A cat that looks like a rag doll? Not exactly! The Ragdoll is definitely a cat breed for friends of the Siamese and other point cats. The gentle giants are not only convinced with their beautiful fur, their extraordinary color, and bright blue eyes …
Appearance: Big Cats With Half-length Fur
The large ragdoll with a broad chest and muscular body stand out above all for its soft fur. The medium-length fur has a silky structure and only a little undercoat, which means that it lies close to the body. It almost gives the animals the appearance of cuddly toys. This is intensified by the ruff that is often present.
The head of this cat is medium-sized and tapers down to the rounded, widely spaced ears. In addition, the legs are a little longer at the back, which leads to a slightly sloping backline. A trademark of the Ragdoll is the bright blue eyes.
The Ragdoll is one of the large breeds of cats. Females weigh up to 6.5 kilograms, males up to 9.5 kilograms. With a shoulder height of up to 40 centimeters, Ragdolls also reach a length of up to 1.20 meters from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.
What is a fully grown Ragdoll? One reads this question a lot. In fact, it takes a comparatively long time for this large breed of cats to reach their final size. Ragdolls are not fully grown until they are around three to four years old.
The Different Colors of the Ragdoll
Like the Siamese, the Ragdoll is one of the “point cats”. The points only show up on the face, ears, legs, and tail. A white drawing hides the color in the middle of the body.
Each coat color can also appear as a point color. Various colors are allowed for the Ragdoll: Seal, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac, Red, and Cream Point are typical colors of pedigree cats.
The official drawing variants are called Colourpoint, Mitted, Bicolor, Tabby, Tortie, and Torbie.
- Colorpoint: The Colourpoint shows a full mask, like other Point cat breeds.
- Mitted: Mitted Ragdolls have a white chin and often white stripes on the nose in addition to the point markings. The balls of the feet are pink. She also wears white gloves and white boots on her hind legs.
- Bicolour: These Ragdolls also have a clear point mark, but their basic color is lighter. You wear a mask with an inverted V that starts at the forehead and ends at the base of the tail. The legs are white.
By the way: As point cats, Ragdoll kittens are born white and only develop their final color after three to four years of age.
Temperament: Ragdolls are Gentle Giants
Ragdolls are considered to be very social cats. They are gentle, good-natured, peace-loving, and eager to learn – but above all, they are cuddly and playful. They like to follow their humans wherever they go. That is why many also refer to them as “dogs in the shape of a cat”.
Ragdolls fully join their human family. Nevertheless, a feline playmate should not be missing in the Ragdoll household. For a long time, cats were considered loners, but social animals like the ragdoll in particular benefit from coexistence with conspecifics.
Incidentally, the ragdoll has given its name a special trait. If you take a ragdoll in your arm and it is relaxed, it will go limp – similar to a rag doll. Rather untypical for cats, the Ragdoll can be worn with great pleasure and perseverance. This quality is attributed to the special trust that these gentle giants have in humans.
Keeping the Ragdoll: Also as an Indoor Cat
The gentle ragdolls are ideal for keeping in the apartment, but they are also happy to have a cat-safe balcony or garden.
If you live exclusively in an apartment, you should also make sure that you give your kitty enough mental and physical capacity. In plain language, this means: Don’t save on playing time with your ragdoll. Staying alone for a long time is also not recommended for the very social animals.
The right apartment for a Ragdoll shouldn’t be too small, after all, it belongs to the larger cat breeds. Intelligently installed climbing options such as a high scratching post or window loungers offer the cat a “third dimension”. You can use it for a nap, to observe the surroundings, or to climb and play as you wish.
A real Ragdoll has no problem with children or other pets. Some specimens are said to even have their little masters disguise themselves. Her calm and serene nature makes her a wonderful family cat in every way.
Care: How Often and When Do I Have to Brush a Ragdoll?
The medium-length coat of the Ragdoll is considered easy to care for due to the lack of an undercoat. However, you can make weekly grooming much easier if you get your cat used to the comb and brush as a child.
As people-friendly, cuddly animals, very few ragdolls have a problem with being petted and brushed extensively by their humans. On the contrary: Many Ragdolls enjoy regular grooming sessions to the fullest.
During the change of coat in spring and autumn, however, ragdolls benefit from brushing them daily. You should pay particular attention to the hair under the armpits. There they tend to get matted during this time.
Since cats naturally invest a lot of time in their own fur care, loose hairs often get into the digestive tract of the animals. You can make it easier for your cat to shed swallowed hairs naturally with cat grass, special treats, or malt pastes. These little extras are especially useful if your ragdoll is prone to constipation. In addition, the risk of hair formation can be reduced in this way.
Health: Which Diseases are Common in Ragdolls?
Ragdolls are also considered a problem-free and uncomplicated breed in terms of health. However, most living things are predisposed to certain inheritable diseases. Linebreeding can reinforce this if necessary. Unfortunately, the Ragdoll is no exception here.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) deserves a special mention here. It is considered to be the most common heart disease in cats. HCM is caused by a thickening of the heart muscle and can be diagnosed by a heart ultrasound. There is now also a genetic test for HCM. In this way, responsible breeders can exclude sick animals from breeding at an early stage.
If your Ragdoll is spared this and other diseases, you can look forward to twelve to 15 happy years with your cat.
Buy: Ragdolls From a Responsible Breeder
A professional breeder regards their cats as family members. He takes responsibility for his animals and their offspring. This also includes sensible mating of the individual cats, good health care, and a species-appropriate environment and diet.
The kittens should never be given to their new owners before they are twelve weeks old. Kitties need at least three months to learn everything that is important to a cat from their mother and siblings. Since this is an exhausting time for the cat mother, responsible breeders make sure there is enough closed time between the individual Ragdoll litters.
Of course, all of this has its price. A breeding animal now costs from 1,000 dollars upwards. If you add up all the costs that a breeder incurs during the first three months of a kitten’s life, it is very clear: a breeder will not get rich with it. After all, he has to bear any stud fees. In addition, there are costs for the food and the veterinary visits with the cat mother and the kittens. Membership in the breeding association and the eventual issuance of papers are further factors.
Cat lovers who are fascinated by the Ragdoll but cannot afford the high purchase price may find what they are looking for in the animal shelter. Many cats are waiting for a good new home here – including many pedigree cats.
Origin: a Young Breed of Cats
The origin of the philanthropic ragdoll lies in California in the 1960s. Ann Baker was the founder and first breeder of this breed. With an “angora-like” cat named Josephine and other (unspecified) female animals, she established a line breed. Ann Baker’s breeding tomcat is said to have already corresponded to the type of today’s Ragdolls: tall, with half-length fur and beautiful blue eyes.
As is often the case in breeding circles, there were unfortunately interpersonal problems here. When Ann Baker patented the name Ragdoll and levied taxes on each animal from her lines, many breeders split off from the original line. They subsequently made breeding what it is today.
The Ragdoll is not only a very young breed but also the first cat breed for which a patent was ever applied.
