Two Ragdoll Breeders, Two Prices?!?

Okay, my boyfriend and I are not sure what to do so I thought I would ask everyone here. As some of you know, if you have read my few posts, we are looking at getting a Ragdoll kitten in the near future. We have done a lot of research and have checked out two different breeders now. Here's the info:

Breeder #1:
Been breeding for almost 2 years
Breeds to preserve the "old line" Ragdolls
Kittens to be born this weekend
Says they have about 2 litters per year
Kittens go home between 12-16 weeks
Kittens are spayed/neutered before going to new home
Male Kitten - $635 (including neutering)
Female Kitten - $685 (including spaying)
Cattery was very clean - no foul smell
Was shown all the cats including the males
All cats seemed in great health; very friendly & happy
Breeder answered all of our questions and was very knowledgeable
Has a health guarantee/kitten contract (not sure of the details though)
Not sure when we are issued the kitten's papers
Found out about breeder thru a Ragdoll website
Breeder's website: www.rosehillrags.com

Breeder #2:
Been breeding for 7 years
Has 13 week old kittens and 7 week old kittens; another litter on the way
Says they have about 4-5 litters per year
Kittens go home at 12 weeks
Kittens are spayed/neutered before going to new home
Kittens are $450 (including spay/neuter)
Cattery smelled STRONGLY of urine; obvious stains on carpet & hair everywhere
Was able to see 2 female cats (one pet, one breeder) & 4 kittens (did not see the mother or father cat of the kittens we saw)
All cats seemed in good health; very friendly & happy
Breeder answered all of our questions and was very knowledgeable
Gave us a pamphlet explaining the breed & his selling policies
Has a health guarantee/kitten contract (stating you must get the kitten checked out by your personal vet within 2 days of purchase to verify the kitten is in good health; your money is given back if kitten is not healthy; there is a one year from date of purchase health guarantee against congenital or genetic defects)
Kitten's papers are mailed 10 days after purchase
Found the breeder thru the local paper advertising kittens for sale
Breeder does not have a website

We are not sure which place to purchase from because money is an issue. BUT we also want to make sure we are purchasing a healthy kitten from a good breeder. There is a BIG price difference between the two. What would you guys do? I feel like I should go with my gut, but if the kittens are essentially the same. . . and they have the same health guarantee, etc. . . I would rather pay less. I dunno what to do. What do you guys think?

Please help!! :?

I would go with breeder #1. Sounds like a much healthier environment for the kitty parents, clean and well-kept, not over-bred.

#2 too many litters. Doesn't smell or look like a healthy environment. Couldn't see the parents.

It is nasty that Breeder 2's place is dirty, but if the kittens are cute, alert, and healthy (the guarantee there makes it sound like they will be) then I would buy the kitten at the lower price. BUT I would ask why you don't get the papers sooner.

go to your local shelter and adopt a cat. there are soooo many unwanted cats and kittens out there.

First off, I'm assuming you live in Minnesota, as that is where RoseHill Rags are located. I did a Petfinder search on Ragdolls in the Woodbury area. I got quite a few that live close by. Please consider adopting a cat from a shelter. You'd be saving a life! Here's the link: http://search.petfinder.com/search/searc...

If you're not in Minnesota, you can search in your area.

If you're set on buying the cat from a breeder, I'd definately go with RoseHill. They sound reputable and very professional. About the money issue: Think about it: Ragdolls typically live from 14-16 years. The difference in the price is only $200. If the kitten from breeder #2 shows more health problems then the breeder #1 kitten would, trust me, $200 is going to seem like a small amount of money.

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes!

Cheers,

Rosefern

First of all congratulations for your choice! Ragdolls are wonderful cats. I understand that this is a difficult decision but from experience I would chose the breeder who keeps the kittens three months with the mother and the siblings. Ragdolls grow up slowly and staying with the litter for as long as possible is the best for their emotional and social development.

The second breeder doesn't sound perfect and the price difference is not much if you look at a cat that can live up to 20 years.

Go with your instincts. Number one sounds much better. Best thing for you to do is contact references; people who have gotten cats from each. In Western Canada, a ragdoll cat is about 800CDN.
Another option is to not get a purebred. We had a regular domestic tabby have a litter last year; one kitten surprizingly was a snowshoe lynx, another a ragdoll. We kept the ragdoll, and she has been amazing. We actually like her better than a purebred, because she has all the colorings and characteristics of a ragdoll cat, but she has a "regular" cat face shape, not the pointy Siamese face.

I'd go with breeder two. The second breeder has been breeding longer, has a health guarantee, knowledgeable... and not to mention is cheaper. The urine smell is probably from years of breeding cats, and it wouldn't concern me. I'm with you, I'd pay less for the same quality.