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Ragdoll Breed
- Temperament: Sweet, Loving, and Social
- Coat Length: Longhair
- Size: A large breed. Males can weigh up to 15-20 pounds, while females generally weigh 10-15 pounds.
- Colors: Ragdolls are a blue-eyed, pointed (darker face, legs, tail, and ears) cat. Ragdolls are lighter color on the body with definite contrast between body and point color. Ragdoll colors may be seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, cinnamon, or fawn.
- Life Expectancy: Many Ragdolls live to their mid- or high teens, however life expectancy varies on factors such as genetics and care.
The Ragdoll is a beautiful large cat with luxurious thick fur. She is delicate, obedient, calm and affectionate.
The Ragdoll is one of the largest domestic cats, third after the Savannah and Maine Coon. Males are significantly larger than females in length and weight. If cats can be called massive, then cats are slender and graceful.
A distinctive feature of the breed is a low muscle tone, which determines the relaxed state of the animal and the ability to literally go limp its owners arms. Simply lifting the cat is enough to understand why it was called a Ragdoll (English “rag doll”).
Personality
The Ragdoll is an incredibly calm and friendly cat. She may seem lazy and phlegmatic, but this is not so. Her state of mind can be described by the word “appeasement”.
A Ragdoll feels especially comfortable when the owner is nearby. The owner is their center of their universe. Ragdolls follow their owner literally on his heels, for which they earned the nickname “dog cat”, “cat-puppy”, “cat-dog”. These cats treat all family members with love and love to "talk" with them. Their voice matches their character - quiet, gentle, like a whisper.
Ragdolls are playful, but not excessively. They are very peaceful and they will not be angered even by children who treat them like toys, dragging them around everywhere. These cats in such cases will simply relax as much as possible, and become whatever the imagination of the playful baby desires. Sometimes this really does not cause them any discomfort, but sometimes they just show patience, despite the fact that such games can be dangerous for them.
Ragdolls avoid conflicts, therefore, if they feel that a quarrel is brewing in the house, they hide, waiting for the storm to subside.
They are very friendly to other animals in the house, even birds and fish do not arouse predatory instincts in them.
Ragdolls are very vulnerable creatures with fine mental health. They should not be shouted at, because they will take it very personally and may become depressed and lose their appetite. These cats cannot stand loneliness at all and are very homesick for their owners, whose long absence can even lead to the death of the animal.
History
The beginning of the Ragdoll breed is clouded in mystery. The Ragdoll breed was developed by Ann Baker in Riverside, CA. It originated in 1964 with the first kittens being named as Ragdolls in 1965
It so happened that Josephine, a cat Anne Baker hit with a car, was placed in a clinic for treatment. After discharge from the clinic, it turned out that the character and behavior of the cat had changed and a strong “inhibition” appeared. Anne said that in the clinic, experiments were conducted on the cat.
Whether this is true is actually unknown, but when Josephine was crossed with a Burmese cat of gray-gray color, kittens with a calm temperment were born. Choosing kittens with a calm temperament and appropriate color, Ann Baker continued to work, trying to bring out two main color lines: “white” and “dark”, using a Burmese.
Currently, the Ragdolls only slightly resemble the Burmese with blue eyes and a little color.
Whether the story with Josephine was true or not, the fact that the Ragdolls have low muscle tone and allow themselves to brake and squeeze without resistance makes them very convenient for keeping in a house with children.
Genetics argue that acquired properties cannot be passed on to offspring. Most behavioral types in cats are congenital and common to most breeds.
Kittens can inherit the temperament of their parents, and their character will be soft, gullible, and peaceful, if they grow up in a harmonious family.
Matching is the main thing in breeding work. It is possible that the aim of her work was just breeding a breed with a balanced, calm character.
The Ragdoll breed was registered in California in 1965. The Ragdoll Club Association has banned cats of other breeds from working with Josephine's offspring. Mating between the descendants of Josephine and the descendants of the long-haired mestizos of the Burmese are made very carefully so as not to spoil the reputation of the Ragdolls.
Major Felinological Associations recognize the Ragdoll breed. Color and color standards differ: American organizations recognize mainly only traditional colors, while European organizations recognize red, cream, tortie and tabby.
Care
Ragdolls are very neat and tidy. They lick their beautiful fur for a long time and thoroughly. It is recommended to bathe them only as a last resort, if the coat is dirty with something, since this procedure causes stress in Ragdolls.
You need to comb them every day.
To do this, use a special brush for long-haired cats.
During molting, the animal needs to be combed with greater care: first, comb the head and chest with a comb, then the neck, back and sides, and finally the legs and abdomen, do not touch the tail. Finally, rub a wet cloth over the cat’s fur to remove any remaining loose fur. During molting, you can use the furminator - a special device for grooming cats and dogs.
Ragdolls have an excellent appetite, but they are not prone to obesity. These large cats need to be fed plentifully, especially up to 4 years, as they continue to grow up to this age. Adult animals are fed 2-3 times a day, kittens - up to 5 times.
Ragdolls like walks. They calmly walk on a leash, and even more, like to be carried.
In no case should these tender, gullible creatures remain unattended on the street: they are not capable of repelling other animals.
And if the Ragdoll is lost, he may not find his way home. Most likely, the cat will hide somewhere, and will patiently wait until the owner finds it.
Ragdoll Health and Disease
Ragdoll owners should always remember the main physiological characteristics of their pets. Muscular relaxation does not allow these cats to always land on their feet. Ragdolls just fall sideways, and this can lead to injuries.
You must tell your childern bout this distinguishing feature of the breed, because children are usually amused by the unusual feline clumsiness.
Despite the fact that these cats prefer to sleep with the owner, the best place to sleep is a low soft bed. This is so they will not have to jump onto the master bed and jump from it, endangering themselves. You need to accustom them to their own bedroom place as kittens.
Kittens should never be allowed to climb to a height where the fall could end fatally.
The most common disease among Ragdolls is hip dysplasia (a congenital malformation of the joint leading to a subluxation or dislocation of the femoral head). This defect can lead to lameness, and in some cases, animals can be immobilized.
Another danger awaiting this breed of cats is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (thickening of one of the walls of the ventricle of the heart). The disease can cause heart failure and sometimes leads to instant cardiac arrest.
Watch your pet carefully: Ragdolls tend to hide their ailments. Why they do this is not exactly known. Among the main theorys are a congenital delicacy and an increased pain threshold. Neither of them has scientific confirmation.
Interesting Facts About Ragdolls
Overly emotional people should not start this breed in the house.
Ragdolls are extremely vulnerable and sensitive: screams and stress can cause them depression.
In conflict situations, the Ragdolls are usually found hiding; they cannot fight off other animals exhibiting aggression.
Loneliness depresses these cats: if no one is around for a long time, they get homesick, lose their appetite and can get sick.
Ragdoll color is strictly standardized. Three species are recognized by felinological associations: colorpoint, mitted, bi-color, each of them has 4 main varieties.
Kittens are born snow white, their full color will appear later, when the animal is 2 years old.
Ragdolls are develop slowly. To procreate, they must be at least 4 years old.
The Ragdoll, the so called "designer breed" , is the fruit of the ambitions of a single breeder, Ann Baker, who certainly wanted to become famous.
Ragdolls accompany many myths and legends. Most of them were created by the breeder herself, trying to stir up interest in the new breed. So, she spread the rumor that Josephine was the victim of a car accident. After recovering, she stopped feeling pain. Allegedly, therefore, the offspring of cats can be taken and rearranged from place to place, like "rag dolls."
It can be seen by this that Ms. Baker was poorly versed in genetics! Such a trait is not inherited.
Anne Baker was undoubtedly right when she named the new breed “rag doll” (“Ragdoll” in English). These cats really have an almost perfect character: they are soft, flexible, adore their owners, and they can bask in their lap for hours, purring sweetly at the same time. They can be taken, grabbed, and shifted from place to place, like a real doll.
The Ragdoll is a cat with canine character traits.
Ragdolls love hugs and love to follow on the heels of their masters. According to reviews, ragdolls are easy to train to play fetch, an unheard of thing for cats, right?
