History

The origins of the Ragdoll breed are quite vague and mysterious. They were first “created” by a woman named Anne Baker, in California in the 1960s. Anne mated a Persian-Angora female with Birmans and Burmese cats to achieve the distinctive markings and character which make the Ragdoll breed so unique and beautiful.

Anne was a rather eccentric woman who made some odd claims – there’s even a story about a cat-rabbit creature, and experiments with alien genes – and she also enforced very limiting restrictions on all breeders who wished to work with the Ragdoll breed. This led to disputes and resulted in the breed going unrecognised until 1967, when a breeder broke away from Anne’s strict programme and managed to have the breed endorsed by TICA. Anne tried desperately to control the breeding, even patenting the “Ragdoll” name and insisting on being paid royalties from each kitten sold. This proved too difficult and her franchise ceased operating in 1976.

Appearance

The Ragdoll is a very large cat (second only to the Maine Coon) with beautiful, soft, silky medium to long fur which forms a stunning mane-like ruffle around the face and neck and a glorious pair of nicker-bockers – they also have tufts of hair between their toes! The accepted colours are the original seal, which can range from a rich caramel to a deep brown-black; blue (which is a dilute of seal); chocolate; lilac (the dilute of chocolate); red and, finally, cream (the dilute of red).

There were three original patterns present in Anne Bakers breeding plan and these remain the only permissible patterns to this day. They are: Colourpoint (just like a Siamese); Mitted (these have white front paws, long white socks on the hind-legs and white tummies but are otherwise identical to colour-points), and bi-colours (these display an inverted ‘V’ on their faces and have white legs and tummies).  Ragdolls have more recently been bred with tabby-point (or Lynx if you reside in the US) patterns in all colours.

Their eyes are almost always a bright sapphire blue except in the case of the unusual mink coloured cats who have paler aqua coloured eyes and are born with darker bodies than their siblings. Usually, Ragdolls are born completely white or cream and take several weeks to start developing their darker-coloured points and particular pattern/markings. They can take up to four years to mature to their full size and to develop their final coat pattern so a mature cat will look nothing like the kitten you initially returned home with. The males are much larger then the females, with thicker coats and manes, and often reach a whopping 10kg in weight!

Purrsonality

Ragdolls have very laid-back personalities and they crave human attention, whether there are other cats in the home or not; they are often suggested to be more dog-like and will follow you around wherever you go (yes, this means to the bathroom, too), eager to help you in your daily activities. They hate being alone and will always be there to greet you when returning home, often with much to tell you!

Gentle, loyal, docile and loving are words often used to describe the Ragdoll breed – they are also incredibly sweet and very cuddly.

Health and General Care

Ragdoll cats, particularly when introduced to Europe and the UK later on, were subject to inbreeding. This was partly due to the restrictions placed on breeders by Anne Baker and partly because of the very low number of stud cats available to choose from. This resulted in some cats being infected with a hereditary disease called HCM (feline heart disease) and later dying a horrible death. Some responsible UK breeders have tested their breeding stock to ensure the kittens they breed will not be infected. Hopefully the rest will follow suit.

Note

Ragdolls find their way to re-homing centres all too regularly, mainly because people aren’t aware of the problems associated with them. If you wish to own a Ragdoll please search for a rescue cat who sits your personality rather than encourage more breeding which will, inevitably, lead to more homeless Ragdolls.

Image via Wikipedia

Pros

They’re brilliant with children and adults alike.

They are extremely loving and purr like engines as soon as you show them any affection.

They are easy to leash-train.

They settle into new environments easily and can be taken away without any upset – mine happily sits in the car for several hours without the need for a carrier.

You can carry them around like babies – so cute!

They’re beautiful too!

*They don’t cause allergic reactions the way many cats do (I know this is supposed to be a myth but my own personal experiences tell me otherwise – my BSH cause me to sneeze and gives me itchy eyes but I can bury my face into my Ragdoll’s fur with no problem).

Image via Wikipedia

Cons

They require fairly regular grooming and leave white fluff allover your house and clothing!

Males eat far more than your average cat.

They’re far too trusting to be allowed outside alone so must be kept in at all times or leash-trained (which is easy, I’ve done it myself).

They need constant company so aren’t suitable for families who are out at work for long periods or they can become depressed. Feline company helps but they genuinely prefer people so please don’t purchase a Ragdoll if you are out for more than three hours a day.

They flop in the most annoying places and they appear behind you just as you turn around so you end up treading on them or falling over in an attempt to avoid doing so.

They get little pieces of poo stuck around their fluffy bottoms… and you have to clean it off before they jump on your bed/sofa/lap!

They’re quite noisy cats who like to chat with you about cat stuff, which you cannot understand but must respond to with the obligatory “meow”. This can continue for quite some time…

*If you have a cat allergy please check this for yourself before rushing out to buy one! Visit a breeder and spend dome time touching the cats and you’ll soon discover whether or not they cause any reaction.

If you enjoyed this article you might like to read other relevant articles I’ve written:

Canine Experts Warn Repeated Vaccinations May Cause Behavioural Problems & Serious Illness

The Korat: Thailand’s So-called Lucky Cat

Fear Me, Love Me, Worship Me: A History of the Domestic Cat

What Exactly are We Feeding Our Pets?

The Worlds Only Untameable Cat

Genetically Modified Cats: The Toyger

Can Cats Really Learn to Walk on Leads?

House Rabbits: A Good Idea?