RAGDOLL

The Blued-Eyed Pointed Cat: With their soft rabbit-like, low shedding, matt resistant fur and beautiful blue eyes, Ragdolls are known for their exceptionally tolerant dispositions and sweet docile temperaments. They tend to go limp when picked up just like a child's rag doll. They get along well with adults, children and dogs. They are easy to train, they even love to play fetch, walk on a leash and have a low sweet voice. Owning a Ragdoll is like owing a small puppy dog in a catÕs body. If what you want is a shadow and constant companion, then the Ragdoll is for you. Not only will they sleep with you, but they will follow you from room-to-room as they need to be your constant companion.

The Ragdoll is a large, floppy, people loving cat that is toted to be the largest, semi-longhaired cat, adult males can weigh from 15 to well over 20 pounds in adulthood, with the female proportionately smaller. Slow to mature, the Ragdoll does not bring in its full color or attain its full weight until they are three to four years of age. Today, the Ragdoll is bred in six patterns: the bicolor with an inverted white v on the forehead (or a raccoon-type mask, if you will); the mitted with white mitts on the front feet and white boots on back legs; the colorpoint with no white; the lynx with tabby markings; the tortie with two colors: orange/red and another color (seal, blue, chocolate, etc.); and the red point or flame (the lynx, tortie and red point are three new accepted colors). Ragdolls are born white and later develop into some of the following colors: seal, chocolate, cream; blue, lilac; red, etc. The bluer the eye color the better; however, loss of blue eye color can be noted in some of the dilute colors or patterns.

Now accepted for championship competition in all major cat associations. On May 1, 2000, the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA), the worldÕs largest cat organization, accepted the Ragdoll for championship status, after 7 years of provisional status.

In the 1960Õs, Ann Baker in Riverside, California, was believed to have created the Ragdoll by breeding a white semi-long haired female cat called Josephine, and a seal point mitted male (a female from this mating was then bred to a black Burmese-type male).

This low-maintenance, docile, gentle loving and good-natured breed is everything one could ask for in a family pet or companion! Associations dedicated solely to Ragdolls include: RFCI (Ragdoll Fanciers Club International) and RI (Ragdoll International and Ragdolls of America Group (CFA).

The breed standard: The head is a medium-sized, broad modified wedge, with a round, medium length muzzle and a strong, well developed chin and slightly rounded forehead, and the appearance of a flat plane between the ears. With blue oval eyes, the nose should be a gentle slope or break, with broad based, slightly tilted forward rounded ears falling in line with the outer corner of the eye. The neck should be short, heavy and strong, with a long substantial body, a fatty pad on the lower abdomen (greater Omentum) and a tail as long as the body, coupled with large, round feather tufted feet.

Profile submitted by Liz Thurman, Bordeaux Ragdolls on behalf of the Ragdoll Fancy.