The Ragdoll – a breed portrait
The Ragdoll cat enchants with its gentle nature and the diverse coloring.
The breeding of the cat
In the 1960s, Ann Baker crossed a white cat with a Burmese-like male in California. The litter was named by the Californian Ragdoll, after the character from the children’s book Raggedy Ann. The name of the new cat breed Ragdoll was patented. In the early 1980s, the animals came to Europe.
Physique and fur
The large cats are an imposing appearance and have a muscular body. No cat lover can resist the bright blue eyes. The half-length hair dress is dense with very little or no undercoat. The tail is bushy and well hairy. The particularly lush fur on the neck forms a mane. The fur of the Stubentiger is easy to care for, because due to the special condition, the hairs do not tend to mattor or knot.
Character of the cat
The animals are very friendly and gentle creatures. They get along well with children and pets. However, they do not like to be alone, quickly boredom spreads with this breed. Ragdolls are often referred to as dogs among cats because they are so human-related and follow their owners at every turn. The breed is curious and courageous. Since the velvet paws are particularly socially capable, they should always be kept in pairs. The gentle character and the quiet voice of the trusting breed make the animals a pleasant roommate.
Numerous colours
The colours of the coat range from blue and seal to chocolate and lilac to red and cream. The main features are the dark mask on the face and the point gene, which allows the white-born boys to develop their color only after a few weeks of life.
Special features of the cat
The cats have the final fur-coloring only at the age of four, which however still darkens in the course of the cat life. A color exception is the Solid Ragdoll, whose fur is full-color without points and which does not have to have blue eyes, but often even has different colored eyes. It is also interesting that the cat is even in the Guinness Book of Records. Which is not surprising because of the proud body weight. After all, females weigh up to seven kilograms and males up to nine kilograms.