The Ragdoll owes its unusual breed name to its relaxed and lovable nature. The Ragdoll loves to be petted and, compared to most cat breeds, is easy to carry around. Ragdoll cats do not fight back when picked up, on the contrary they hang like rag dolls, limp in their hands.
Size: large
Weight: female / male 4.5-6.5kg / 6.5-10kg
Life expectancy: about 15 years
Physique: The medium to large sized cat is muscular and heavy
Coat Colors: The Ragdoll is a pointed cat with Siamese markings and recognized in all pointed colors.
Special features of appearance: Cat hangs limp when picked up, similar to a rag doll. Hence the name.
Breed type: semi-longhair breed
Country of origin: United States
Recognized cat breed by FIFE, WCF, TICA, GCCF
Typical breed diseases: No typical diseases known, HCM and PKD should be ruled out by genetic testing.
The nature of the Ragdoll
Ragdolls are also known as “puppy cats” because of their way of following people everywhere. Unlike many other pedigree cats, their preferred resting place is not overhead, but always close to their owner. She is an ideal family cat who gets along very well with children and other pets.
Appearance
The Ragdoll is a large breed of cat with a long, muscular body, broad chest, and bushy tail. A ragdoll tomcat can weigh up to 10kg, although it does not reach its full size until it is four years old. Female cats remain significantly smaller and reach an average weight of 6 – 7kg.
A Ragdoll cat’s head is medium-sized and wedge-shaped. The large, oval, blue eyes are striking. Your nose should have a slight arch in the upper third. The muzzle is round and tapers to a pronounced chin. The Ragdoll’s ears are medium-sized with a broad base and rounded tips. In addition, they are set wide apart and slightly tilted forward. The compact paws are also striking, with tufts of hair between the toes.
The Ragdoll’s dense, semi-long-haired fur has a soft and silky texture. It lies close to the body and parting in the movement. The fur is longest on the neck, it almost seems as if a bib had been tied around the pedigree cat. The coat is short on the face but gets longer over the shoulders towards the back and is medium to long on the sides.
Colors and coat markings
The Ragdoll is available in the traditional bicolour, mitted, and colourpoint markings and in six colors (seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red and cream). In addition, tabby or tortoiseshell markings are possible in combination with the traditional variants.
History and origin
The semi-long-haired Ragdoll breed originated in California (USA). In 1963, Ann Baker received a male offspring from a pointed cat named Josephine. Like his mother, the little cat had noticeable fur markings – similar to a Birman cat. Its body fur was lighter, while the cooler regions (the so-called points) such as the face, ears, legs, tail and scrotum were colored darker. With him and an unknown long-haired cat, Ann Baker founded the breeding line “Original Baker’schen Ragdolls”. She had the name “Ragdoll” protected and charged a license fee for each offspring. As a result, the newly discovered cat breed was hardly distributed. The fact that the Ragdoll is known worldwide today is thanks to two families who moved away from the “Original Baker’s Ragdolls” philosophy early on. The Dayton family (Blossom-Time cattery) and Chambers (Ragnarok cattery) laid the foundation for the Ragdoll breed standard, which is recognized today.
Notes on keeping a Ragdoll
The Ragdoll is suitable for every home that has a big heart for animals. Whether it’s babies, children, or dogs, the breed is attracted to everyone. If treated well, she can be a child’s best friend. However, she should not remain alone. Anyone who works or is often on the move should opt for another conspecific.
Because if humans are not available for more than 4 hours a day, a cat will quickly become bored or feel lonely. This can then result in psychological problems or uncleanliness.
If it’s a very dominant male, you can either add a (neutered!) female or a much younger male.
In addition, a Ragdoll is happy about regular release to experience adventures in nature.
Attention: Due to the extraordinary fact that she can be picked up like a rag doll and does not fight back, she should always be grabbed with both hands to avoid pain.
