All About Ragdolls
History
The Ragdoll breed was started in the 1960's by a woman named Ann Baker in Riverside, California. She bred Josephine a loving, gentle, white longhaired female to other longhaired cats with Siamese/Birman markings. Those kittens were then bred to other cats with Burmese type markings. Her original stock consisted of big, sturdy, free roaming cats. By carefully selecting individuals with the looks and temperament she wanted for her breeding program she created a type standard for the Ragdoll we know today. A cat so relaxed it would melt into your arms and was compared to a child's Ragdoll.
Size and Maturity
Ragdoll's are large, loving, very laid back longhairs. The average Ragdoll male weighs between 15 to 20+ pounds, while the females are slightly smaller weighing about 10 to16 pounds. Though Ragdoll's do most of their growing the first year and are very large cats, they don't reach full maturity until they are about 4 years old. The same is to be said for full coloration, they will continue to get darker at their points over time. You can expect your Ragdoll to continue growing, changing and getting darker until then.
Colors and Patterns
Ragdoll's come in 3 standard colors. Seal, Blue and Red/Flame. These colors are then diluted into Chocolate, Lilac and Cream making the rare colors. Chocolate and Lilac however are the rarest of them all and can only be verified from a DNA test.
(When purchasing ask for a DNA test before spending a small fortune.)
Ragdolls come in 3 traditional patterns. Bi-color, Mitted and Colorpoint. There are 3 newer rare patterns that are also available; Tortie, Lynx and Torbie (A 2 in1 containing both Tortie and Lynx). All the rare and newer colors and patterns require the breeder to have a certain stock, therefore not every breeder will be able to produce all colors and patterns. Ragdoll Angel's is proud to be able to produce most of these beauties.
Temperment
Ragdoll's are gentle giants with big beautiful expressive blue eyes; who love to be held, hugged and pampered. In return Ragdoll's adore their humans and will do almost anything to please you. Very similar to puppy like behavior they will run to greet you at the door, follow you around the house and sleep with you. Some Ragdoll's can even be taught tricks and how to fetch, if training is started at a young age. Although Ragdoll's like to play they are very gentle and will avoid scratching you at all costs; this behavior makes them excellent companions for young children and the elderly.
Ragdoll's are also a very accepting breed; therefore introducing them into a multi-pet household or bringing in another animal later is not a problem as they adapt rather quickly to any environment. Ragdoll's are very quiet and only speak when they need your attention or when spoken to. However they have a very small and soft voice for such large cats. Once a Ragdoll is relaxed and feels comfortable it will truly live up to its name when relaxing all it's muscles and going limp in your arms.
Our Goal
Our goal at Ragdoll Angel's is to raise a happy, healthy, confident kittens who are extremely well socialized and will do well in any situation. We are very selective of our breeding cats; selecting only the best from hardy healthy lines. We do not believe in only making beautiful cats but also in temperament. Our main concern is health, temperament and markings in this precise order. Not every one of our cats is a perfect show quality cat however they "will be" your perfect companion.
In order to achieve this in a successful manner we are a small cattery. Breeding only a few selective litters a year, all our kittens get one on one daily attention starting at birth. Therefore from 4 weeks of age on they understand that being handled will be a part of daily life and they respond in a loving way by purring, flopping for belly rubs and often jumping on your lap for some attention. Our kittens are raised underfoot, inside our home not outdoors or caged. If one of our Angel's seems right for you visit our Adoption page.