Ragdoll cat

Ragdoll cat is an extremely trusting and friendly cat. Taken on his hands, he slackens like a rag doll. Although the beginnings of the breed were not easy, today ragdoll enjoys the opinion of the “perfect cat”.

Nature

Ragdoll is a cat with a calm, friendly and balanced temperament. Has a slightly phlegmatic, mild character. It is large, but extremely emotional and calm. He likes to play, but does not tend to turn the house upside down. It is not particularly lively – it usually prefers walking on the ground rather than climbing at height. It is also known that the will of scratching your furniture scratching post. This combination paints a portrait of the perfect family cat.

He eats closely with his guardian, constantly looking for contact with him and willingly accompanies him throughout the day, walking like a dog. However, he is not too obtrusive and reminds of his presence only in a quiet and gentle voice. He is devoted and loving, and he doesn’t impose too much.

It is perfect for families with children and for homes where there are other animals. It is non-conflicting, feels good both among other cats and in the company of a dog. The ragdoll cat loves petting and accepts even the most sophisticated games. He has extremely large patience. It is said that ragdoll is an eternal kitten, because his love of fun does not pass with age.

Ragdoll is very intelligent, joyful and inquisitive. He accepts all changes in the environment with his typical stoic calmness. He is a home-type, but he also likes to go outside from time to time. It is easy for him to learn to walk on a leash; can spend time in an aviary or on a balcony protected by a net.

When picked up, the ragdoll relaxes completely and hangs inertly. Ragdoll in English is simply a “rag doll” (hence the name of the breed). Scientists have not yet been able to determine what is the reason for its unusual inertia. Most likely, he inherited it from gentle and calm ancestors, and then was fixed in the population through appropriate selection. Individuals with such traits are sometimes also born without any breeding treatments.

Ragdoll cat. Advantages and disadvantages

Ragdoll – what is it like? Learn its pros and cons!

Disadvantages

• badly tolerates loneliness
• he has a tendency to gain weight, watch his diet
• due to the small genetic base within the breed, he is exposed to many diseases and diseases
• he is very trustworthy – he should never be released unattended

Advantages

• gentle, adorable, likes to be taken on his knees and lets himself be worn on his hands
• is suitable for beginner catwoman, senior and also for families with children
• he likes the company of other animals at home
• his coat is easy to care for
• is a householder, he will be great at home
• is long-lived – representatives of this breed live up to 18 years

Ragdoll cat. Health

Ragdoll is a young breed, which is associated with quite a large kinship in the group of animals (about 45% of the gene pool is genes derived from Ann Baker cats). Unfortunately, due to the small founding base, this cat has a high level of inbreeding, which can certainly contribute to greater susceptibility to diseases.

One study based on data from Swedish insurers says that among the popular breeds of cats, ragdoll has the lowest survival rate. These studies indicate that ragdoll may more often than other cats die from urinary tract problems, mainly kidneys and ureters. Slightly more than other breeds is susceptible to FIP, joint diseases, and periodontal disease. It is not clear, however, whether this problem is specific only to Nordic countries or other countries.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is another common problem in this breed, which can sometimes lead to sudden death. This is a pathological thickening of the heart wall, leading to disorders of its work. Fortunately, since 2007, a genetic test (HCM) has been available. Cats homozygous for this mutation get sick at a young age and usually leave before the age of three. Heterozygotes (with one copy of the gene) get sick later and less seriously.

Ragdolls, especially those with Australian genes in their genotype, are more likely to have mucopolysaccharidosis. The gene responsible for this condition leads to clouding of the cornea, problems with movement in cats, because the disease affects the joints. Although this defect is quite rare in Poland, it is worth asking the breeder about the test result.

Ragdoll should undergo thorough examinations at least once a year to detect possible health problems as early as possible.

Feeding

Ragdoll, like other cats, should be fed high-quality food, ready or natural, type. It is not recommended to give this cat only dry food at all times. Castrated and sterilized cats should receive special food for castrates. You should take care of calories, because ragdoll can easily put on weight.

Care

The ragdoll coat is easy to care for – the hair is not tangled or felted, except for the area behind the ears. So you have to take special care of these places. The rest of the coat is simply combed once a week. We also check the ears and trim the claws. It is advisable to brush your teeth to avoid gum and periodontal disease.

Ragdoll cat. History

Reading the descriptions of the ragdoll breed, we often find the story of a pregnant Persian cat who had an accident. Apparently, this made her kittens resistant to pain and fear. However, this is only a legend. The breed was founded in the USA in the 1960s. Ann Baker, a black Persian cat breeder from Riverside, California, bred her. Ragdoll is derived from crossbreeds of Burmese, Persian and Burmese cats. Therefore, he has a very interesting and dignified mixture in his veins.

Ann Baker founded the independent organization International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA), reserved the name of the breed at the US Patent Office and launched an advertising campaign. She presented this cat as insensitive to pain. It was Ann Baker who made up the story of a cat hit by a car during pregnancy. Hart of the spirit of the mother, the progenitor of the family, who, contrary to the laws of nature, only lived in order not to let the fetuses developing in her womb die, gave the kittens unusual features. They are large, strong, resistant to all adversities. The fact is that when a ragdoll finds itself in the arms of a loving man, he surrenders completely to him. His muscles are flabby, and the cat hangs like a rag doll. The American-style advertising campaign aroused great curiosity among breeders.

Ann Baker went even further. She invented new, uncommon stories about the origin of the breed. According to her, foreign forces or the CIA were involved in this process. When she suggested that ragdoll is a mix of cat and human genes, other breeders began to leave her.

In 1975, a group of breed enthusiasts, led by Denny and Laura Daytons, started breeding outside of IRCA, fed up with Mrs. Baker’s history, and wanting to be recognized by large associations. It was this group that created the pattern that was then accepted by associations such as CFA and FIFe. It cost them a lot of work and effort, because the growing conflicts within the IRCA had an undoubted impact on the increasingly clear resistance of major feline organizations.

In 1994 another group of breeders left the IRCA ranks due to very restrictive rules regarding breeding. To avoid having to pay for the “ragdoll” name, they named their cats “ragamuffin“. Ragamuffins are very similar in appearance and character to ragdolls, but are found in more varieties of color.

In the United States, the first ragdoll was registered in 1965, in Great Britain in 1983. Without any trouble, the breed was registered just after the formation of the second largest organization in the US – TICA – in 1979. But the most important CFA organization in the USA recognized Ragdoll cat only in 1993. IRCA still exists, but since the death of the founder in 1997, it functions as a fairly small association. Cats registered with the IRCA are currently not recognized by any of the major associations of purebred cats breeders. The name ragdoll can now be freely used since 2005, because the reserved rights to the name have expired.

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Ragdoll cat – Half-haired cats – II cat. By FIFe

EMS code: RAG

• Origin: United States
• Character: quiet, gentle, friendly, loving and devoted guardian.
• Activity: calm, slightly phlegmatic, balanced, avoids height.
• Size: large, massive.
• Weight: 4.5-10 kg
• Torso: strong, heavy, long, well-muscled, with a thick bone, with a wide chest – in an adult cat, the shoulders are the same width as the croup.
• Head shape : wide triangle shape; the forehead flattens towards the cranial vault, the chin is strong and rounded.
• Ears: wide at the base, slightly bent forward, with clear brushes.
• Eyes: gentle, large, oval, set quite wide, always intensely blue.
• Nose: Straight, has only a slight depression at the root.
• Tail: quite long, well pubescent, slightly curved and narrowed at the end.
• Limbs: medium length, hindleg slightly longer than the forelegs, which makes the croup a bit higher than the rest of the body; feet large, round, with tufts of hair between the toes.
• Coat: semi-long, thick, silky, glossy; there is a soft and small undercoat, and therefore no tendency to molting and tangling.
• Ointment: acceptable colors vary depending on the organization, but are always in point varieties; the most popular are dark brown (seal) and blue. There are also chocolate, lilac; some associations also recognize cream, red and tortie signs. Recognized point varieties (darker on the mask, ears, tail and legs), point bicolour with a white inverted letter V on the face, white paws and belly, and point mitted (coat only characteristic for ragdoll cats: white chin with a white line on the face, or without it, white “gloves”, “socks”, a white continuous belt from the chin through the stomach to the base of the tail).
• Resistance / susceptibility to diseases: due to the narrow genetic base, the cat is predisposed to diseases.
• Lifespan: 15-18 years

Interesting facts

Ragdoll kittens are completely white after birth. Only when they have 10 days do the first characteristic patterns appear on their hair. It only reaches its final form when the cat is between 2 and 3 years old.

The intensity of the ragdoll’s color depends on the temperature at which it stays. Ragdolls staying for a long time in warm rooms clearly shine, while in rooms with a lower temperature or in cats going out in the winter, the fur may darken.

Ragdoll is one of the largest and heaviest domestic cats (males can weigh up to 10 kg, and reach their full weight at around 4 years old). This breed is growing and maturing for a long time. Ragdoll reaches full physical development at the age of three.

Sometimes you get the opinion that ragdoll is resistant to pain. Absolutely not true. He has only slightly delayed reactions to pain stimuli. Some breeders try not to promote this feature in breeding, based on the correct assumption that this is not good for cats.