Meet Martini Konrad: The Ragdoll Cat That Captivated Our Office

One day at work I walked by my colleague’s desk and her computer wallpaper had the most gorgeous grey kitten on it. I love all animals, but I have always had a special bond with cats. This kitten tore my heart out! When I asked about it she said it was her nieces cat and it was a Ragdoll. I was smitten. Problem is I am allergic to cats. Sigh! Well after a bit of research I read that with the unusual rabbit fur consistency of the Ragdoll, many people allergic to cats do not have allergies to Ragdolls. I was now on a mission.

For three weeks I read all I could, went on TICA websites, Ragdoll sites and visited my friends nieces Ragdoll. Dear lord no sneezing on my part! Sweet Jesus! 🙂

[Admin note: Ragdolls are not hypoallergenic cats]

After an extensive search, I finally found a breeder in New York State that had good reviews and she seemed to know her stuff about Ragdolls. She had 1 Ragdoll Blue Lynx kitten that looked just like the one on the computer at work. His mom was an older Queen and this was her last litter and he was an only child. She was looking for a loving home for him. I knew he was to be mine just from his photos.

When he was twelve weeks old I met the breeder halfway in NY state for the exchange. She was very amenable to me checking him out before I put him in my carrier. One look at that face with a tiny kitten ‘mew’ and it was all good. Come home with me! His blue eyes were so blue, they reminded me of a certain Sapphire Gin I liked! And that became his name….Martini. Wilway’s Martini, Shaken not Stirred is his registered name.

That was about 12 years ago. Martini is not a very big boy, more slim that a typical Ragdoll. About 8 pounds. But he is very smart and handsome. Very long when he stretches out. He loves to sit on my lap and watch the outside in our front porch rocker. He curls up and snuggles his face under his paws while I rock away in the chair. He started to snore when sleeping when he turned 10. Hysterical. Like an old man.

When not snoring, he is very vocal and meows at me like he is really trying to communicate!.. He does something we call ‘Rolly-Poly’ where he is dying for a belly rub and flops on his back switching left to right trying to be as cute as possible. Happy kitty when he gets his belly rubbed with “lovey words” and kisses!. Every morning at 6AM I am awakened by a soft paw on my face, gently tapping away to remind me it is time to rise. Problem is he doesn’t know what sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday is! He can’t get enough of the bathroom faucet either,so when mom is putting on her makeup, the demand for the sink dribbling ensues and Martini gets in there to have his fill. Also, as I type this, he is heavily involved in assisting with the typing and loves to bat anything on the computer screen, including images of himself!

When people say Ragdolls are ‘dog-like’ it is true! I am greeted everyday when I come home from work to a ‘Martini’. He demands kisses and a treat in his dish. When I lift him up over my shoulder he flops across making air biscuits with his big paws. Loud purring ensues. He follows me about the house, wanting to be with people, vs being by himself. He fetches his twinkle toys and brings them back to you for another toss.

So that is my boy Martini. So soft and sweet and such a good boy! We love him so much and I know he loves us just as much. You can see it in his eyes when he smiles at you, purring all the way….

Stay tuned for stories of my other boy, Mojito!

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