Review author: “ZooVita”
Our pets are very different not only in appearance, but also in character. Some demonstrate independence, others can even be aggressive or, conversely, personify absolute love for a person. The Ragdoll cat has these qualities; She gets sincere pleasure from communicating with a person!
History of the Ragdoll cat breed
The world learned about the existence of the Ragdoll breed in the mid-60s. Comes from the USA. The Ragdoll cat was born thanks to a Persian breeder and simply a great lover of animals.
Ragdoll is the result of mating the Angora cat Josephine, a spectacular blue-eyed beauty with snow-white fur, with a Burmese cat. Both parents had a calm, easy-going character.
The breeder's goal was to pass on these qualities to subsequent offspring. And so it happened. The resulting kitten and its offspring became the first to be recognized by the national cat fanciers' association. The Ragdoll is the only officially patented breed.
Interest in the Ragdoll cat breed was fueled by mysterious stories from the breeder. In some, she talked about the almost alien origin of kittens. Be that as it may, they have no equal in their phlegmatic nature; they are truly extraordinary creatures.
Ragdoll literally translates to “rag doll, patchwork doll.” Kittens fully fit this definition. Their distinguishing feature is complete amorphism. They allow themselves to be bothered and squeezed, receiving sincere pleasure from it.
From their mother, the kittens inherited a fluffy coat and expressive eyes of a beautiful blue color. From dad - dark color on the face.
History of the origin of the breed
The history of the origin of the species began in the sixties of the last century. It contained many mystical details, and even included trials.
The variety of cats arose thanks to a woman from California, Ann Baker, who was breeding Persian cats. One of the cats, named Josephine, was a mixed long-haired breed (approximately Angora and Persian) and was the pet of a breeder's neighbor. Anne acquired Josephine's offspring, who had a calm disposition. She used it to breed a new breed.
The first kitten from Josephine was born thanks to her mating with a Burmese cat, which had a charcoal gray color. Carrying out further selection work, the breeder decided to create other shades for the “rag dolls,” namely white and brown. To do this, she attracted a Burmese cat with dark brown spots to breed.
When the breeder became famous, in an interview she admitted that Josephine was hit by a car and ended up in a hospital, where secret genetic experiments were carried out on her under the direction of the CIA. After this, the cat produced offspring that had low muscle tone, an increased pain barrier and an unusual calm disposition. Next, Anne carefully selected the calmest kittens for mating.
In 1965, the species was registered as the Ragdoll cat or Ragdoll ragdoll. Sometimes the name Red Gol appears in the media - it’s still the same breed, it’s just that it’s rarely found in other countries, it’s more of an American type of cat. This is why many people make mistakes in spelling and pronunciation of the name of the breed.
It wasn't until several decades later that the rag doll community had the breed compete in championships.
Description of the Ragdoll cat breed
- Large peace-loving cat. The Ragdoll is in third place in size after the Savannah and Maine Coon cat breeds
- Low muscle tone - a cat, when picked up, will go limp, like a rag doll, hence the name of the breed
- Attachment to the owner
- Not aggressive at all
- The emotional state of Ragdolls is so vulnerable that if quarrels often occur in the owner’s family, the animal can become depressed
- When aggressive from other cats, it tries to leave, and may act disgusted, shaking off its paws.
- Loneliness can make you sick.
Ragdoll personality traits
The Rag Doll cat breed is unique in its character. It is very difficult to find a creature more devoted to humans in the cat world. The Ragdoll cat literally follows on the heels of its owner. She enjoys spending time on her lap and often sleeps with people, nestling at their feet.
The kitten's behavior fully reflects its second name. A rag doll loves to be stroked, caressed and even cuddled. That is why it is a desired gift for children. It is difficult to find a more pliable living toy for a child.
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Due to their sociable nature and high attachment to human society, Ragdoll cats cannot easily tolerate separation, even if it is temporary. They need someone to always be there. Very often these pets are called lazy and phlegmatic. But such a calm temperament can be called ideal for a cat that creates home comfort and gives love and attention to the family.
Thanks to their high intellectual abilities, kittens are easy to train. They not only quickly get used to the tray, but also master simple commands, which is not typical for all purring creatures. Ragdoll cats obediently walk on a leash, which sometimes reminds them of dogs.
There are no owners in the world who can leave a negative review of the ragdoll’s character.
Ragdoll cat size
Ragdoll is a large cat. The established standard has a number of rules:
- The body is long, massive, muscular
- Sagging belly, relaxes even more with age due to weak muscles
- Decreased muscle tone – constant relaxation of the body
- Eyes blue, bright blue
- The coat is thick, very soft, with virtually no undercoat, so tangles do not form. Puffy collar at the neck. As the weather gets colder, the fur becomes even thicker. The standard allows for a long to medium coat length, but breeders prefer longhair.
For information: crossing Ragdolls with individuals of other breeds is prohibited; the offspring are considered a crossbreed.
How much does it cost and where to buy
In Russia and Ukraine, you can buy ragdolls only in a few specialized nurseries. If you neglect this rule, then in the future an aggressive cat will grow up.
Show class Ragdoll kittens are sold in Moscow at prices ranging from ten to 35 thousand rubles. Breed class kittens are much cheaper, but they include only females.
How to choose a kitten
Kittens of this breed are always born white, but the color begins to show itself only at two years of age. First of all, you should pay attention to the character of the future pet. He should be cheerful and playful, and the kitten should be completely relaxed in his arms.
What to name a ragdoll cat
There are no restrictions on names according to the TIKA system, that is, there is no need to name cats with a specific letter of the alphabet.
How to distinguish a ragdoll from other breeds
The Ragdoll and the Sacred Burmese differ in:
- Ragdoll cats are large and have thick legs.
- The “doll’s” head is wedge-shaped with noticeable cheekbones and cheekbones.
- A look of surprise due to the special structure of the Ragdoll's skull.
- When picked up, the “rag doll” immediately goes limp, which is due to decreased muscle tone and complete trust in the owner.
The animals have beautiful large slanted eyes and fluffy thick fur. The Ragdoll cat is distinguished by its loyalty to its owner, whose attention it needs constantly, its friendly disposition and calmness.
Ragdoll cat color
The colors of Ragdoll cats are very diverse. The photos clearly show this.
White is characteristic only of kittens; Ragdoll babies are born completely white. With age, a dark color appears, the color becomes richer and deeper. There is no red color in the Ragdoll breed.
The Bicolor color is based on a pronounced contrast of light and dark coat colors. The Latin letter V on the head, often white, dark fur on the muzzle. The back is lighter, sometimes there is spotty coloring.
Mitted color, which means glove-like: the fur on the head and tail of the animal is dark, a white stripe runs from the neck along the belly to the tail, white areas of fur adorn the hind legs, and there are white “gloves” on the front toes.
These are animals that are unique in their variety of colors; photos with different types of Ragdoll cats clearly prove this.
Description and standard of the Ragdoll breed
Rag dolls surprise not only with their attractive appearance, but also with their size. The description of the breed indicates that male representatives can reach a length of up to one meter, and the largest can weigh up to 12 kg. It is not recommended to let cats go outside. Female representatives are much smaller - they reach 80 cm in length and weigh no more than 7 kg. They have blue eyes, white coat color, and the back of the nose is concave.
Colors
Thanks to selective breeding, three varieties of Ragdoll cats have been developed according to color type:
- Mitted. Similar to the third type of color, it has white paws, bib, chest and lower jaw.
- Bicolor. The ears, mask and tail are dark in color. The paws, chest, and belly are white.
- Colorpoint. Similar to the Siamese - the fur is light in color, and the paws, muzzle, tail and ears are dark in color.
Each color type has 4 shades: lilac, blue, chocolate, seal.
Character of the Ragdoll breed
Highly intelligent, gentle, affectionate. They quickly master the tray and scratching post. Always fulfill the owner's requirements with maximum accuracy. They love to communicate with their owners, purring at them or meowing quietly in response. Under no circumstances should you swear at them. Assault is unacceptable. May lead to severe illness.
Care and maintenance
The Ragdoll cat breed does not require special care. There is no need to comb the coat for no apparent reason.
You need to wash the “rag doll” once a month. It is not necessary to carry out care in the form of water procedures too often, otherwise the natural protection of the coat and skin will be weakened.
Feeding
To feed a cat of this breed you will need premium food, as well as natural products. The healthiest food is considered to be boiled meat from a calf, rabbit, chicken or cow, as well as boiled fish. It is recommended to give eggs twice a week, raw or boiled; this complementary food is especially important for kittens.
Ragdoll Health and Diseases
Any breeder should know that the pet has muscle weakness and cannot land forward on its paws in all cases, which makes it different from its counterparts. Pets begin to fall on their sides, which can result in injury. It is especially important to warn children about this - they have fun watching the animal’s clumsiness and then trying to slow it down.
The animal needs to create a low soft bed next to the owner’s bed. They should be accustomed to a sleeping place from childhood. You should not allow your kitten to climb to high places in the house - this can be fatal.
Diseases of Ragdoll cats
The congenital characteristics of the Ragdoll's muscles are such that they often cause specific diseases: the heart, hip joints. There is an increased risk of getting dislocations and subluxations.
They must be handled with care. You should definitely tell your children about this feature of animals.
Rules for caring for the Ragdoll breed
Caring for a Ragdoll is difficult and time consuming. Sometimes it is better to choose a simpler breed. It is necessary to comb the coat; without this, the attractive appearance is quickly lost, although tangles do not form.
During the molting period, combing at least 3 times a week, the rest of the time once a week is enough. You need to get used to combing from childhood.
You can bathe 2-3 times a year with hypoallergenic shampoo and dry with a terry towel. In summer, you can trim it so that the animal does not overheat.
Ragdolls are very clean and tidy animals. They are trained to use the tray from early childhood. It should not be small, taking into account the size of the animal. The tray must be deep. Let the bed be spacious.
If conditions permit, it is better to place two in different places - the furniture will be protected from fur and the animal will be less likely to be injured by jumping on the sofas. It is necessary to buy your pet a good scratching post. Ragdolls love to sharpen their claws, but almost never scratch themselves.
Free-running Ragdolls are absolutely unacceptable due to the risk of injury. You can use a harness or pick up your pet.
Feeding only the highest quality food. For natural nutrition, food must be prepared separately, and in no case should you feed it from your own table.
In Russia, Ragdoll cats are still few in number; they are a difficult animal to care for, so the default cost of a Ragdoll kitten cannot be low. You can find out how much a Ragdoll costs from breeders.
Sometimes unscrupulous people sell kittens of a similar color, passing them off as Ragdolls. In childhood, all kittens are blue-eyed, which plays into the hands of scammers.
Before choosing a kitten, you need to look at photos of Ragdolls at home with different types of the breed, look for information on the Internet and be sure to hold the baby in your arms to feel his relaxation.
Character and education
The Ragdoll breed is one of the best companions. Most of all, the character of a cat of this species resembles dogs - they are so attached to their owner that they constantly chase him from room to room, can understand nuances of speech, and are easily accustomed to the litter box.
But their excessive calmness and friendliness can turn into a disastrous outcome for them if there are small children at home who decide to cuddle them, because the ragdoll will not mind.
The Ragdoll cat completely trusts its owner. If he leaves her for a long time, the latter will become depressed. Accordingly, when traveling to another city, it is advisable to take your pet with you, especially since Ragdolls adapt very easily to new conditions.
The Ragdoll breed is considered to be one of the laziest. The pet's activity is average. Their playfulness, like that of kittens in adolescence, remains until old age. To prevent your pet from being bored and lonely without you, you should accustom him to toys from childhood.
