfly and people-lover I’d never known a cat could be. He showed virtually no fear being in a new environment and instead of hiding, Pickle made the rounds jumping from lap to lap his first night home – after escaping his quarantine – demanding to be loved. Little has changed since. He still very much believes that anyone coming to our home must be there solely to see him and demands their attention.

Little did I know his heart truly would lie with my daughter’s. Just as feisty at 3 as she was at 2, I can’t even begin to recall how many times I’d plead with her to please be careful with the kitty – not to squeeze him too hard, don’t forget to hold his bottom half when picking him up (as if she could – he’s always been a giant!), and for pete’s sake just to be gentle with him. But Pickle was more than happy to be held hostage and aggressively loved and still does to this day. Ellie has always been an early riser, and Pickle will often come wake me early in the morning to let me know when she’s up. She will pick him up, drag him around, squish and squeeze and hold him hostage until he finally decides he’s had enough and wriggles free and then hardly 10 minutes later, he’s back for more. At this point I’m sure he’s either hopelessly dumb or blissfully in love with his favorite person. I’ve come to the conclusion that it is very much the latter. He looks for her when she’s gone, runs to meet her when she gets home, sleeps with her at night, endures all of her aggressive affection, hides outside the bathroom door to sneak attack and play with her, listens to her when she reads, and is in every respect the one who has made a cat-shaped mark on her heart. We simply adore our Pickle. He has so fully permeated our hearts that to think of a time when I won’t be grumbling or laughing at his antics – he is quite the mischievous comedian – is a thought I can’t bear. To say he is a perfect fit for us is a drastic understatement. We have endless nicknames for him, and often insert his name into any silly song we can think of. I love nothing more than seeing Ellie grow up with such a devoted fluffy friend, and my joy over his immense love for her is immeasurable.

author Terri Cassiday                               Xpressions RagaMuffins

Typically I write light hearted blogs. This one is not the case, but a necessary subject to broach.

We all love our pets and we want the best for them. The question is have we addressed the possibility that something could happen to us? What provisions have we made for them? Not the most pleasant of topics, but don’t all of our loved ones deserve this consideration? They will need a loving home. Their new owners will need their veterinarian records, a list of their likes and dislikes and if possible, some monetary funding. Monetary funds and owners can be stated in your will.

Please don’t assume that a friend or family member will take them. Take the time to find a good fit and please discuss this with them. My local pet club has unfortunately had to take on the task of trying to rehome pets when their owners left this world. It’s heart wrenching to see these frightened and confused pets. Will their new owners understand that they are traumatized and be patient with their transition?

This is a question that we ask our prospective adopters. It’s on our questionnaire. Will this assure that they will give this some thought? No, but we hope so. Sometimes their answers help to decide if they are a good fit.

My first thought was to apologize for this depressing blog, but no. This is something that all of us that adore our pets need to think about.
So will You or Will You not?

author Cherie Stivers                                     RagaMuffin lover

I grew up on a farm and always had animals of some kind.  Being a dairy farm, my dad always had Border Collies to help bring the cows in to be milked every day.  And of course, there was always a barn cat or two.  After school and going to work, I moved to the city.

Around 2006, one day a gray female domestic short hair cat showed up on my doorstep in May and, needless to say, adopted me.  Have no idea how old she was. . . the vet was guessing at least 10 years old. As the heat and humidity of the summer came, I just had to bring her inside.  Belle was such a sweet, loving cat.  She was attached to me like a magnet.  In 2010, she became terminally ill and passed away in March.

After a short time, I decided I would really like to have another cat and wanted another loving cat just like Belle.  So, I started surfing the internet.  I looked at all the shelter and rescue sites and nothing really got my attention.  Being the history buff that I am, I started researching the history of cats.  That’s when my research led me to the RagaMuffin breed.  After reading about their loving, laid back disposition, I thought this was exactly what I was looking for.  So, I started searching for breeders.  As is the case now, there wasn’t a lot of RagaMuffin breeders and most of them at that time were in Florida and nowhere close to me in Kentucky.  Finally, I did find a breeder in Central Kentucky.  I couldn’t believe it, a breeder that was close to me, only 45-60 minutes away!!!!

To my surprise, this breeder was Robin Klarmann who just happened to be the daughter of Janet Klarmann (one of the co-founders of the RagaMuffin breed).  Janet had lived in Florida, became ill, and moved herself and the cattery to live with Robin.  Janet had just recently passed away from her illness and Robin was running the cattery at this time.  Obtaining her information from the internet, I contacted Robin inquiring into a young adult, female RagaMuffin.  She had a three-year-old male that she said was such a good cat and deserved a good home.  Even though it wasn’t the female I was looking for, she invited me to come visit the cattery and look at the male cat.  I accepted the invitation and set out on a Saturday to go and check him out.

It was love at first sight!!!  He was silver and white in color and had the prettiest blue eyes I had ever seen. He was perfect but I had one major concern, I have never owned a purebred cat before . . . . was I good enough to own and take care of one?????  Saying I was nervous is an understatement.  However, Robin convinced me Venture (aka Bugs) was no different than any other cat and she had all the confidence in the world that I could do this.  So, with her total support, off I go with Bugs in tow.  I will say this was the best thing I have ever done was adopting Bugs.  He was so affectionate and loving.  I was now hooked on the RagaMuffin breed.

Unfortunately, Bugs became ill during the summer of 2019 and passed away on Dec. 15, 2019 from cancer.  I lost a piece of my heart!  I knew I had to have another RagaMuffin, no other would do.  I wanted another male with big blue eyes. This time, however, I wanted a kitten.  Having Bugs for the ten years I had him just wasn’t long enough. So as before, I started the search.  Things had changed in the ten years I had Bugs.  The big blue eyes were almost non-existent and there was more variety in the colors/patterns.   I found a breeder that had such a good reputation and was even a veterinarian!  To me this reinforced good health.  Perfect!  Good news, she just happened to have a litter that was just days old.  Wonderful!!  So, I contacted Dr. Thornton of iCandy RagaMuffins.  She was gracious enough to put me on a waiting list. In time, Dr. Thornton started posting pictures of the kittens (six in all).  All the kittens were shades of white and gray, black smoke but there was one kitten that was different and absolutely caught my eye.  It was a sable and white female.  The more pictures and videos Dr. Thornton posted, the more I was drawn to this one kitten.  When the time came to choose, I was fortunate to be able to pick the sable and white female.  So much for my blue eyed male, right?  I couldn’t be happier.  Murfie is perfect!!!! I am so thankful to Dr. Thornton and cherish each day with Murfie. I can’t believe she is one year old now, but I hope to enjoy many years of love and companionship with her.

I learned a lesson from my past two experiences – if it’s a RagaMuffin, you are going to fall in love with it regardless of gender or color.  There’s nothin’ like a muffin!

author Sara Thornton DVM                      iCandy RagaMuffins

Many people that want to adopt a pedigreed kitten start with shopping on the internet. Most RagaMuffin breeders have a website to provide information about their catteries. Easy peasy, right? Not so fast! Not only are there poor quality breeders out there making themselves look great on a website, there are scam catteries that will take a buyer’s money and there is NO kitten!

So how does a buyer know? Careful examination of the website is the first step. If a person peruses breeder websites regularly and sees that a particular website is never updated with information or up to date kitten pictures, it may be a scam. If pictures viewed on the website are common pictures that are on the web when googling RagaMuffins, there is potential those photos were stolen for use on a fake web site. A current scam site uses the exact wording from an established breeder’s site, even saying to check out the Facebook page of the actual breeder  (a different cattery name)!

Many breeders state what organizations they belong to on their website. An individual may check with those organizations to verify membership. Some ethical RagaMuffin breeders do not maintain an active website. They choose instead to utilize social media sites like MeWe, Facebook or Instagram. Again, active updates with original pictures and information is important to prove validity.

Videos of current litters is a great way to establish that a cattery is not a scam. Mentioning the name of the cattery and the date during the recording helps prove the kittens are actually kittens from that cattery. Some breeders use video chat or multiple phone calls to get to know buyers. This is an effective way for the adopter to ensure a comfort level in dealing with a breeder. A fictional breeder is unlikely to want to make the effort.

References from previous RagaMuffin buyers may be requested. While I am not aware of any deceit with this previously, the potential is certainly there utilizing a ghost email address. Of course, the best way to find a good breeder to work with is through a recommendation of someone known to the potential buyer. In some cases, breeders may be met at a cat show which is a super method of seeing the cats the cattery has produced.

When adding a family member, the last thing a potential RagaMuffin buyer wants is to spend money on a kitten that doesn’t exist.

author Alley Milam                           RagaMuffin lover

Just over a year ago I got the news that  RagaMuffin iCandy Blueberry Crisp had six healthy kittens, three boys and three girls. I had the fourth and fifth picks of the litter, so I knew that the chance of getting two sweet girls would be slim, but I had already named them: Nutmeg and Clove. Elegant, classy and still along the sweet names that the iCandy parents already had, these names would be perfect.

Right before COVID-19 caused the massive lockdown, I had decided to take a break from the stressors of college to go backpacking and would be out of contact for weeks. I also knew that in this time the opportunity to individually pick out the two kittens I had put in a deposit for would arise. In preparation for my trip, I had given my mom as the contact for breeder Dr. Thornton to reach out to when the time was right. So, when news came – and pictures along with it – that I ended up with the last girl and the boy that caught my mom’s eye, I soon forgot the “perfect” names I had chosen because those two pictures already had me grinning from ear-to-ear.

I found myself in the Utah desert with just the bare essentials, cat pictures, and a predicament: what do I name my new RagaMuffin kittens? I quite literally hiked for days saying “nutmeg” and “clove” out loud to see if I could force either of them to be more masculine with no luck. So, I resorted to making lists in my journal of traditionally human names, play on words, and other food-oriented names, but nothing fit quite as I wanted it to. I looked at their pictures asking myself, “what do they look like?” Still, nothing was working out the way the two more feminine names would have.

Thankfully, I had lots of time on my hands for the foreseeable future on this adventure I was on. I reflected on times with friends and family and landed on a story that my parents mentioned a few times throughout my life. In this brief anecdote from my mother’s childhood, I was told about a couple who were family friends with my maternal grandparents. These two often went to the beach house on the weekends in the summers with my mom’s family and were always a joy to be with. What always stood out to me about these friends were their unique nicknames: Killer and Lovey.

Killer, who was always described as a big man with an even bigger personality, was close with my grandfather, who we called Daddy Don. Killer called his doting wife Lovey, an undeniable juxtaposition. I do not remember the exact moment when I realized this pair of names would perfectly fit my pair of kittens, but I do know that meeting them only solidified my choice to call them Killer and Lovey.

Lovey is brave, playful, and curious almost to a fault. She looks at humans with loving eyes and is always the first of the two to make a move to meet new humans, explore a new habitat (drawers, paper grocery bags, luggage, etc.), or take the first bite out of a fresh bowl of cat food. Killer is a big boy, shy, and cuddly after dark. He loves his belly brushed and can often be found lounging on his back whether he’s under the bed or in the middle of the kitchen.

Neither RagaMuffin can resist a peacock feather or a Churu lickable treat. They are two compassionate, intuitive buddies who rely on each other for entertainment, playful brawls, and warmth to cuddle up close with.

Though many people at first are confused when I talk about my cats or they meet them, the irony of their names still makes me giggle. These two have been my solace in what continually proved to be a challenging year. They always remind me to laugh, to connect to my environment, and most importantly, to take time to appreciate what and who I have in my life.

author Patti Grow                            RagaMuffin lover

Well, my RagaMuffin cat Fudgie never ceases to amaze me!  Since I retired, all of my dogs and cats feel that I am their constant waitress.  The cats in particular are demanding, and they become quite irritated if I don’t stop immediately what I am doing and tend to them! Of course, what else could be more important – to them anyway!  ?

Wrong – silly me!  Fudgie has claimed MY chair as HIS favorite  RagaMuffin napping spot.  Well, napping may be an understatement, since once Fudgie decides to settle down for his nap, it is a LONG winter’s nap!  I have even tried sitting and coaxing him to sit on my lap to no avail.  Then, I thought I would be generous and offer to share a spot in the chair with him. Well, you can imagine that move only gained me lots of dirty looks and glares – the nerve of ME to sit in HIS chair!

author Robert Hamera          Slice of Life

Resolutions! Me make resolutions? You’ve got to be kidding. Resolutions are for those who are not happy with themselves and want to change some aspect about themselves that they don’t like. They are not perfect.

Me, on the other hand, I am perfect and there is nothing I want to change or need to change about myself. Therefore, there is no need for me to make resolutions.

However, that is no reason why I can’t make resolutions for others. That being said, here are my resolutions, in no particular order, for the people who live with me.

I resolve that you will feed me whenever I want to be fed and not according to some predesigned schedule of feeding you think is appropriate for me. After all, who here is the expert on when I am hungry?

I resolve that you will let me sleep whenever and wherever I choose. In addition, I resolve that you will not run the vacuum while I am trying to sleep. After all, to look this good I need my 20 hours of sleep.

I resolve that you will pet me only when I want to be petted and not when you feel like petting me. After all, I know I am cute and adorable but that doesn’t mean you have the right to touch it each time you walk by.

I resolve that you will wake up when I want you to get up and not when you feel like getting up. After all, if I let you sleep why it would be at least 8:00 A.M. until I was served breakfast.

I resolve that I will run around the house like crazy whenever I want. After all, I need my exercise to stay fit and trim.

I resolve that you will have boxes and baskets of toys for me to play with in every room of the house especially making sure that the nosiest ones are out at night. After all, I am entitled to have as many toys as possible.

I resolve that you will clean my litter box daily. After all, who wants to use a dirty one. Ugh!

I resolve that any food you eat is fair game for me as well. After all, someone needs to check that the food you eat is healthy.

I resolve that I will constantly be underfoot especially when you are busiest. After all, someone needs to make sure your senses stay sharp.

I resolve that you will keep the bird feeder filled so that I can watch bird TV whenever I want. After all, I am entitled to some entertainment.

I really don’t think there are too many resolutions here or that they can’t be met. I did lie, though. I did make just one resolution for myself.

I resolve that no rug or piece of furniture will be safe from my wrath if these resolutions are not kept.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!