Ragdoll cat: Origin, characteristics, and how to raise

Ragdoll cats are quite popular in the West but not well known in the East. Petlandlover invites you to learn about this cat breed!

Table of Contents

1. Origin of Ragdoll cat

Ragdoll is the name of a cat breed with beautiful blue eyes and two contrasting colors of fur. Ragdoll is a large cat breed but has a gentle and lovely personality. The name Ragdoll comes from its habit of drooping and relaxing its body when picked up.

In the 60s of the 20th century, Mrs. Ann Baker, a Persian cat breeder in California, selected kittens from a mother cat named Josephine (wild cat, white, long hair, Persian breed). crossed with Turkish Angora) and the father cats are of the Birman, Burmese breed and one has fur like a Siamese cat.

In the first litters born, there were Blackie (male, pure black, looks like a Burmese cat) and Daddy Warbucks (black spotted fur like a Siamese cat, white legs). Daddy Warbucks was crossed with a biracial cat named Fugianna, Blackie was crossed with BuckWheat (black fur, Burmese breed). Fugianna and BuckWheat are both Josephine’s children.

Later, Ragdoll cats were all descendants of Daddy Warbucks, Fugianna and BuckWheat and Ragdoll cats originated from America.

2. Characteristics of Ragdoll cats

Physical characteristics

Ragdoll cats have a larger body than other normal cats. They have long fur and characteristic beautiful blue eyes. The round head is covered with shaggy fur, the muzzle is slightly long and pointed, and the thin ears are erect. Ragdolls often have main colors such as chocolate, lilac, cream, blue,…

Characteristic patterns of Ragdoll cats

Bi-color

Cats will have 2 colors, darker on the ears and top of the head. The face was pure white, and looked like an upside down triangle, the nose was pink and the whole body was white.

Ragdoll Van

There are only large dark spots on the ears and tail. Pink nose and pads.

Ragdoll Point

The ears, face, tail and feet are darker than the base coat color.

Ragdoll Mitted

Ragdoll Mitted will have dark spots similar to Ragdoll Point. However, their feet have bright white fur, from the feet to the ankles, not to the thighs.

Due to their large size, their growth rate will be slower than other cat breeds. They fully develop their fur at 2 years old and fully develop their size and weight at 4 years old.

Adult male cats usually weigh from 6 – 9kg, adult female cats usually weigh from 4.5 – 7kg. This is the normal weight of a healthy Ragdoll cat, not obese. The average lifespan of a Ragdoll is from 12 to 17 years depending on living conditions and care.

Ragdoll cat personality

The docile and obedient personality of the Ragdoll cat breed is said to be inherited from the Persian and Siamese cats. Typical characteristics of this cat are: Gentle and gentle. Active, affectionate and very loyal.

Ragdoll cats have a pleasant, docile personality but are quite shy. Ragdoll babies are very attached to their owners. Because of their high shyness, Ragdoll cats are unable to defend themselves. Therefore, their owners must constantly keep an eye on them for cat thieves.

Ragdoll cats are not only friendly with humans but also live in harmony with other pets. When living together, Ragdoll cats will not cause trouble or fight. In addition, this cat breed is very suitable for homes with young children

3. How to care for Ragdoll cats

Health care for Ragdoll cats

Although it is a big, strong cat breed. But Ragdoll cats sometimes have health problems such as joint disease, heart disease and eye diseases. Owners should remember to take Ragdoll to the vet for regular health checks.

Ragdoll cat diet

The diet and amount of food for Ragdoll cats will be more than other cat breeds of the same type because Ragdolls have a larger body than other cats.

You need to pay attention to choosing cat food and exercise regimen. If other cats eat 1 teaspoon of dry kibble per serving, increase it to 1.5 or 2 tablespoons of dry kibble with Ragdoll cats. Besides, after 30 minutes to an hour, you need to let them sit up and play or take them for a walk to consume energy and avoid being overweight.

Ragdoll cat food is similar to other pet cats. This group of fresh foods such as beef, chicken, organs, and vegetables all provide cats with an appropriate amount of protein and fiber. You need to prepare it carefully so that the Ragdoll cat does not suffer from digestive disorders. I

If you don’t have much time to cook, you can feed your cat dry nuts. But the most economical thing is that you can make it yourself at home, which is both cheap and nutritious.

Care for Ragdoll cats’ fur and nails

In addition, taking care of Ragdoll cats’ nails and fur is also very important. Because Ragdolls have long and quite thick fur, owners need to regularly brush their fur with a rubber comb to remove excess hair, lice and dirt. Owners also need to bathe and trim their Ragdoll’s fur regularly, about once a week, to avoid skin diseases.

Ragdoll cats are gentle cats so trimming their nails is quite easy, but owners need to see instructions on how to trim their cats’ nails first to avoid hurting the babies.