✨RAISING STARBUCK✨
This post is a shout out to Rochelle Rexius of Vegas Ragdolls!
💕🙋♀️💕
I reached out to many breeders in search of one who would support my Adventure Cat goals, not knowing if I would be successful… Ragdolls are in high demand, and most breeders have a lengthy wait-list.
I had no idea if any ethical breeder would be:
1) supportive of my unusual ambitions
2) willing to do the early “Kitten Kulture” work I invented (inspired by Puppy Culture)
3) inclined to deal with all the requirements/paperwork that importation to Costa Rica entails
It was a big ask, y’all. 😳
Not only did I require all of the above for this project, I really wanted to be able to meet with the breeder – and their cats! – and inspect the cattery in advance. (I do not support unethical breeding.)
I got SO lucky! 🍀
Hoping I could meet folks in person, a previously booked trip to Vegas led me to search that area for Ragdoll breeders…
Which led me to Vegasragdolls and Rochelle.
In a twist of fate with a sprinkle of “small world,” it turned out that Rochelle and her husband had been trying to buy the hotel right in front of our house for the last few years! 😆 And not only did she love Sámara, Costa Rica, she also loved the idea of a moto-riding, quadding, kayaking, leash-walking Adventure Cat!!
After graciously welcoming us into her home and introducing us to the cats, we discussed our goals in person – and Rochelle was on board.
Six weeks later, Starbuck’s litter was born:
I predicted the first kitten out of the nesting box would have the necessary “drive” to be adventurous…
…I hoped it would be a boy, since our dog is a girl and both of the cats I’ve had in the past who liked car rides were male…
…so, we crossed our fingers.
It was a boy! ♂️
Starbuck was everything I had hoped for, and more. 🐱🚀
His genetic makeup plus his early handling & exposure program have produced a calm “second dog” who seems to adapt to any new situation with ease. True to breed characteristics, his fear responses are far lower than a typical cat, and his early training is really paying off! In just two weeks he had accepted wearing a harness, riding on the quad and moto, and chilling in public with his dog sister, and over his first month training has continued to go exceptionally well.
So far he’s learned:
Boop (hand touch)
Spin
Sit
Come
Leash walking
And, he’s sticking his face into a mask so he can learn to wear eye protection. 😎
As I raise my little Adventure Cat, I plan to post updates on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. I’m excited to share my training adventure with you, so I’ll be posting “How To” videos all along the way… Haven’t yet subscribed to my channel on YouTube? I’d be ever so grateful if you would!
I can’t wait to see what we can do with this little guy, and I can’t wait for Rochelle to come visit us in Costa Rica.
The best part? I gained not one, but TWO wonderful new friends! 🤗 👱♀️🐈
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