Emma Jones
When she is hanging relaxed on her owner’s arm, the ragdoll looks almost like a plush toy. She also owes her nickname to this affectionate quality: rag doll. In fact, the fluffy creature with the friendly disposition is the largest pedigree cat in the world.
The remarkable XXL velvet paw has found its way from the United States to Europe and is purring into the hearts of a growing fan base. If you have enough space in the apartment and are looking for a cat with dog-like affection, the Ragdoll is perfect for you: you will gain a friend for life.
Ragdoll: character and attitude
Ragdoll cats are gentle and even-tempered but do not tolerate being alone. Loneliness? Not with a ragdoll nearby, because the velvet paw just wants to be with you everywhere. If you can’t keep the cat company all the time, it definitely needs a companion. Since attention is more important to them than freedom, the Ragdoll can be kept as an indoor cat. Due to their considerable size, however, sufficient space is required. Despite the imposing body, the Ragdoll is very agile and does not tend to be clumsy, daring maneuvers when roaming the apartment or uncontrolled romping. But she is extremely playful, funny, and fond of children. The Ragdoll is a rather quiet cat. But if she has reason to meow, for example, to protest or to get attention, she develops a considerable volume.
Care of the Ragdoll
The Ragdoll’s fur looks more care-intensive than it really is. It hardly tangles and rarely forms nodules. Occasional brushing is usually enough to keep the silky coat groomed. Daily brushing is recommended during molting to remove loose hair. Ragdolls tend to accumulate fat on the lower abdomen. You should therefore check the weight of adult cats regularly. Young animals with rapid growth spurts may have an increased need for food at times. Please pay attention to the special stability and suitable dimensions for the equipment, scratching post, and lying places for your “giant cat”.
Colors of the Ragdoll
The color spectrum of the Ragdoll includes black, blue, lilac, and chocolate. There are also some marking variants such as Colourpoint, Bicolour, and Mitted – i.e. with white paws. As a “mask cat”, the Ragdoll has a dark color on the head, ears, legs, and tail. However, the markings are only fully developed when the cat is about two years old.
History of the Ragdoll
A patent cat: The impressive Ragdoll is the only cat breed that has a patent-pending. Their systematic breeding began in California in the 1960s. A progenitor of all Ragdoll cats was a long-haired cat named Josephine. She had a litter of strikingly large kittens with half-length fur and blue eyes. Cat friend Ann Baker adopted a tomcat and started a legally protected line-breeding with him. This is how the success story of the Ragdoll began: These special cats have also been known in this country since the 1980s.
Peculiarities of the Ragdoll
The fact that the cat’s body sags when it is picked up has nothing to do with the animals’ reduced sensitivity to pain, which researchers initially suspected. Rather, this trait is due to their great trust in people. Like other large cat breeds, ragdolls, especially tomcats, have a predisposition to heart disease. When selecting the animal, you should therefore pay attention to a recognized breeder. Of course, this does not guarantee the health of the animals.