Ragdoll
Ragdoll History
- Credit Ann Baker, a Persian cat breeder from Riverside, California for developing the Ragdoll in the 1960s. She bred a stray, domestic longhaired white cat named Josephine with male cats she owned. The kittens displayed sweet temperaments, pleasing looks and non-matting coats.
- Baker purposely selected cats with the look and temperament she wanted for her breeding program to create the Ragdoll standard now accepted today.
- Identified as one of the fastest-growing breeds in The International Cat Association - second only to the Bengal.
- After many years, this breed was finally recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association in 1993 in the miscellaneous class.
- Today, Ragdolls have earned championship status in all associations except CFA. In CFA, the bi-colors may be shown in the miscellaneous class. The color point and mitted patterns can be registered, but not shown.
Ragdoll Behavior Concerns
- Possess a relaxed, gentle temperament.
- Ragdolls tend to behave politely around children and seniors.
- Fits in nicely in multi-pet households that even include dogs.
- They prefer hanging out on the floor and low-lying spots in the house to being perched on high shelves or tops of refrigerators.
- Male Ragdolls can tip the scale up to 20 pounds, but they are anything but feline bullies.
- Fascinated by water and have been known to leap into full bathtubs or sit on the edge of the tub while their people bathe.
- Referred to as "puppy cats" because of their tendency to happily shadow their favorite people from room to room and maintain playfulness well into adulthood.
- Prone to be overly trusting, so it is important to keep them indoors or supervised when outdoors for their own safety. They possess a non-fighting instinct.
- Capable of easily mastering obedience commands and tricks.
Look of Ragdolls
- Ragdolls sport light-colored coats with Siamese-like points. The coats are medium to long and feel like rabbit fur.
- This breed's big body is muscular and well boned. A fatty pad under the abdomen is common in Ragdolls.
- Its wedge-shaped head feature wide-set ears, a well-defined chin and big, oval-shaped blue eyes.
- All Ragdoll kittens are born white with colors slowly appearing as they age.
- This breed takes up to four years to fully mature.
Grooming Ragdoll Cats
- Its satin-soft coat sheds minimally and does not mat.
- Comb coat weekly to remove loose hairs.
Suggested Nutritional Needs for Ragdoll
- Prone to obesity because they are not active cats.
Fun Facts of Ragdolls
- This breed's Ragdoll name came about from the popular misconception that these cats go completely limp and relax when picked up.
- Female Ragdolls are often nicknamed "Daughters of Josephine."
- The Algonquin Hotel in New York City has kept a cat as its lobby mascot since the 1930s. The current one is a Ragdoll named Matilda.
