Breeders appreciate Ragdolls for their calm, gentle, and placid temperament. Their charm is their beautiful, luxurious long fur and large size. The animals’ appearance is distinguished by an air of nobility. Ragdolls are the most social cats. They do not ask much from their owners; all they want is loving affection. This is one of the most popular cat breeds in the world.
Quick facts
- This feline hails from America and they live around 11-15 years.
- Female cats weigh around 9-13 pounds (4-6 kg) and males weigh 13-20 pounds (6-9 kg).
- Ragdolls can thrive in both private houses and apartments.
- Some traits of these cats are long hair, friendly with children, and most importantly beautiful.
- Ragdolls, like other types of cats, can cause allergy symptoms.
Appearance
Both male and female Ragdolls are big. Females are slender compared to males. The appearance of these animals is unique: they look like Burmese cats, but Ragdolls are much more than that.
Ragdolls have a large head with a defined chin, chubby cheeks, and a small nose, which is adorably concealing a miniature face.
The ears are of average size, set slightly and rounded at the tips. Some have tassels while some do not.
The neck is muscular.
The irises are a vivid blue or light blue, and the almond-shaped eyes are slightly slanted. What sets them apart is the wide openness of their eyes and their positioning.
The body is muscular and elongated, and the chest protrudes forward. There is a small fat fold in the abdomen.
The paws are medium in length — the front ones are shorter than the back ones. Tufts of wool grow between the fingers.
The tail is thin and elongated, without creases, thinner at the end, and well-feathered.
The coat is thick and pleasant to the touch, of moderate length. It is not prone to tangling, since there is almost no undercoat. The maximum length of the coat is on the neck, shoulder blades, and hind legs.
In cats in cold regions, the coat is longer.
Colors
All kittens are born snow-white. The color changes gradually, becomes deeper, and a pattern appears.
The standard recognizes 4 colors:
- Chocolate
- Seal
- Lilac
- Blue
In the chocolate color, ivory dominates, and the markings resemble milk chocolate.
In the seal, a light tan shade prevails, and the markings are darker.
In lilac, the main color is snow-white, and the markings are gray-pink.
In blue, a combination of light and dark gray is traced.
Ragdolls have white whiskers.
Several felinological communities recognize several more colors: tabby, red, cream, and tortoiseshell.
Character
Breeders appreciate Ragdolls for their calm and peaceful disposition. Some consider these animals phlegmatic and lazy, but the definition of “peaceful” is more suitable for them. They adore their owners and are ready to accompany them everywhere. Ragdolls are also called cat-dogs.
These animals have a quiet voice; they do not demonstrate it without reason. They like to play and chase a ball. Ragdolls get tired quickly, they prefer to rest on a soft couch or in a cat house.
The cat’s resting place should be arranged in the room where the owners are. These creatures like to spend time in society, to be the center of attention. They should be protected from drafts — place the couch next to the battery.
As far as their care is concerned, Ragdolls are docile enough to be left unattended with children. Ragdolls are more likely to practice patience than aggression and do not scratch and bite. Nevertheless, parents must supervise interactions between children and pets to ensure nothing harmful happens to the latter.
Perfectly content with being passive, Ragdolls will do anything within their ability to avoid conflicts but rarely get involved in fights, so the moment there is tension at home, they would rather extract themselves from it whilst waiting it out. These lovable creatures must never be yelled at; it is cruel and can lead to melancholia or, in extreme cases, mental distress.
Their hunting instinct is poorly developed. They often make friends with other pets and can get along with rodents and birds. Flying insects do not arouse excitement in them either.
Ragdolls are distinguished by an increased attachment to humans; representatives of the breed cannot be alone for a long time. If the owner is away for a long time, the cat falls into melancholy and may even die.
People who spend a lot of time traveling are better off getting a pet of a different breed.
If the family is going somewhere, you should not leave the cat at home under the supervision of neighbors, it is preferable to take the Ragdoll with you. These animals tolerate travel well, even over long distances. They react calmly to a change of residence, as long as their beloved owner is nearby.
Representatives of the breed have developed intelligence; they can boast of good memory, quickly learn information, respond to a nickname, and are obedient.
A real Ragdoll becomes a “rag doll” in your arms.
History
Ragdolls have been around since the 60s of the last century. Many mystifications are associated with them, and there was even a lawsuit.
The breed appeared thanks to the resourceful American Ann Baker, a resident of California. She was engaged in breeding Persians. One day, Ann saw a beautiful blue-eyed cat named Josephine at her neighbor’s house. Baker acquired her kittens, most of whom had a surprisingly calm disposition. Ann used them to obtain the breed.
Soon the breeder became famous. In her interviews for printed publications, she said that Josephine had been hit by a car, as a result of which she was taken to a clinic where CIA employees experimented on her. Allegedly, this was the reason that the kittens born after the accident were endowed with unusual qualities: reduced muscle tone, high pain threshold, and strange calmness.
There were also suggestions that Ragdolls were of alien origin.
All these statements indicate the eccentricity of the breeder or the advertising move of specialists involved in promoting the breed. One thing is for sure — Ragdolls differ from other breeds of cats in physiology and character.
Rationally thinking felinologists believe that Josephine simply had a special combination of recessive genes. Ann Baker consciously chose animals with the most balanced disposition for breeding.
The new breed was developed from Josephine’s offspring. The kittens were born as a result of her mating with a Burmese cat, in the color of which there were charcoal-gray inclusions.
Ann Baker continued her experiments, setting herself the task of “coloring” the animals in two main tones — snow-white and brown. Burmese cats with rich brown spots were included in the gene pool of the new breed. It is difficult to judge the degree of their thoroughbredness. Ann Baker did not document the first matings, and she loved experiments.
In 1971, the breeder created a private registry, which she called the International Cat Association (IRCA). Thanks to this organization, Ann Baker retained control over the breed standard for several decades. She officially registered the Ragdoll brand. Her organization sold franchises to breeders, and breeders in the IRCA paid license fees. Ragdoll mating had to be carried out strictly according to the instructions. For each animal sold, a 10% royalty was paid. Most felinological communities did not want to recognize IRCA. Soon, breeders and shareholders began to express dissatisfaction with Ann Baker’s “policy” and statements about the origin of the breed and preferred to leave IRCA. This is how the RFCI community appeared. The new organization had a goal to officially standardize Ragdolls and achieve their recognition by leading felinological associations in America. The split of the community led to litigation.
Several decades have passed, but RFCI still managed to fulfill its task — Ragdolls began to participate in CFA championships.
Discussions and lawsuits on the topic of ownership of the Ragdoll brand lasted a long time. Many judges at the championships had difficulty identifying the breed because of its similarity to Burmese cats. Ragdolls also had many features in common with Balinese. This created additional difficulties when registering the breed in felinological communities.
Despite all the above-mentioned vicissitudes, Ragdolls still managed to win the hearts of people in different countries of the world. It is impossible not to love these intelligent, devoted, and beautiful creatures.
Care
Ragdolls are considered neat cats. They can keep themselves clean. These creatures spend a lot of time licking themselves and eating carefully so as not to get dirty. Taking into account the listed features, Ragdolls do not need frequent bathing. Most breeders carry out water procedures for cats once a year or do without them at all.
Ragdolls like to be combed; this manipulation can be performed daily. To do this, you need to buy a brush with natural bristles. First, the head is combed, then the chest, then they move to the abdomen with the sides. In the final stage, the paws are combed. The hair on the tail is “sorted out” by hand.
During the molting period, you can wet your hands and stroke the animal with them — this will help remove fallen hairs.
Although Ragdolls rarely have ocular discharge, it’s still recommended to check their eyes daily. For treatment purposes, specific lotion is utilized, or a sponge is soaked in chlorhexidine and used.
By brushing their teeth regularly and using specific medical paste with a hint of fish or meat that Ragdolls naturally love, these pets can avoid dental-related issues such as tartar, gingivitis, and worse.
If the cat is unable to use a scratching post, its claws will be trimmed manually biweekly.
Nutrition
As large cats, Ragdolls have hearty appetites. You can buy store-bought food for them and cook your food. If the animal is thin and has protruding ribs, the portions are increased. At the same time, it is impossible to allow the cat to become obese; this is fraught with health problems.
Animals that are properly fed have shiny eyes, and the coats are thick and strong, shiny. They are in a playful mood.
Raw food should never come from table scraps, and feeding cats leftover soup is not recommended.
The cat’s body does not synthesize protein. In nature, the animal gets it from meat, which restores strength, is absorbed effortlessly, and forms the basis of the diet.
The meat that the domestic Ragdoll will eat should not be fatty. Rabbit, turkey, veal, or lamb are suitable.
Fermented milk products can benefit the cat’s body — mainly low-fat kefir with cottage cheese.
Eggs can only be given quail; chicken yolk is allowed in boiled form.
Fats help cats replenish their energy reserves. Thanks to them, the appearance of animals improves, bones and muscles are strengthened, and the reproductive system works better. There should be about 20% fats in the cat’s diet. They are found in meat, wheat porridge, and vegetable oils (they are added to boiled cereals a little bit).
The cat’s body also needs carbohydrates. They have a beneficial effect on the brain and normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Carbohydrates are present in boiled rice, wheat, carrots, green beans, and brewer’s yeast.
Specialized complexes can be used to provide the pet with vitamins, but a veterinarian should be consulted first. Potassium is important for the heart, and calcium, along with phosphorus, is important for the bones.
Periodically, you can pamper the Ragdoll with unsalted cheeses and sea fish — hake, salmon, trout. They are given every 7 days. The cat’s diet may also include boiled seafood.
It is recommended to give Ragdolls cereals cooked in water and greens more often. Most animals are not averse to eating dill, lettuce, parsley, and sprouted wheat grains.
What cats should not be given is fatty meats: duck, pork, goose, lamb. The list of harmful products includes:
- fish caught in freshwater bodies
- lard with giblets
- canned food intended for humans
- milk (only kittens can drink it)
- sauces with spices
- vitamins for humans
- drinks other than water
- confectionery
- potatoes and legumes
Cats are also contraindicated in sour and salty dishes.
The animal’s bowl should contain clean water, which is filtered or settled. Make sure that the liquid is not too cold or hot.
Of the store-bought foods, preference is given to those in the holistic or super-premium line. They are enriched with nutrients and benefit the health of cats.
Health problems
Cats of the Ragdoll breed have one peculiarity: they are unable to properly group themselves when falling and jumping, and fall on their side — this is fraught with injuries. For this reason, you should not place your pet’s couch at a height.
Ragdolls often face hip dysplasia. Lameness, and sometimes complete loss of mobility, are consequences of the disease.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is also found in this breed. Thickening of the walls of the ventricle of the heart is not always treatable, with the risk of sudden death.
Another disease — eczema — occurs if you wash the animal with shampoo intended for humans.
A Ragdoll kitten can be purchased at a cattery. It will cost approximately $250 to $1200; the cost depends on the purity of blood.