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Brief History
During the middle part of the 1960’s a cat breeder known as Ann Baker
developed this breed by crossing a female cat of Persian decent with a Seal
Point Birman. A male product of this union then mated with a Burmese breed
and the resulting breed came to be known as Ragdoll. Baker continued to
breed both pointed and solid Ragdoll varieties. The earlier pedigrees were
bred in different colors including white, black, tortie, lynx, smoke and
mink. Baker stated that the use of the solids varieties was for the
maintenance of the size, enhancement of eye color as well as many other
features of the breed. This breed was formally established as a pure variety
by the NFCA (which is now defunct) in the year 1965. Denny and Laura Dayton
took on the job of breeding this variety at the end of the 1960’s. The
couple founded Ragdoll Society that later changed to Ragdoll Fanciers Club
International or RFCI.
General Description
The Ragdoll cat is deep-chested and has a compact, muscular physique that is
quite impressive for a house cat. It has a long and silky coat which may
have four designs including mitted, bi-color, van or colorprint. The main
colors for their coats are seal, red, lilac, cream, chocolate and blue. They
may have points on certain parts of their bodies like the ears, face, legs
and tail. This is clearly evident with the Siamese varieties. Ragdolls are
usually slow to develop and do not fully mature until the point when they
have a completely developed coat that is between 3 and 4 years of age. When
they get to maturity, their profile is curved and they develop a large rear
end. One of the major highlight of this breed is their eyes, which are big
and blue. Their eyes give them a warm and inviting facial expression.
Temperament
Ragdoll cats have a laid back personality and are never known to get into
confrontation unless provoked into it. They can be submissive to other
animals therefore it is not advisable for them to be left outside. Due to
their affectionate and loving nature, Ragdolls are able to make wonderful
companions. They remain playful at all times and always sheath their claws.
They are therefore ideal for households that have children. Ragdoll likes to
follow people around showing their tenderness towards them. Their
intelligence and receptive nature allows them to be easily trained and all
this can be achieved using some encouragement. Unlike some other varieties,
Ragdolls are not destructive in nature. These cats are not vertically
inclined therefore they do not like climbing up on things.
Health and Care
Since Ragdolls hardly shed much fur, there is not much grooming needed to
keep their coats in good condition. However, some occasional brushing would
be welcomed by the cats. Other necessities that should be availed for
Ragdolls to thrive include a good diet, fresh water, vaccinations and
veterinary check-ups. This breed is not known to have a specific medical
risk although some specific gene pools may experience some inherited
disorders.
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