Ragdolls are a large, semi-longhaired, pointed cat with captivating blue eyes. As pointed cats (darker color on their faces, ears, legs and tail) they come in a variety of colors and patterns. One pattern, the colorpoint has no white. The other patterns, mitted, bicolor and van, have white. The mitted pattern has white on the chin, belly stripe, front paws and back legs. The bicolor pattern has more white with all four paws, underbodies, chest and an inverted V on the face. The van pattern has the most white with the color showing on the ears, top of the mask, tail and possibly a few spots on the body. The Ragdoll coat is medium longhair with no undercoat which results in less shedding and matting. Their coats tend to be plush, silky and very soft and require minimal combing to look nice. Ragdolls come in seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red and cream colors.
Ragdolls are laid back, people friendly and make affectionate companions. Ragdolls were developed in the 1960’s by Ann Baker, a breeder in California. The original cats were bred from free roaming cats or other cats she owned, with the first being a long haired domestic white cat named Josephine. The kittens Josephine produced had very nice personalities with unique laid back temperaments and were large in size. By working with these offspring, the Ragdoll breed was born. Today’s Ragdoll males are large cats often weighing 15- 20 pounds. They are well balanced, heavy boned and give the air of subdued power. Females are proportionately smaller and usually weigh in at 10-15 pounds. Kittens are born all white and develop color in the days and weeks following their birth. Ragdolls are slow maturing, reaching their full size and weight after 4 years of age. They continue developing coat color for up to two years.
Ragdoll popularity has been on the increase due to their friendly nature. It is not unusual for them to greet you at the door, follow you from room to room, or even play fetch. Ragdolls are strictly indoor cats and do well with early spay or neuter techniques. They are also quick to learn to use scratching posts and rarely extend their claws during play time. They do well with children and adapt to other pets in the home.
Breed Chair: Shelley Wood
