Ragdoll

The Ragdoll ranks among the biggest of the domestic cat breeds. Its coat is semi-long, its eyes a deep blue, and its pattern is pointed, meaning the face, ears, legs and tail carry darker colour than the body. The name comes from a habit many of these cats have of going soft and floppy the moment they are lifted.

Maturity comes slowly to the Ragdoll. Full frame and settled coat colour often take three to four years to arrive. Grown cats are muscular and weighty without looking chunky, and the toms run noticeably bigger than the queens.

This is a cat that wants company. Ragdolls will trail household members from one room to the next, speak in soft voices, and rarely tear about the house the way busier breeds do.

Who the breed suits

The Ragdoll fits a home that wants an indoor mate and can offer it attention each day. It works for families with youngsters, for households that already keep pets, and for owners who spend plenty of time at home. The semi-long coat asks for a regular brush, so anyone after a fuss-free cat should look elsewhere. Its light prey drive and trusting streak make free roaming outdoors a poor match.

The story of the Ragdoll starts in Riverside, California, in the 1960s. Breeder Ann Baker founded the line from Josephine, a white semi-longhaired cat who roamed freely, together with a number of her kittens. The full ancestry of these founding cats was never properly recorded, though breeds along the lines of the Birman, Persian and Burmese are commonly named as probable contributors.

Baker chose for a settled temperament, plenty of size and the colourpoint coat. She named the breed, registered the Ragdoll trademark, and founded her own registry, the International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA), so that breeding stayed under her control.

Other breeders preferred to work beyond those limits. Early in the 1970s a group headed by Denny and Laura Dayton split off to take the Ragdoll through the mainstream cat registries and to settle a standard for it. Their lines underpin most pedigreed Ragdolls alive today.

Recognition from the major bodies followed across the next few decades. In Australia the breed is registered through federations such as the Australian Cat Federation (ACF) and the Co-ordinating Cat Council of Australia (CCCA). The Ragdoll now counts among the most sought-after pedigreed cats across Australia, North America and Europe.

The Ragdoll carries a long, broad body on solid bone, finished with a full chest. Its head is a broad modified wedge softened by rounded lines, the ears medium in size and set well apart, the eyes large, oval and blue. The coat runs semi-long, soft and plush, thickening into a ruff at the neck and lengthening over the hindquarters. A long, well-plumed tail completes the outline.

Full size and mature coat need three to four years to come through. Every genuine Ragdoll wears the pointed pattern, its darker colour marking the face, ears, legs and tail against a paler body.

Coat and colours

The coat turns up in a range of point colours, seal and blue most often, with chocolate, lilac, red and cream recognised as well. Four patterns are seen: colourpoint (no white), mitted (white feet and chin), bicolour (an inverted white V across the face along with white legs and underside), and the changeable lynx (tabby striping) and tortie forms. Kittens arrive white and bring their points through over the first weeks and months.

The Ragdoll is a mellow, affectionate cat that ties itself closely to its household. Plenty will pad after their owners about the house, meet them at the door, and fold onto a lap when it is offered. The breed is famous for going limp in the arms, though not every cat behaves this way.

Around children Ragdolls are generally patient and put up with handling, which is why families reach for them so often. Rather than bolting when guests arrive, they tend to stay relaxed. Most rub along happily with other cats and with quiet dogs, and they often settle well into a busy pet household.

Ragdolls keep quiet and speak softly. Set beside many breeds they are modest jumpers and climbers, quite happy at floor and furniture height. Their trusting outlook and small sense of fear leave them ill-equipped outdoors, so they are kept inside or given secure, enclosed access.

Grooming

The semi-long coat carries little undercoat, so it knots less than some longhaired breeds, yet it still calls for steady care.

• Brush two to three times a week with a stainless steel comb to lift loose hair and head off tangles
• Look behind the ears, under the armpits and through the britches, where knots take hold first
• Trim the nails every two to three weeks
• Brush the teeth often and arrange dental checks at routine vet visits
• Wipe the inner corners of the eyes if tear staining shows

Exercise

Ragdolls sit low to moderate on energy, but they still need to move to stay trim and keep the weight off.

• Set aside two short play sessions a day with wand toys or balls
• Put out puzzle feeders to add a mental workout at mealtimes
• Swap the toys around to hold interest
• Keep play at floor and low-furniture height, since this is no great jumper

Environment

Ragdolls fare best kept indoors. Set out scratching posts, a few resting spots, and one litter tray per cat plus a spare. Because the breed is so trusting and hunts so little, letting it roam free outside is a genuine hazard; a secure garden enclosure or a harness with supervision is the safer way to grant time outdoors.

Cats are obligate carnivores and need a diet centred on animal protein. Pick a complete and balanced cat food suited to the life stage. Because Ragdolls are large and none too active, weight creeps on easily, so portions want measuring rather than leaving out to graze. Fresh water should be on hand at all times, and mixing wet food with dry can help with hydration. Growing kittens need meals more often and a kitten formula until roughly one year of age, though large-framed Ragdolls keep filling out well beyond that.

Treats and supplements

Hold treats to about 10 per cent of daily kilojoules and take them off the meal portion. A cat on a complete commercial diet usually needs nothing extra; add supplements only on a vet's word. Hairball or joint products might suit an individual cat, but the breed as a whole does not require them.

Ragdolls are on the whole a sound breed and commonly reach 12 to 17 years with good care. As a pedigree they carry a handful of inherited risks. The weightiest is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a thickening of the heart muscle. A particular genetic variant tied to HCM in Ragdolls can be tested for, and dependable breeders screen their breeding cats. Holding a healthy weight counts for a lot, since the breed's size and placid manner make obesity a frequent problem.

Preventive care

• Yearly vet exams, moving to twice a year for senior cats
• Core vaccinations and parasite control kept current
• Annual dental assessment plus tooth brushing at home
• Weight tracked at every visit
• Buy from breeders who DNA test for HCM and PKD

Ragdolls are trainable as cats go. Their calm, attentive streak and their interest in their owners leave them open to reward-based methods. They can learn to come when called, walk on a harness, use a scratching post, and manage simple tricks such as sit or fetch. Training goes best in short bursts, with treats or play as the payoff. Punishment backfires and chips away at the very trust the breed is known for.

Basics

1. Start litter training early; set the trays in quiet, reachable spots and keep them clean
2. Bring in a scratching post and reward its use to save the furniture
3. Teach name recognition by rewarding the cat each time it answers to its name
4. Build harness tolerance indoors first, letting the cat wear it for short spells before heading outside
5. Add simple cues such as sit, using a treat lure and one steady word
6. Hold each session to a few minutes and finish while the cat is still keen

Female Ragdolls generally reach sexual maturity between 8 and 12 months, though many breeders hold off until the queen is older and fully grown before a first litter. Toms mature at a similar age. Gestation runs roughly 63 to 67 days. Litters most often hold three to five kittens.

Ragdoll kittens are born white and bring through their point colour and pattern over the weeks and months that follow. Their eyes open at about one to two weeks and weaning starts around four to five weeks. Careful breeders keep kittens with the mother until at least 12 weeks, by which time they are weaned, socialised, litter trained and started on their vaccinations. Breeding cats should be DNA tested for HCM and PKD before mating.

Ragdoll registration and microchipping in Australia

Set the record up before she needs it: name, colouring, photo, your mobile, save. That is the whole of registering your cat with United Pet Club, and the record stands for life without a bill.

Scanners find chips in seconds; the question is what the number points at. Point your Ragdoll's chip at a live record: free with the lifetime plan, open to all brands, kept current through every move without charges. Microchip registration plus a free account, and she's covered.