BREED DESCRIPTION
"If a dog is "man's best friend," then it must also be said that Ragdoll cats are "man's best companion." More than pets, Ragdolls are true companions. The Ragdoll cat has many special features. The Ragdoll's sweet temperament is probably its most outstanding trait. Ragdolls are large, bulky and handsome cats. They have been commonly referred to as "the gentle giants" - because in spite of their handsomeness and grace, they are extremely even-tempered and docile. Able to steal your heart and make you wonder exactly who owns who, Ragdoll cats quickly adapt. They fit right into your life and fill it with "Ragdoll Magic!" Ragdoll cats charm their owners with funny, as well as tender moments. The character traits of this breed alone makes it special! However, the physical aspects, build, and "looks" of the breed will further impress your fancy." - Ragdoll-cats.com COLORS AND PATTERNSOriginally, as the Ragdoll breed was introduced by Ann Baker, it consisted of three distinct color patterns. Since then, through careful consideration and monitored breeding the breed expanded. Ragdolls now come in the many of the following six colors: Seal Point, Blue Point, Chocolate Point, Lilac Point, Red Point and Cream Point.
"Chocolates & Lilacs are diluted colors, therefore harder to maintain and find in the breed, there are many breeders who sell kittens as chocolate and lilac, when in reality they are just washed out blues or seals. There are few breeders who focus on keeping these colors in the breed" -WillowTreeRags.com Pleas keep aware, that ALL RAGDOLLS HAVE BLUE EYES. Ragdolls are a pointed breed so in order to have a purebred Ragdoll, your Ragdoll must have blue eyes. |
ABOUT RAGDOLLSThe Ragdoll is a cat breed with blue eyes and a very distinct colorpoint coat. It is large and muscular semi-longhair cat with a soft and silky coat. Developed by American breeder Ann Baker, it is best known for it docile and placid temperament and affectionate nature. The name "Ragdoll" is derived from the tendency of individuals from the original breeding stock to go limp and relaxed when picked up.
HISTORY In the 1960s, a regular non-pedigreed white domestic longhaired cat named Josephine, who had produced several litters of typical cats, was injured in an accident involving a car and taken to the veterinary hospital at the University of California. Josephine was of a Persian/Angora type and had litters sired by several unknown male Birman or Burmese-like cats, one of which had the Siamese point coloration. After Josephine recovered, her next litter produced kittens with a docile, placid temperament, affectionate nature, and a tendency to go limp and relaxed when picked up. When a subsequent litter produced more of the same, Baker purchased several kittens from the owner who lived behind her, and believing she had something special, set out to create what is now known as the Ragdoll. The breed was selectively bred over many years for desirable traits, such as large size, gentle demeanor, and a tendency to go limp when picked up, as well as the striking pointed coloration. Out of those early litters came Blackie, an all black Burmese-like male and Daddy Warbucks, a seal point with white feet. Daddy Warbucks sired the founding bi-color female Fugianna, and Blackie sired Buckwheat, a dark brown/black Burmese-like female. Both Fugianna and Buckwheat were daughters of Josephine. All Ragdolls are descended from Baker's cats through matings of Daddy Warbucks to Fugianna and Buckwheat. Baker, in an unusual move, spurned traditional cat breeding associations. She trademarked the name "Ragdoll", set up her own registry ca. 1971, the International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA), and enforced stringent standards on anyone who wanted to breed or sell cats under that name. The Ragdolls were also not allowed to be registered in other breed associations. The IRCA is still in existence today but is quite small, particularly since Baker's death in 1997. IRCA cats are not recognized in any major cat breed organization or cat show. In 1975, a group led by a husband and wife team, Denny and Laura Dayton, broke rank with IRCA with the aim of gaining mainstream recognition for the Ragdoll. Beginning with a breeding pair of IRCA cats, this group eventually developed the Ragdoll standard currently accepted by major cat registries such as the CFA and theFIFe Since the spread of the Ragdoll breed in America during the early 1960s, a breeding pair of Ragdolls was exported to the UK. This was followed by eight more cats to fully establish the breed in the UK, where it is recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy In 1994, a second group decided to leave the IRCA and form their own group due to increasingly strict breeding restrictions. This group later established the Ragamuffin breed. Because Baker owned the rights to the name "Ragdoll", no offshoot groups were legally able to call their cats Ragdolls, until 2005, when the trademark on "Ragdoll" was not renewed. The largest international Ragdoll breed club is the Ragdoll Fanciers' Club International (RFCI). |
KOZY RAGDOLLS |