The Ragdoll Cat

The history (and legends) of the Ragdoll breed

 

Many cat breeds date back to ancient times. A Ragdoll cat is a completely different case. This breed did not exist until the 1960s. Its "creator" is Ann Baker from Riverside, California. It was in her breeding of Persian cats that the first litter of ragdolls was born. Ragdoll cats were created from a mixture of Persian, Birman and Burmese cats. In the United States, the first ragdoll was registered in 1965.

 

Ann Baker was a very colorful and quite unusual person. Her specific nature eventually led to a split among ragdoll cat breeders, mainly due to the unspeakable (and unlikely) stories that the breeder spread about the breed.

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The most famous is the one about Josephine the cat. It was a female that gave birth to offspring registered as the first representatives of the Ragdoll breed. According to legend, Josephine was supposed to survive being hit by a car while pregnant with Ragdoll kittens. Only she was driven to live by willpower, which made her give birth to offspring. Therefore, cats of this breed were supposed to be larger than other breeds of medium-sized cats. By accident, they were to acquire unusual features. The physical ones, such as strength and larger size, which allowed them to survive, and the mental ones.

 

It was because of the accident that cats of this breed were supposed to be completely resistant to pain, extremely brave and full of fortitude. Initially, all this had its marketing effect. Ragdolls gained popularity and kittens were worth a fortune. This is just the beginning of Baker's stories!

 

As time passed, they became more and more absurd. At one point, Baker began to claim that the CIA and even aliens were involved in the process of creating the ragdolls! The ragdoll itself was also supposed to be a mix of feline, human and cosmic DNA. This led to a split among breeders who began to turn their backs on Ann Baker and her breeding.

Ragdoll has been recognized among many of the most important feline organizations. Among other things, by the FIFe (Federation Internationale Féline), which gave him its own breed standard. He is classified in the 1st category of Persian and exotic cats, he received his own EMS cat with the designation RAG.

Ragdoll has also been accepted by other feline organizations, including TICA (The International Cat Organisation)

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Like all living beings, ragdolls are not devoid of feeling, and regardless of Ann Baker's claims they do and always did feel pain in a regular way like any other cat does.

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What is definitely true however, and which is a highly unique breed-specific trait of the Ragdolls, to which they owe their name, is the ability to go limb when in owner's hands, which makes them resemble a blue-eyed fluffy ragged doll.

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Facts we know about the breed for sure

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A look that draws attention

 

Ragdoll lovers appreciate the appearance of these cats. You don't have to be a big fan of the breed to see its great charm. Who can resist a purr with beautiful blue eyes?

 

The Ragdoll is a fairly big cat with a wide chest. The Ragdoll's head is medium-sized - broad, and the forehead is slightly rounded. The eyes are oval and set wide apart. Big and always in a beautiful blue color. The ears are wide at the base, gradually narrowing to a pointed tip. The tail is long, thick and majestic, slightly curved in shape. Very densely hairy, tapering at the end. Ragdolls are very muscular cats with a broad, thick bone. When they grow up, their shoulders are as wide as their rump.

 

How much does a ragdoll weigh?

 

The body weight of a Ragdoll (male) can range from 6 kg to 10 kg (usually, however, these are large, neutered specimens which, usually, are given more food than they should).

Females are a bit lighter, weighing about 4 to 6 kg. 

 

Type and color of coat

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Ragdoll fur is very soft and fluffy. Of medium length, extremely silky and with little undercoat.

 

The color of these beautiful cats deserves special attention. Why? What color is a ragdoll? Its color has been a highly debatable thing since the creation of the breed. In a way, these differences also led to a split among breeders in the past.

 

But what is the model Ragdoll? All ragdolls are snow white at birth. It is only after ten days from birth that the beginnings of their proper colour begin to appear. They get their final colour only when they are two or three years old. 

 

All associations accept that ragdolls may have a point coat, which is characterized by darker ears, muzzle, legs and tail, the rest is white. They also recognize coloration:

 

blue,

creamy,

chocolate,

lilac,

dark brown.

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It occurs in three colour variants. We can meet the following types:

 

colourpoint - the color is darker on the ears, muzzle, paws and tail,

seal mitted - a white chin and a belt extending through the entire length of the belly, up to the base of the tail, as well as white "gloves" and "socks",

bicolor - clearly marked, bright triangle on the face.

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Temperature also affects the colour of the Ragdoll's coat. Cats that stay in cool places or go out in winter darken, while those that spend time in warm, heated rooms are lighter.

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Grooming

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Fortunately, Ragdoll care is not problematic. However, it is good to remember to brush his coat regularly.

What care treatments are still important? 

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Ragdoll coat care

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Ragdoll's coat does not tangle or felt. Ragdoll practically does not shed hair due to the small amount of undercoat. All you need to do is brush it once a week. You can do this with a comb and a cat brush. Thanks to systematic brushing, the cat's coat will not only be shiny, in this way the pet will avoid the accumulation of hairballs in the digestive tract.

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What about a bath?

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The Ragdoll does not need frequent baths - just like every cat, it washes itself, licking its fur. Bathing is the last resort, but when it comes to it, you should wash our purr in a special shampoo (preferably one that is designed for long-haired cats). After thoroughly soaping and rinsing the ragdoll with water, it should be thoroughly dried with a towel.

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Ragdoll - character, disposition, temperament 

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Ragdolls are cute, attention-grabbing cats. However, they are loved not only because of their appearance. Character is what really impresses and attracts people. It is it what makes the Ragdoll a one-of-a-kind cat. 

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Ragdoll in relation to people

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It is from the behaviour of the Ragdoll that the name of the breed came from, which after all means a ragged doll. Ragdoll is an extremely relaxed cat (but this does not mean that it does not like to play, which is on the contrary). If you take a Ragdoll in your arms, it loosens up and relaxes, then he becomes limp, just like a ragged doll. It can be worn and cuddled without any resistance. It is a gentle cat. Ragdolls love playing with people and will gladly accompany them in everyday activities, which makes them ideal house cats. They are considered a calm and patient purr, so they will tolerate the company of children well, provided that they treat the cat gently. Ragdoll is also very friendly and trusting.

For this reason, we should not let it go unsupervised. 

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Ragdoll in the company of other animals

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The Ragdoll, due to its friendly nature, will definitely want to make friends with other cats staying at home. It can even make friends with dogs. Let us remember that the socialization of a Ragdoll is very important, we should familiarise it with different places and animals, so that in the future it will not have problems with establishing contacts.

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What does a ragdoll like to do most?

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Ragdoll, compared to cats of other breeds, is not a jumping cat (at most it can jump on windowsills and countertops). Prefers to walk on the floor. It is also not inclined to scratch furniture, preferring to use scratchers. But that doesn't mean it's not fun to play with. In fact, it is said (and proven) about Ragdolls that they are eternal kittens and their love of play does not fade with age.

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