Back in the early 60's a lady by the name of Anne Baker,
stumbled upon a magical recipe for the creation of the Ragdoll Cat. Located in
Riverside, California, this cat was believed to be the product of a long haired
white female and a colorpoint male that had white mittens like the Sacred Cat of
Burma. Although the history is relatively small, there has been much
controversy and myth surrounding this now very popular breed. The myth is that
the white female by the name of Josephine, became victim to a terrible car
accident. After this accident, and she recovered, she was bred to the male
colorpoint. Three kittens were born to these two cats, one being the very
famous, "Daddy WarBucks". These kittens were said to not feel pain and
be extremely relaxed and floppy due to the fact that Josephine's accident
induced this trait in her kittens. Now everyone knows this is genetically
impossible. All cats feel pain. Any cat that trusts you will be relaxed in your
arms. Thus the myths began. No true records were kept by Anne. Another fact of
our cats ancestry is that this breed could of been as easily lost as it was
created, if not for the Dayton's back in the early 70's. They broke away from
Anne Baker and proceeded to perfect and preserve the Ragdoll to what we have
today.
The Ragdoll is a pointed breed, and therefore all Ragdolls
will have blue eyes. Any other, is not a Ragdoll. The Ragdoll comes in three
traditional patterns: the colorpoint, the mitted and the
bicolor. There are also other newer patterns: the torbie, the tortie and the
lynx. The traditional colors of the Ragdoll are blue, seal, chocolate and lilac,
with newer colors now accepted there is also cream and red.
The Ragdoll is one of the largest felines in the
feline world; a very muscular, yet gentle cat. Male Ragdoll cats can reach a weight of
15-20 lbs and the females can reach 10-15 lbs. Some have been know to exceed
this weight by great means. Ragdoll cats coats are a plush, rabbit type, that is easy
to maintain. These cats will shed, like all cats, but at a much less amount than
most. Keeping your Ragdoll combed and brushed will help to keep this process of
nature down. Most Ragdolls love being brushed and combed. They will wait in
anticipation to receive such attention from their mommy or daddy. The Ragdoll is
a very attentive and loyal pet. It's actions and personality are very close to
that of a dog. They will follow you from room to room and most greet all who
come to the door. This is so all who come to the door can remark on what an
incredible, beautiful cat they are. These cats are not dumb and know very well
how to grab the attention of a room when they gracefully prance into it
strutting their stuff. The Ragdoll can be trained to fetch and do tricks, like
those of a dog. The Ragdoll is a very special pet, like no other. Those who have
been lucky enough to experience this special love, will attest to this fact.
They truly are a magical cat and will bring many years of great happiness and
love to all who own one.
