History of the Ragdoll

 

The beginning of the Ragdoll breed is clouded in mystery.  The Ragdoll breed was developed by Ann Baker in Riverside, CA. It originated in 1964 with the first kitten being named as Ragdolls in 1965.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seems that Ann began trying to develop the Ragdoll breed sometime in 1963. Ann borrowed from her neighbors, The Pennels, a cat that had the appearance of the Sacred Cat of Burma.  She bred this cat to Josephine who was a white angora cat and that produced Daddy Warbucks.  

 

Ann also acquired Josephine's daughter, Buckweat, from the Pennels.  Ann mated Daddy Warbucks to Josephine and produced Fugianna.  Keep in mind that NONE of these were Ragdolls at the time, but they became the foundation cats in creating the Ragdoll breed. It is from these four cats - Josephine, Daddy Warbucks, Fugianna & Buckwheat that Ragdolls are descended.  Of these four, only Daddy Warbucks and Fugianna were registered as Ragdolls in the National Cat Fanciers Association (NCFA) in 1966.

 

The first cat association to recognize the Ragdoll as a breed was the NCFA and Ann Baker registered her first four Ragdolls on December 30, 1966. 

 

• Daddy Warbucks - Registration number: 66-0577-6 (First cat registered as a Ragdoll) 

• Tiki: 66-0578-6

• Kyoto: 66-0579-6

• Fugianna: 66-0580-6

 

Ann Baker was listed as both breeder and owner of Tiki and Kyoto. Daddy Warbucks and Fugianna were registered with Merle Pennel listed as their breeder and Ann as their owner. 

 

Over the years, the offspring of Ann's breeding's would become known for good temperament, large size, non-matting coat and great appearance. From 1965-1969, Ann appeared to build up and increase her breeding stock.  The first record of Ragdolls being sold is in early 1969 when Denny and Laura Dayton bought a breeding pair of Ragdolls from Ann Baker.  They named them Buddy and Rosie. 

 

During the years 1969-1973, the Daytons tried very hard to work with Ann to help promote the Ragdoll breed, but Ann was afraid of losing control of what she saw as her gold mine. In an attempt to retain control over the growing number of owners and breeders, Ann created the International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA) in 1971 and it was registered as a business in September of that year.

 

Ann also began franchising catteries that purchased breeding Ragdolls from her.  Ann was granted a patent by the United States Patent Office on December 19, 1975 (Patent 1026916) and registered with the state of California (#53044) April 16, 1975.

 

This is a brief history of the early years of how this wonderful breed started! 

 

 

Colours & Patterns

 

In most associations, Ragdolls are accepted in 3 patterns and 4 colours. The three patterns are "colour point," "mitted," and "bi-color":

 

 

• A "colour point" has dark points (ears, tail, face, and feet) with a body of a lighter shade. The nose leather and paw pads match the point colour. Colour points do not have white markings (although the pale body color may appear white on some cats).

 

• A "mitted" has dark points and lighter body like a colour point, but also has white "mitts" on the front paws, white "boots" on the back legs and feet, a white chin, a white strip on the stomach, and a white ruff.

 

• A "bi-colour" has the dark points (ears and tail), but the mask is interrupted by an inverted "V" running between the eyes and expanding into the muzzle. The body colour forms a "saddle" on the cat's back and the remainder of the cat is white. Bi-colours have pink nose leather and paw pads.

 

• A "mink" has dark points (ears, tail, face and feet) with a body of a lighter shade. Minks are born with full colour.  Minks can come in all colours (seal, blue etc.) Minks have a very plush coat, it is much thicker than a non-mink Ragdoll.

 

•  A "lynx" is trait where lines run through the face and the lines are always symmetrical.

 

 

The four colours are "seal," "chocolate," "blue," and "lilac" (also known as "frost")

 

• A "seal" has dark seal brown points with a light tan body colour.

• A "chocolate" has milk chocolate points with an ivory body colour.

• A "blue" has dark gray points with a pale gray body colour.

• A "lilac" has pinkish gray points with a frosty white body colour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Care & Training

 

Ragdolls are intelligent and like to please their owners. Training Ragdolls is much more successful when done with rewards. They can be trained easily to use a scratching post instead of your furniture by showing them that you are excited that they used the scratching post.  

 

They do not shed excessively, and need little care to keep their coats in good condition. Their soft, rabbit-like fur does not tend to mat. The fur does require occasional combing or brushing, and the longer fur around the hindquarters. Ragdolls do not mind being groomed and, in fact, often enjoy the grooming sessions.

 

Because Ragdolls lack the instinct to defend themselves when attacked, they must be kept as indoor pets only. However, they can be easily leash trained so that they can go for walks with you outside or lounge around the yard while you are out there. 

 

Otherwise, good food, fresh water, regular vet-checkups, regular vaccinations and lots of love is what they need to thrive. Also little bits of fresh raw beef can also be fed, as it helps clean the teeth and gives good nutrients, but be VERY sure of your supplier before doing this!