Ragdolls are cats from the United States with long and smooth fur. They are known for their docile, calm temperament, and lovable nature. The name “Ragdoll” because these cats completely relax and soften themselves when picked up. Someone said that they do not feel the pain. Ragdoll has a strong body with a large skeleton, well proportioned 4 legs, and a soft spotted coat like a Siamese cat.

1. History Of the Ragdoll

The Ragdoll was first created in the 1960s by Ann Baker, an expert in Persian breeders in California. Her original cat source included healthy feral cats. Ms. Baker created this Ragdoll line by selecting a kitten from a mother cat named Josephine (a wild cat with long white fur and a Persian hybrid with Turkish Angora) with a father being several cats that appear in addition to the Birman, Burmese, and one breed with fur like Siamese.

Among those early litters were Blackie – a black male cat resembling Burmese and Daddy Warbucks – Siamese-style black-spotted fur with white legs. Daddy Warbucks was bred with a binocular cat named Fugianna, and Blackie crossed with Buckwheat, a Burmese-like brown-and-black fur. Both Fugianna and Buckwheat were Josephine’s kittens. All later, Ragdoll and RagaMuffin cats descended from Daddy Warbucks to Fugianna and Buckwheat.

Ann Baker created the Ragdoll strain by selecting breeds with looks and personalities suited to her new crossbreeding scheme.

Baker then ignored the traditional cat associations, trademarked the “Ragdoll” brand, founded her own organization: the “International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA),” and increased tightening of standards for anyone wishing to own or sell this branded cat. Ragdolls are also not allowed to be registered in other breed associations.

In 1975, a group of people split from the IRCA to help Ragdoll gain official recognition. This group of people, including Denny and Laura Dayton, eventually developed the Ragdoll breed that large organizations now recognize. They are selectively created over the years for desirable traits, such as large size, calm demeanor, and a tendency to soften when held up, as well as striking colors. In 1994, a second group resumed leaving the IRCA and forming their own organization due to the increasing rigor of breeding restrictions in IRCA. That group later created the RagaMuffin strain.

Ragdoll Physical Attributes

If you see Ragdoll Cat for the first time, you may think they are obese because their body looks very large. But that fact is also their characteristic form. The Ragdoll is one of the largest cats in the world, with a muscular body. The proportions of the Ragdoll’s body parts are also very well balanced. The head is round, the face is a bit long, the nose is high, and the ears are thin, always in an erect state. Especially, their legs are long and extremely strong.

According to the Feline Consortium’s cat breed standard, the Ragdoll should have a modified big, broad, wedge-shaped head. The muzzle should be slightly rounded, and all sides of the head should be of equal length. The eyes are portrayed as bright blue ovals.

The tips of medium-sized ears are rounded and angled forward. A heavy and strong neck supports the head, combined into a vast, long, wide, resilient body with heavy bones. The legs are medium in length, with the hind legs being slightly longer than the front legs. The bristly big round feet and long tails resemble a waving feather.

Ragdolls have a medium-length coat that is smooth. It was short on the face, swelled into a fluff around the throat, shortened on the shoulder blades, and then stretched, full of feathers, towards the tail. The coat comes in four styles depending on the alignment: two colors, van, open toes, and color spots up to six colors: seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, and cream, as well as strong spots., lynx, tortie, or torbie (tortie and lynx). When it comes to colors and patterns, this opens up a lot of opportunities.

Ragdolls have four white feet and a white chin and belly, and a white spot on the face resembles a speck of fire, a star, or an hourglass. On the chest and belly, and the shoulder, the hue of white is much brighter than gloves.

Minor cosmetic faults in ragdolls sold as pets may prevent them from being suitable for runways. Ears that are higher on the hind legs than the chosen head, a nose that does not point up at the tip, eyes that are not as green as Lake Crater, and probably gloves that are not high enough on the hind legs are all examples.

Ragdolls are often confused with Ragamuffin, another branch of Ragdoll, due to the secession of IRCA members. Standard Ragdolls have unique blue eyes, not as diverse as Ragamuffin.

Ragdoll Personality

If other cats like to play, run and jump as a child, Ragdoll was born to be gentle and obedient. It is said that this is due to inherit the traits of the Persian and Siamese cats. But there is also an opinion that it is due to a genetic mutation from the cat’s ancestors; it is from the cat Josephine. Because many breeders in the UK do not like the gentle, sly character of the Ragdoll, they have tried to limit and remove this trait.

In fact, there are many cases of Ragdoll cats casually approaching aggressive dogs or cars running across the street, and that receives all the consequences. Breed standards describe the Ragdoll as cute, intelligent, mild-tempered, gentle, and easy-caring cats.

Up to now, Ragdoll cats are loved not only for their lovely appearance but also for their gentle, affectionate, and sincere personalities. You can see that the domestic cat, the short-haired English cat, or other cats, the bigger and more arrogant, but the Ragdoll Cat is extremely tangerine and braided.

They are sometimes referred to as “puppy-cat.” Instead of sitting in the house waiting for you to be picked up, they will follow your every step. Follow you from place to place in the house, trying to get on top and sleep soundly in your lap. In general, wherever you are, they must be there. Not playing around with toys, Ragdolls love to lie on the floor like dogs. Therefore, Ragdoll cats are always considered a member of the family.

Not only friendly to humans, but Ragdoll cats also live extremely well with other pets. When living together in a narrow environment, they will not fight and fight. Ragdolls are very careful with their claws and teeth when playing, so they often play without popping them open. Besides, they are also easy to forgive if the owner misses abuse.

Because of his gentle personality and not good at self-defense, you should not let the Ragdoll play alone without someone in control. They can cross the street without thinking of danger and no injury, no pain. Where Ragdoll cats go, they should be supervised by humans.

Ragdoll’s lifespan is from 12 to 17 years, can be up to 20 years but will also decrease depending on living conditions and how you raise them. Diet and care are also directly proportional to this breed’s lifespan.

Cost to adopt Ragdoll Cat

Ragdolls aren’t the most affordable cat breed. Ragdoll kittens can cost up to $400 each, with show-quality cats costing up to $2,000 each, including taxes. The cost of a cat may vary depending on the breeder and the cat’s quality, age, and show record. The high cost of these cats is due to some aspects, including the high demand for these rare cats and the costs of running a breeding program. Breeders with show-quality kittens and cats may also charge more for their kittens and cats.

While buying Ragdoll kittens or cats can be expensive, you may be able to adopt one for a fraction of the price you would pay if you bought one from a breeder. Ragdoll cats are sometimes available for adoption at shelters, and animal rescues cost between $75 and $100. You may also come across Ragdoll mixes in shelters, as well as cats who have stopped breeding and are looking for new homes.

Adopting a cat has many advantages over buying one. You’ll already have a sense of a Ragdoll’s personality if you accept an adult Ragdoll. You won’t really know what a kitten’s personality is like until he’s an adult if you buy one. You will save money on veterinarian bills if you adopt a cat that has already been spayed or neutered. However, it would help if you considered some other costs such as veterinary costs (wellness check, dental cleanings, routine testing, emergency veterinary care, and pet insurance)

Besides, you have to buy necessary stuff for Ragdoll cat, such as food (about $20 – $90/month, if your cat develops a disease such as diabetes or kidney stones, they will almost certainly need a special diet, which can be costly.), litter, cat sitter, wrecked furniture. To sum up, all of the costs for adopting a Ragdoll Cat range from $200 – $3000, depending on your budget.