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Ragdoll |
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TranslationFrancis Vandersteen |
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OriginThe Ragdoll is a breed of cat native to the United States. |
| The name of this large cat comes from an astonishing peculiarity: when carried, it becomes as soft as a Ragdoll. |
A brief historical overview |
| The breed originated in the United States, more precisely in Riverside, California. It was created in 1963 by Persan breeder Ann Baker. Ann Baker bred a white semi-long-haired cat named Josephine to a male of unknown origin named Blackie. In the United States, the Ragdoll was recognized as early as 1965. In 1969, breeders Laura and Denny Dayton bought four Ragdolls from Ann Baker and set up a breeding operation under the name “Blossom Time”. In 1971, Ann Baker founded the International Ragdoll Cat Association (I.R.C.A). She kept control of Josephine's descendants and imposed many constraints on other Ragdoll breeders, so much so that in 1994, a group of breeders decided to cut ties with the Ragdoll world and create a new breed from this breed, called Ragamuffin. In Europe, the first Ragdolls, direct descendants of Joséphine, were imported to Great Britain in 1981. Two English friends, intrigued by what they heard in the American media, decided to breed their own Ragdolls. They each bought a pair from the “Blossom Time” cattery. These four cats were instrumental in establishing the breed in Europe. The British Ragdoll Club was founded in 1987, and the breed was recognized by the GCCF in 1991, followed a year later by the FIFé. In the meantime, the Ragdoll was introduced to Germany (1985) and France in 1986 by Noëlle Vialatte “Chatterie de Gailande” in Biarritz. The pair came from one of the English friends' first two breedings: “Patriarca Ragabarfield”, a blue Colourpoint male, and “Patriarca Rag Blossom”, a two-tone Seal female. The breed is recognized that same year by the ANCFF. The first litter was born in France to Madame Vialatte in 1988. The first French club, Le Ragdoll Club France, was founded in 1993. |
General appearance |
| The Ragdoll is a large cat, as males can weigh close to nine kilos as adults, and females 4 to 6 kilos. To reach this size, they grow slowly, males reaching 2 or 3 years of age. |
Behavior / characteristics |
| Ragdolls are generally described as very well-balanced, calm, gentle, discreet and affectionate cats. Ragdolls are also said to be very discreet, right down to their soft meows. They are home-loving and adapt very easily. The Ragdoll is a cat with little fear and is easily submissive. They have no sense of danger, which is why it's often inadvisable to let them go out unsupervised. However, these traits are perfectly individual and vary according to each cat's history. |
Health |
| Like all pedigree and alley cats, the Ragdoll is affected by feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This disease is hereditary and autosomal dominant. A breed-specific DNA test has been developed. It detects mutations in the MYBPC3 gene, responsible for the development of the disease. The French laboratory behind the genetic testing believes that around 20% of Ragdolls are affected by the gene mutation. Breeders are also advised to monitor their Ragdolls by ultrasound to prevent transmission and eradicate the disease. Indeed, we know that mutation of the MYBPC3 gene is not the only cause of HCM in cats. The breed is also affected by polycystic kidney disease, although this is much less widespread than in the Persan. |
Genetics |
| The cause of mitted is still partly undetermined: a specific gene has been discovered in the Sacred Birman by the University of California at Davis feline genetics laboratory, but it is very weakly present in the Ragdoll. The recessive nature of this mutation makes it possible to distinguish the Sacred Birman from the Ragdoll by crossbreeding. A specific genetic test exists to detect the gl gene (for “gloving” = gantage) “Burmese gantage”. |
Head |
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Cranial region |
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Head |
The head is medium-sized, forming a triangle with rounded contours from the front. Also from the front, the space between the ears is flat. | |
Facial region |
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Forehead |
In profile, the forehead is flat, ending with a slight “toboggan” hollow at the nose. A nose hollow that is too pronounced can lead to penalties. | |
Muzzle |
The muzzle is medium-sized, well developed and rounded. | |
Eyes |
Eyes are large and oval, always blue (any other color is disqualifying) and slightly slanted. Too small or round eyes are penalized. | |
Ears |
The ears are of medium size, set in the prolongation of the triangle formed by the head. They are broad at the base, rounding off at the tip. If this is not the case (pointed ears, for example), it is considered a fault. In profile, the ears point slightly forward. | |
Body |
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Generality |
The body is rectangular, rather long and strong. A lack of muscle or thin bones would immediately disqualify the cat. | |
Chest |
The chest is broad and round, but the width between the front and rear legs is the same. | |
Underline and belly |
Although this is a large, heavy cat, it must not be fat, and only a belly pouch is accepted. | |
Tail |
| The tail is long and carried in a plume. Folded over the cat's back, it should reach the shoulder blades. |
Limbs |
| The legs are of medium size, proportionate to the body, with powerful muscles and bones. Too short, they would penalize the cat at shows. | ||
Forequarters |
Hindquarters |
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Generality |
The hindquarters are slightly higher than the forequarters and well developed. | |
Feet |
| The feet are large and round, with plenty of hair between the pads. |
Coat |
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Coat and texture |
Four coat patterns are accepted: colorpoint, mitted, bicolor and van. - Colourpoint: regular, even pointing, with a tolerance for cats under two years of age. - Mitted: the cat is pointed like a colorpoint, except for the legs. At the front, only the foot is white, and at the rear, the pointing runs up to the thighs, unlike the Sacred Birman, where the pointing ends in a spur under the legs. There must be no colored patches on the gantage. The chin must be absolutely white. This white stripe extends under the belly and to the base of the tail. This also differentiates the Ragdoll Mitted from the Birman, which has a colored chin and no stripe under the body. White patches on the nose are acceptable, provided they stop short of the nose. - Bicolor: the mask takes the form of an inverted V on the head, which must not extend beyond the outer edge of the eyes. The ears are colored, the rest of the body is light, the legs white. White patches are accepted in small quantities. - Van: coloring only on top of skull, ears and tail. All the rest of the body is white. CFA authorizes this additional pattern. In France, the LOOF only accepts it as a new color, meaning that Van Ragdolls can take part in shows but not win prizes. For each of these coats, the standard recognizes all the colors in the pigmented zones: seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, russet, cream, cinnamon, fawn, silver, tortoiseshell, smoke, tabby (also known as lynx), torbie and so on. There are also mink, solid and sepia Ragdolls, whose coats are not yet recognized. |
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Color and ticking |
Ragdolls are born all white, taking on color in the 2nd or 3rd month. The coat is medium-length, with lots of guard hairs and few undercoats, making it extremely soft and preventing too many tangles. The hair is short on the face but longer on the rest of the body, particularly on the back, skull and with a ruff at the neck. The lower legs are also covered with shorter hair, giving a “pants” effect. The fur is close to the body and opens when the cat moves. | |
Authorized marriages |
| Cross-breeding with other breeds is not permitted. |
English (United Kingdom) 
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