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The beginning of the Ragdoll
breed...is shrouded in myths and
controversy suitable to a fiction novel. However, the recorded history includes
some elements that we know for certain.
 The Ragdoll was founded in Riverside, California in the 60's by Ann Baker.
The foundation cat of the breed was an
ordinary non-pedigree cat named Josephine. Josephine was half wild and she often
produced kittens who were feral by nature. Then Josephine was hit by a car.
After she was treated at the university veterinary college, she had to stay
indoors during her recovery and she became more domesticated. When she had her
next litter of kittens, they were very relaxed and social - to the point of
lying limp in a person's arms like a child's Ragdoll. This was the
characteristic that would earn them their breed name. While no one will ever
know why the kittens Josephine gave birth to after her accident had such unique
temperaments, there
 are several theories (and outright myths) about the cause of
the change. What we do know for sure is that Ann saw something special in
Josephine's kittens - and she decided to use them to create a new breed.
Three of Josephine's kittens became the foundation of the Ragdoll breed. The
first was a daughter named Buckwheat, the second was also a daughter, Raggedy
Ann Fugianna, and the third was a son Daddy Warbucks who became "the father of
the true Ragdoll look".
All Ragdolls have blue eyes, deep blue being
the ideal. A Ragdoll is a large cat. The coat is semi-longhaired and can vary in
texture Their temperament is gentle, and quiet - very few Raggies meow very
much. They are affectionate and loving. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of
the Ragdoll is its wonderfully gentle, sweet and loving temperament. The name
Ragdoll was originally chosen in honor of the breed's tendency to relax in your
arms like a child's toy rag doll. Ragdolls are placid but also very playful with
a dash of mischievousness thrown in for fun. They are very intelligent and
easily trained. They usually love human companionship and enjoy the company of
other pets, including dogs. In fact, many Ragdolls love to play 'fetch', perhaps
to prove their superiority to dogs :-).
The ideal Ragdoll is a big cat - large and imposing with an elongated body. They
mature slowly and continue growing until they are 2-4 years old.
Ragdoll kittens are born white. Their color and patterns starts to show when
they are about 10 days old. Point coloring can take up to three years to develop
fully.
 Traditional colors are seal (dark brown points on a cream body) and blue (gray
points on a light cream or very light gray body), while more contemporary colors
include red (orange points on a cream white body) and cream (very light peach
points on a white body) and the seal and blue tortie points (seal & orange or
gray & peach mottled points on a cream body.)
Patterns include the colorpoint - darker point colors on the tail, face, ears
and feet. The pointed Ragdoll has no white on them at all, mitted - the same as
pointed, except with white mitts, boots, chin and underside., and bicolor -
points of color on the ears, mask, and tail. The mask has an inverted "v" that
is symmetrical as possible but only extending as far as the outer eye on either
side.
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