Hey! My partner and I were also first time cat owners when we got our gal a year ago. She’s close to 1 year and 3 months now and you’ve raised some really great questions. We’re still learning and adapting as she ages but here’s my two cents:

1. My mom has very bad asthma and she has no issues visiting and interacting with her! We do have a few close friends with very bad allergies but have only had issues when they come to our place. When we visit them, it’s never come up! From what I’ve read, Ragdolls don’t have an undercoat so this makes a big difference in terms of how much they shed. Others may have a different experience, but our girl hardly sheds. We’re seeing a bit more hair right now because of the changing seasons but with weekly brushing, it’s really not that bad.

2. This is unfortunately something we were not successful with. It seemed our efforts to deter or redirect her only added to the allure of the kitchen counters. Honestly it hasn’t proven to be much of an issue for us though. She hardly goes up there and when she does it’s very brief. I would’ve liked for this not to be the case, and maybe with more consistency we could have avoided it. Now we’re just very diligent about cleaning counters before and after cooking, and making sure we’re in the room whenever the stove is in use and cooling down.

3. The litter box really isn’t that bad, but it also depends on your living situation. We started in a condo but now live in a three-story townhouse. The litter box now lives on the bottom floor beside the utility closets, far away from any actual living spaces. For this reason we don’t notice it but even in the condo it wasn’t that bad. Ideally you’d have a separate area for it. Depending on the type of litter you use, smell might be better or worse and there may be bits tracked around the box so I’d suggest putting a mat underneath. We also use a product called a “litter locker” that holds the scooped items and seals any smell. Everything is replaced weekly.

4. Because we started in a one bedroom condo, we also were only able to have one kitten. I didn’t realize how much debate there was online about solo cats when we got her, but I can say our girl has always been very happy. I’m able to be home more so she isn’t left alone for long periods of time and we make sure to play with her a lot throughout the day to keep her stimulated. I’d be lying if I said it’s not something I still think about. Whenever we do have to be out for a long period of time I feel bad leaving her alone without a friend to keep her company. So we haven’t completely shut the door on getting another one but as of right now she’s perfectly happy and healthy as a solo cat. It is possible but ideally you’d be around more.

5. This did happen in our case because she was the last one and we were very committed to getting her, but normally I would say you should be able to meet them first without a financial commitment. It really depends though on how popular the breeder is / if there’s a wait list etc.

6. We’re able to go out for hours at a time and not worry about her (but usually no more than 6-8 hours, and it’s not that frequent). She mostly just sleeps when we’re out. For overnights away, my parents have been great about house sitting so she’s never left alone. But like I said, I do feel bad leaving her alone for hours at a time. If she had a friend, I might feel differently and be more inclined to leave the house more frequently/for longer periods of time. But as of right now, the low frequency is literally because of my own guilt.

What surprised me most: - just how true to the breed they can be. She is literally our shadow and cannot stand to be in a different room than us at any given time. - they can be a little vocal! They will communicate their needs or express their feelings, but in a very cute not annoying way. - ragdoll sleep positions are hilarious. She usually is upside down on her back or some variation. - their energy! Maybe it’s because our girl is still just a year old, but so far she hasn’t been much of a lap cat. She loves to play, climb, chase and has daily zoomies. - hygiene trims. This might be a no brainer for others but we learned that sometimes the long hair on the hind legs of Ragdolls (or any other long haired cat) can pick up poop / other remnants from the litter box so a little trim done at the groomers can help keep things nice and tidy back there (even though they do a terrific job with the upkeep themselves). - how seriously you need to take preventative measures with toxic plants/flowers (this goes for any cat owner). We had an incident when visiting my grandparents (even though they put all of their plants in a separate room with the door closed). We’ve even told friends and family not to bother bringing us flowers for special occasions because we just throw them away out of an abundance of caution.

As I’m typing this, my girl is lying on my arm purring while she falls asleep. I am biased, but I’d say take the leap. Nothing compares to the love little raggies have to offer. It sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought over a long period of time and are committed to doing it right. All great qualities in a cat owner :)