Ragdoll Kittens for Sale NZ (2026): Breeders, Prices & the HCM Test

When we checked TradeMe on 26 October 2026, asking prices for purebred Ragdoll kittens were $850–$2,500 (median $1,500, 14 listings), and the listings that said the kitten came with papers asked $1,000–$2,500. These are asking prices, not sold prices. Before you pay, ask to see both parents' HCM DNA results, and check the breeder follows the New Zealand Cat Fancy (NZCF) buyer guidance: kittens go home no younger than 10 weeks, usually on a desexing contract.

What Ragdoll kittens cost in NZ

When we checked TradeMe on 26 October 2026, 14 listings were for purebred Ragdoll kittens. Asking prices ran from $850 to $2,500, with a median of $1,500. The 6 listings that said the kitten had papers or registration asked $1,000–$2,500. Higher-priced listings tended to include desexing and a microchip; lower-priced ones tended to use a desexing contract.

For more on prices, see our Ragdoll price guide and cat breed price tool; for running costs, see the cost of owning a cat in NZ.

SPCA cat adoption fees are the same at all centres: $299 for a kitten under 5 months, $149 for a cat aged 5 months to 9 years, and $75 for a senior cat aged 10 or older. Each includes a one-off $15 NZ Companion Animal Register fee, and a $2.50 service charge is added. These are general fees; they do not mean Ragdolls are available. When we checked TradeMe's "Cats to adopt" category on 26 October 2026, none of its 91 listings mentioned a Ragdoll.

Where to find Ragdoll breeders

NZCF has a Ragdoll breed page. It describes a semi-longhair cat in three variations — colour pointed, mitted (white feet) or bi-colour — all with blue eyes. NZCF says the coat is thick and silky but non-matting, so only moderate but regular grooming is needed, and that the Ragdoll's docile nature could make it vulnerable to boisterous youngsters.

The same page has two lists. On 26 October 2026 we counted 5 catteries on the NZCF Accredited Ragdoll Breeders List and 22 on the Ragdoll Breeders List. NZCF says inclusion of a breeder on its lists does not imply a "good housekeeping" seal of approval from the NZCF, so you still need to check each breeder yourself. NZCF advises buying directly from a registered breeder, and says the mother, and maybe the father, should be there for you to meet.

NZCF is not the only cat registry here: Catz Inc is another NZ registry, and Ragdoll sellers on TradeMe are registered with one or the other. The NZCF rules on this page apply to NZCF-registered breeders.

For general buying advice, see how to find kittens for sale in NZ, our Ragdoll profile, and our Burmese cat breeders guide for another NZCF breed.

Health: the HCM DNA test

Cornell Feline Health Center says hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heart disease of cats and is more common in several breeds, including the Ragdoll. It is diagnosed by echocardiography and has no known cure. Cornell lists blood clots and, less commonly, sudden death among its complications, and says genetic test results should be interpreted carefully with a vet, because not all cats that have these mutations will develop the condition.

A 2007 paper in Genomics reported a separate mutation in the MYBPC3 gene in Ragdoll cats with HCM. UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) offers a DNA test for it, for Ragdolls, Ragamuffins and related outcrosses. According to VGL:

• The test only detects the R820W mutation in Ragdoll cats and outcrosses. It is a test for this one mutation; the Maine Coon HCM mutation is a separate test.
• Results are N/N (mutation not detected), N/HCMrd (one copy) or HCMrd/HCMrd (two copies).
• Cats with two copies are at high risk of severe HCM signs, usually between 1 and 2 years of age, although infrequently they show no clinical signs.
• Cats with one copy are not likely to show signs of the disease and may live a normal lifespan.
• Breeding two cats with one copy each is expected to produce 25% high-risk kittens, and VGL does not recommend breeding cats with two copies.

A 2024 peer-reviewed paper in Frontiers in Veterinary Science advised routine genetic testing only for one MYBPC3 variant in the Maine Coon and this MYBPC3 variant in the Ragdoll. Ask the breeder to show you both parents' results.

On kidney disease: a 2013 study of 133 healthy Ragdolls found all of them were PKD negative.

NZCF buyer guidance: age, vaccines and desexing

NZCF's buyer guidance says:

• A kitten shall not go to a new home before the age of 10 weeks.
• It should have had at least one, and preferably two, vaccinations, and the breeder must give you a vaccination certificate at the time of sale.
• You will be asked to sign a desexing contract. The kitten is desexed at the appropriate age and the vet's certificate is returned to the breeder; at that point the kitten is transferred into your ownership.
• Some breeders have kittens desexed before sale.

Sources

• https://nzcf.com/breed/breeders/Ragdoll
• https://nzcf.com/breed/breeds_overview
• https://www.vet.cornell.edu/node/4038
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17521870/
• https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/ragdoll-hcm
• https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1327081/full
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23413268/
• https://www.spca.nz/adopt/why-we-charge-adoption-fees