The Ragdoll breed was initially developed in California in the 1960s and went through a somewhat confrontational period as different breeder groups differed over the standards and administrative arrangements for the breed registration.  By the 1980s Ragdoll cats were being exported to other countries and after about ten years the breed was eventually recognised in the United Kingdom.  Since the early 1990s it popularity has increased around the world and in many major countries is now in the top ten.

The Ragdoll is one of the larger breeds of cat, with long soft hair.  It requires grooming to keep the coat in good condition but is less prone to severe matting than some other breeds such as the Persian.  They tend to be very “laid back” in temperament, are often cuddly with humans, relax when picked up, and are sometimes said to be rather dog-like in their behaviour.  Their docile behaviour is probably inherited from Persian and Birman ancestry; in fact they are usually so docile that some breeders have been coming to feel that this relaxed manner is too much to be good for them

On the whole this breed is likely to inflict little claw damage on furniture as they do not get stressed very easily.  A Ragdoll will usually live peaceably with another cat, but generally prefers human family company.  Kittens are born white but adult colouring varies widely.

For several decades the breed name Ragdoll was a privately owned trademark controlled by an individual breeder, and only since 2005 when the trademark was not renewed has it been possible to use it widely.  As a result the name Ragamuffin started to become widely used, and there now are cat fancy societies with this breed name, such as the UK RagaMuffin Cat Society and the US-based RagaMuffin Associated Group (RAG).  Specialist breeders have focused on producing subtly different characteristics from the Ragdoll although the average owner would find it very difficult to tell the two breeds apart.

Ragdoll Cats – further information:
The British Ragdoll Cat Club
The Cat Fanciers Association (USA) Breed Profile

Video: The Ragdoll Cats of Crack O’ Noon!
The following video captured out attention on YouTube. We have no commercial connection with Crack O’ Noon Ragdolls but couldn’t resist showing their video.

Photographs of the beautiful and humorous cats and kittens of Crack O’ Noon Ragdolls, Colorado

Tags: cat breeds, cat video, ragamuffin cat, ragdoll cat