Have you ever seen a cat lying on its back at the foot of a bed with its legs in all directions and its head hanging over the edge, almost as if the spine did not exist?
In that case, the chances are high that it was a ragdoll you saw. This flexible fluff ball is an affectionate buddy with a heart of gold.
Background
Ragdoll is a relatively new breed that can be traced back to California around the year 1960. It all started at the home of Ann Baker who wanted to develop a large, long-haired cat breed with a quiet personality. Ragdoll arose when Baker mated the white female cat Josephine with various long-haired male cats of unknown origin who lived in the neighborhood.
She selected the cats that had the characteristic Himalayan drawing (masking), and among the earliest breeding cats were, for example, Burmese and Burmese cats and Persian cats. This created two breeding lines with light and dark colors and drawings, respectively.
All of today’s ragdoll cats can be traced back to any of these lines.
The breed was not officially registered until the 1990s, but it grew extremely fast and is today one of our most popular cat breeds.
Personality
Ragdoll cats are calm, friendly and affectionate. Its main characteristic is probably the ability for total relaxation á la rag doll. Therefore, do not be surprised if the cat falls asleep on its back in your lap with its legs spread in all directions.
Ragdoll cats are extremely loving towards their families. They are always curious about what you are doing and often come sneaking and buffing you with their heads. However, they are not very demanding of attention, only they can be close to you and come and go as they please. The ragdoll cat is easy to live with: it is social and gets along well with most people and animals, such as other cats and dogs. Most people like children and are happy to join in and play when given the opportunity.
Appearance, size and weight
Ragdolls are large cats that can look quite pompous with their thick fur, especially in winter. Female cats usually weigh between 4-6 kg while males can weigh up to 9 kg. The cat grows slowly and it can take several years before it is fully grown. It has a large, powerful body with a robust neck, round paws and bushy tail. The head is broad and softly triangular with a slightly rounded nose and medium-sized ears with rounded tips.
Color
The Ragdoll breed has three pattern variants: “mitted”, “bicolor” and “colorpoint”. The first two have white elements, which the colorpoint variant lacks. Ragdoll is one of the few cat breeds where white elements are allowed on mitted-drawn cats. The cat has light blue eyes and a light body with a darker face, ears, legs and tail. The face can either be solid darker or there may be a white Himalayan drawing around the nose and mouth.
Fur care
The rag doll usually has an easy-care coat. It should be silky, which means that it does not feel so light. It needs a thorough combing at least once a week all year round. Be especially careful with the combing on the stomach and around the legs.
Special characteristics of the breed
The ragdoll cat is known for its flexible body that really knows the art of relaxing completely. It can sleep pretty much any way. However, this does not mean that the cat does not feel pain or that you can hold it anyway. Always support the cat properly with both hands when carrying it, otherwise it may be injured.
Hereditary diseases
Ragdoll cats are generally healthy, but like other purebred cats, they can be inherited. One such disease is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) which is the most common heart disease in cats in general. It means that the heart muscle thickens, which can be detected with an ultrasound examination.
Lining
Ragdoll cats are relatively large, but that does not imply any special requirements in terms of food. In fact, ragdoll cats rarely need special food. If you have a neutered cat, you need to pay attention so that it does not become overweight!
Read more about how to choose the right food for your cat.
5 facts about ragdoll cats
- The ragdoll cat can become completely unfaithful, just like a rag doll.
- Ragdoll cats are very loving and social.
- They get along well with children as well as other cats and dogs.
- Ragdoll is a relatively modern breed that was bred in California in the 1960s.
- The coat is long and feels light, so it needs to be combed regularly.