Brief History

The Ragdoll breed was first created by a woman named Ann Baker, from California, in the 1960's by breeding a white female Persian-type cat to a male Birman-type cat. After introducing a female Burmese-type cat into her breeding program, the combination resulted in the Ragdoll breed. For more information on the origination of the Ragdoll breed, click here.

Characteristics/Temperament

Ragdolls get their name because of the way they "flop" (relax) when you pick them up, or even while they're lying around the house. They LOVE to stretch out and lie on their back with their arms and legs lying straight out--it's so cute!

Ragdolls are extremely laid back, docile, NON-AGGRESSIVE cats; they are said to possess a "non-fighting instinct," which is exactly why they are only meant to be indoor cats. They are not very vocal either, although they WILL let you know they want something if they want it bad enough.

Ragdolls are very intelligent and like to please their owners; they are sometimes described as "the Golden Retriever of cats." They can be taught to do things like sit and fetch. One of my Ragdolls fetches a paper ball and brings it back to me!

Ragdolls are very "lovey" and want to be around people, especially their owner. They tend not to run away and hide when people come to visit, but rather engage and socialize with strangers. They are GREAT with kids! My 2-year-old grandson picks them up and lugs them around all the time, and they don't mind at all. They never bite or intentionally try to scratch anyone; they are very gentle and careful about where their claws are. Speaking of scratching...

Ragdolls are EXCELLENT at using a scratching post and NOT your furniture! In fact, your new kitten will most likely already be trained to use a scratching post by the time you bring it home. There is absolutely no need to declaw a Ragdoll, which is why I have a No-Declaw Policy for my kittens.

Ragdolls also adapt very well to other animals in the household, including other cats and dogs.

Physical Description

Ragdolls are commonly described as large, fluffy, floppy cats with broad chests and large blue eyes.The male Ragdoll can reach over 20 pounds in weight, making them one of the largest breeds of domestic cat. The females are usually a little smaller than the males, weighing between 10 and 15 pounds. They are very slow to mature (size and color-wise), so it takes about two years for them to attain their full coat and color. They continue to grow for 3-4 years.

Most all Ragdoll kittens are born completely white and start developing color one to two weeks after birth and continue developing color until 2 years of age! The 'Mink' Ragdolls are born with color that just gets deeper as the kittens get older and some Minks can be known as Solid Ragdolls.

The fur on Ragdolls is very unique--it doesn't tend to mat like other long-haired breeds, although they can still use an occasional brushing (maybe 3 or 4 times a month). The texture is very soft, like rabbit fur, and it sheds very little; therefore, they rarely have hairballs. Mink ragdolls' fur is even softer than Traditional Ragdolls.

Most Ragdolls are "pointed" cats, meaning deeper color shows up in standard points on the body (ears, nose/mask, tail, and feet). There are three standard patterns (colorpoint, mitted, and bicolor) and six official colors (seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red(flame) and cream) can come in any combination of these colors and patterns.

PATTERNS

A colorpoint has dark points, with a lighter shade on the body. They have no white markings.
A mitted has the same points as the colorpoint, with the exception of having pure white "mitts" on the front paws and "boots" on the back legs, as well as a stripe of white fur on the underside, from the under-edge of the chin, along belly, to base of tail.
A bicolor has dark pointed ears, mask, and tail (like the colorpoint), but it has a pink nose and an upside-down "V" shape of white over the nose (in the mask). The body color forms a saddle shape on its back, and the remainder of the cat is white. This one has the most white of all the patterns.
A kitten that ends up with two mitted genes is called high mitted which looks just like a bicolor on the outside but is different genetically, so it is not a "true" bicolor.
A tortie point has random "patches" of the point color along with swirls of cream or red. They may or may not be mitted or bicolor. The tortie pattern only shows up in females but can be "carried" by males.
A lynx point has tabby markings mixed in with the colorpoint, mitted, or bicolor pattern.

COLORS

A seal point has dark brown/black points, with a light tan body color. Similar to Siamese coloring.
A chocolate point is a "dilute" version of seal (the recessive); it has milk chocolate-colored points and an ivory color body.
A blue point has dark gray/blue points, with a frosty light-gray/silvery body color.
A lilac point is the "dilute" version of the blue (the recessive); it has pinkish-gray points, with a frosty white body color.
A flame point has dark orange points and a white body.
A cream point is the "dilute" version of the red (the recessive); it has very light orange/ivory points and a white body.
A seal tortie has cream swirled in with the seal point color, showing "patches" of seal or blue rather than solid on the points.
A blue tortie has cream swirled in with the blue point color.

In addition to the above--are the very rare varieties of 'Minks', which can come in any of the Patterns &/or Colors above. Minks have a slightly plusher coat and a more warm, rich coloring than traditional ragdolls. Minks also have Aqua (sea blue/green) eyes.

Recognition

Ragdolls have championship status in all associations, except CFA. In CFA, bicolors may be shown in the Misc. class, and the colorpoint and mitted patterns can be registered but not shown. This isn't the case in other associations. Ragdolls have done very well in the associations in which they are accepted.

Ragdolls are sold as either pet quality, show quality, or breed quality. Show quality means that they meet the minimum standards for show, and breed quality means that they have ideal colors/markings to be used in a breeding program to uphold and perfect the breed.

A pet-quality kitten is not necessarily one that doesn't meet the standards for showing or for breeding. It may have a blemish or some other variance from the standard, but it may also be that the breeder just chooses not to allow breeding rights for his/her kittens.

Ragdoll Organizations/Clubs

One of the largest, most well-known Ragdoll clubs is the Ragdoll Fanciers Worldwide Club. Their web site offers a vast amount of information regarding the Ragdoll breed. You can visit their website at rfwclub.org