About Ragdolls

How did the Ragdoll breed originate?

Originally, the Ragdoll is believed to have been developed on the property of a woman named Ann Baker in California around 1965 and primarily owes its existence to a female cat by the name of Josephine. It is believed that the Ragdoll actually began from the combination of a couple of cats between the Ann Baker property and that of her neighbour.

There are so many different stories and rumours about how the breed actually began but generally the breed came about when Ann and her neighbour began an extensive breeding program carefully selecting kittens that were sharing special characteristics.

The foundation cats that were used to establish the breed were called Josephine, Buckwheat, Daddy Warbucks and Fugianna who was actually the first bicolour Ragdoll. It took a lot of time and effort on Ann Baker`s part but eventually Ann`s vision finally came about and we have today an exceptionally wonderful breed that will delight and captivate all who meet them.

So, why are Ragdolls so undeniably special?

Ragdolls are truly an amazing breed offering everything you could possibly want in a cat and a whole lot more in one unique package. They have a stunningly beautiful appearance and an exceptionally trusting, loyal and loving disposition. Sweet and docile, they are an extremely friendly cat very adaptable to most situations and just completely perfect.

A truly special breed that will completely captivate you and steal your heart.

As their name suggests, they are very much like a child's Ragdoll in the respect that when they are picked up or held they do have the ability to become very limp and floppy. Around the house they are very relaxed and you can often find them curled up in their favourite spot laying comfortably on their backs with paws and feet in the air. They love to be held and cuddled like a baby and absolutely love chin and tummy rubs. So affectionate and loving is this breed you can tell they really do cherish time spent with their owner. Ragdolls just love to show affection.

Strictly an indoor cat, Ragdolls absolutely thrive on human companionship and will devote themselves entirely to their owner. They can often be found waiting by doors for their owner to arrive home and will nearly always be in the same room, if not on their owners lap or right by their feet. They are quite inquisitive and mischievious although still very gentle, placid and docile. Due to their very gentle nature they really depend on their owner to offer security and protection. Rarely will a Ragdoll use their claws - it is simply not in their nature to be aggressive.

Completely happy and content in the presence of their owner, a Ragdoll will go out of their way to be next to you, roll playfully onto your feet and always prefer to be cuddled up on your lap purring loudly ! Generally they just love to be with you and will most certainly charm their way into your heart.

Quite often they are referred to as rather “dog like” probably because they do like to always be that one step behind or in front of you and because they seem to always have this incessant need to make you happy or to please you. Completely trainable, they love to fetch balls and carry things about the house in their mouths. They will learn to come to you when called and they are completely entertaining, will find amusement in the simplest of household objects and will bring so much happiness and joy to your home.

Generally, Ragdolls are very quietly spoken with very soft voices but are extremely loud purrers. Regarded as quite a big boned heavy set cat they can weigh 12-20 pounds and absolutely love their food. Females generally weigh less than males but both have the stunning blue eyes, luxurious coat and the generous size that the breed is renowned for. They are exceptionally pretty and are deemed to be a semi longhaired cat although their coat is rather low maintenance due to the factor that it is rather rabbit like and non-matting. Regular brushing once a week is recommended and your Ragdoll will enjoy the attention and time with you immensely.

Health wise, they are a very hardy breed and rarely require medical attention. However, the breed is a rather new breed and as they do not have an extremely large or diverse gene pool, good breeding practices whereby the cats are not bred from too closely related genetic lines are absolutely crucial.

So, what colours and patterns are they available in?

In Australia today there is a myriad of beautiful colours and patterns available although each all share the same special characteristics of the sweet temperament, large size, pretty blue eyes and the silky non-matting fur. Generally, Ragdolls are considered as essentially pointed cats whereby they have colour on their ears, face, feet and tail and a lighter contrasting body colour.

Originally the breed was only bred in the colours of seal, blue, chocolate and lilac. However, in Australia some dedicated and hard working breeders have obtained licences from the relevant cat registering bodies to out cross and introduce new colours / patterns to this wonderful breed.

We now have six very strikingly beautiful colours to choose from which occur in all of the patterns currently available. Colours currently available in Australia include Seal, Blue, Lilac, Chocolate, Flame/ Red and Cream.

The Seal colour is used to describe Ragdolls that have points which are a deep brown in colour. The body of a seal Ragdoll should be a fawn to cream shade although sometimes it is possible for them to be a little darker. The nose and paw pad will be a deep brown colour.

The Blue colour refers to Ragdolls with points that are slate blue or silver / grey. The body colour can be ivory or almost a blue – white and the nose and paw pads should be slate blue coloured.

The Lilac colour is characterized by the points being a lilac to pink – beige. Body colour will always be milky white and the nose and paw pads will always be a pink to lavender shading.

The Chocolate colour is similar to seal although their points will be a light milk chocolate colour. The body will be ivory or cream coloured and the nose or paw pads will be often a burnt rose colour.

The Flame / Red colour will depict Ragdolls that are displaying a reddish almost ginger hue to their points. The body colour is a pale cream or off white and the nose and paw pads are always pink.

The Cream colour refers to Ragdolls that have a somewhat pale cream appearance to their points. The body colour is off white and the nose and paw pads are also always pink.

Overall, all of the colours that Ragdolls are available in are very beautiful and the colour combined with their very distinctive pattern is what makes the Ragdoll an extremely pretty cat that will most certainly be admired by all. The Ragdoll colour and pattern is what truly sets the Ragdoll breed apart from all others.

Ragdoll Patterns include the Colourpoint, Mitted, Bicolour, Tortie and the Tabby or Lynx. The Colourpoint, Mitted and Bicolour remain the three traditional categories with the tabby (lynx) and tortie pattern being two of the more unusual patterns available.

The Colourpoint pattern describes a Ragdoll that has darker colour on their face, ears, legs, feet and tail. The body colour is always lighter than their point color.

The Mitted pattern is very similar to the colourpoint except that Ragdolls displaying this pattern will have cute little white mittens on their front paws. Their back legs will have white extending halfway up and this will give the appearance of long socks or boots. They also have a little white chin and chest and their body colour is always at least a shade lighter than their point colour.

The Bicolour pattern will describe a Ragdoll that is displaying darker colour on their face, ears, feet and tail as well as displaying a face that is characterized by a white inverted “V“. The stomach, all four legs, feet and neck / ruff will also be white in colour. Their body colour will also be at least a shade lighter than their point colour and it is not at all unusual for the bicolour to also display some white markings and colour patches across their back. The bicolour is also characterized by the nose and paw pad being pink in colour.

The Tortie pattern describes a Ragdoll that is displaying more than two colors or shades mixed together on all of their point markings. There can be varying shades of red / cream, light and dark colour and usually the pattern is randomly placed either intermingled or patched.

The Tabby or lynx pattern can be present in all three traditional patterns as well as all of the available colours and really just describes a Ragdoll that has an added striped affect to the face, legs , feet and tail as well as some contrasting white colour on the inside of the ears.

In general, each colour and pattern has its own unique appeal and beauty. However, we at Sugar N Spice have chosen to breed in only traditional colours and patterns as did the founder of this delightful breed, Ann Baker. Our goal is and has always been to ensure that the breed remains true to the original vision.

Points of Interest

The Ragdoll is a slow to mature cat and they will not reach their expected full weight and size until they are approximately four years of age.

Kittens are all born white and their coat colour / pattern will begin to become evident at around 7 - 10 days after their birth. Their coat colourand pattern develops in a gradual process and will not be seen at its full potential until the cat is approximately two years of age

Copyright Mandy Bugeja of SugarNspice Ragdolls.
No part of this document may be reproduced or copied in any form.

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