Above is a video of one of our previous kittens, Calvin, doing the Ragdoll Flop. Thanks Lori!!

History of the Ragdoll Breed

The Ragdoll Breed was first created in the 1960’s when Ann Baker began perfecting the breed. Josephine was the founder mother cat of the Ragdolls, and she was a Solid White Angora/Persian looking cat. It was said that Josephine was hit by a car and afterwards her kittens had more docile personalities. There is also a rumor that Ann Baker started that said that Josephine was taken to a lab and she was used for “testings” which is what caused the drastic changes in the Ragdolls personality compared to other cats.

As Ann began creating the Ragdoll Breed, she bought kittens from her neighbor that had taken Josephine in. They say the kittens were sired by an unknown male, but that he was a Birman or a Burmese-like cat which is where they get their Siamese point coloration.

The kittens that Ann used that started the breed include: Daddy Warbucks– A seal point with white feet (Where we got the Mitted pattern) and Blackie– A black burmese-like male. Daddy Warbucks then sired a female, Fugianna, who was the founding bicolor female. Blackie also sired a female, Buckwheat, who was a dark brown/black burmese-looking. Fugianna and Buckwheat were both daughters of Josephine, and the Ragdoll breed continued to expand by using Fugianna and Buckwheat and breeding them to Daddy Warbucks.

About the Ragdoll Breed

Ragdolls are one of the largest domesticated breed of cats. Usually weighing over 12 pounds for females and over 15 pounds for males. Ragdolls are known for their striking blue eyes because they are a pointed breed, the more intense blue is preferred in the show hall. The breed is also known for its very soft “plush” coat. The Ragdoll doesn’t have a thick undercoat, so this reduces shedding and matting. There are some people that have noticed that Ragdolls are slightly hypoallergenic because of not having a undercoat, but they aren’t completely as they still have dander and saliva which some people are allergic to.

The temperament of the Ragdoll might be what sets this breed out the most! Described as being “puppy-like”, floppy, docile, and extremely affectionate. You will find that you are never alone because your Ragdoll will follow you from room to room, and will sing you songs outside the door when you’re in the bathroom. As you can see from the video above, Ragdolls give no resistance to being flopped over and held like a baby. In fact. they even enjoy it!! This is one of the MANY reasons Ragdolls are such a great breed for children, but also a reason to advise children holding the cat/kitten. Ragdolls won’t put up much of a fight if a child happened to pick them up wrong by their neck, and they will flop like this even when the are dropped which could also hurt them. Because they are so affectionate, it is recommended that Ragdolls are never let outside alone. They must be with someone at all times, and on a leash or in an enclosure if you can! Ragdolls will see a car coming and will flop over on the road thinking it’s coming to pet them…. they’re that affectionate!

The Ragdolls Patterns and Colors

The Ragdoll comes in 4 patterns, and a variety of colors. The 3 base patterns are colorpoint, mitted, and bicolor. There is also the 4th overlaying pattern called Lynx/Tabby. The Lynx gene can be paired with any color combination and pattern combination, so I like to explain it like it is just the top layer. For all these patterns, it would be a fault in the show ring to have any white on the ears or tail/tail tips.

Colors for the Ragdoll breed include: Seal- dark brown almost black, Blue- Gray, Chocolate- light brown, Lilac- light gray, Flame- Dark Red, Cream- Light Red. There is also the tortie coloring which looks like a calico. The tortie colors can be the same as the other colors! Seal/Flame Tortie, Chocolate/Flame Tortie, Blue/Cream Tortie, and Lilac/Cream tortie.

Colorpoint: The Colorpoint pattern has darker/pointed feet, tail, face, and ears. The perfectly marked colorpoint has no white one it, but sometimes they will get some white on their chest or other areas which actually disqualifies them from the show hall. A colorpoint needs to have no white to be able to participate in the show.

Mitted: The Mitted pattern can be a little harder to understand. The front paws are white/mitted, and it is preferred that the white goes to the bend of the cats “wrist”. They also have white boots in the back, and it is preferred that the white goes to at least the hock or “knee” of the cats leg or even slightly higher than that. The last thing that the mitted pattern has is a white chin that continues from the chin, down the neck and chest, through the belly, and all the way to their bum!

Bicolor: The Bicolor pattern is one of the most popular patterns. It starts with the inverted V on their face. This V is preferred to reside between the inner and outer corners of the eye, but it is best when it is right through the middle of each eye. You also want this V to be as symmetrical as possible if you are showing, and there can be no dark marks inside the V including a dark chin. As you continue, the Bicolor pattern should have all white feet and a white belly. On their back, they have a color “saddle”, which can be a solid color, or it is allowed to be broken with white.

Lynx: The overlaying lynx pattern creates stripes. These stripes are usually found the most dense on the face, legs, and some on the tail. The lynx pattern will not be found in the white areas of the cat, like mittens on a mitted or the inverted V on a Bicolor.