Ragdoll Cats

If you want to know more about Ragdoll Cats, I can highly recommend The Complete Ragdoll Cat Keepers Handbook by Drew Pilton. In it you will discover a plethora of "trade secrets" for looking after this amazing breed including training your Ragdoll, feeding your Ragdoll, understanding it's body language and professional grooming techniques. Written by Ragdoll experts, this book is essential reading for all serious Ragdoll cat and kitten breeders.

Ragdoll Cat Info is a fantastic resource for anyone that has anything to do with Ragdoll Cats or wants to know more about the Ragdoll Cat Breed.

There are some great articles (some of which I'm using here) as well as a fantastic newsletter to join and some interesting pet products to treat you and your ragdoll.

I highly recommend taking a look.

In this article, I will give a brief overview of the Ragdoll Cat & Kitten for the benefit of animal-lovers considering buying and/or breeding this remarkable animal.

History
The original Ragdoll Cat Breeder was Anne Barker who created the breed in the 1960's and they were brought worldwide attention by Denny and Laura Dayton. Anne bred Ragdolls from predominately Persian and Burmese breeds that had desirable traits such as a large size, a placid demeanour and a fondness of being around humans.

Physical Description
Although they are large compared to other breeds (males are between 12-20lbs and females are between 10-15lb, on average), they are very gentle beings and are generally happy to be picked up by people. They have a muscular body with short legs, however because they are docile, they should not be left outside for prolonged periods - or at all - as they will not defend themselves if attacked. For this reason, Ragdoll Cat breeders will tell you it is very much an "indoor" cat. Ragdoll's have large blue eyes and rounded ears that tilt forward slightly.

Coat
The Ragdoll Cat is a medium-longhaired cat that are categorised into one of the following colors:

Seal - Fawn and dark brown
Chocolate - Ivory and chocolate brown
Blue - Pale gray and dark gray
Lilac - Frosty white and pinkish gray

They also have different patterns on their fur that Ragdoll cat breeders split into the following categories:

Colorpoint - Dark colored feet, ears, tail and face with a lighter body color and no white markings.
Mitted - Similar to a colorpoint but with white paws, chin, stomach and ruff.
Bi-color - Dark points on the ears and tail and light between the eyes. Dark points also on the back with a pink nose and pawpads.

Although it has a soft medium-long coat, a Ragdoll Cat will not require to be groomed constantly and it's fur will not matt or shed to excess.

Personality
As previously mentioned, Ragdoll Cats are sociable creatures so you must be able to give them attention and not leave them alone for long periods. They are also quiet and not particularly active. They make a loving companion that is easy to train and will got along with other cats.

Summary
I hope you now understand a little more about Ragdoll Cats and if you decide that the Ragdoll is right for you, you will discover it can be a highly rewarding experience.

In this article, I present five great tips for caring for your Ragdoll Cat. I hope you enjoy reading it and learn something new at the same time.

1. Always make time for your Ragdoll
Ragdoll Cats are notoriously sociable creatures and require a lot more attention than other breeds. It is important to make you spend time with your Ragdoll preferably every day. Without your interaction, they could quickly develop behavioural problems. You can give your cat the attention it needs by simply playing with them or grooming them.

2. Groom your Ragdoll at least once a week
Although Ragdoll Cat's require less grooming than other long-haired cats, it is important to groom them at least once a week. Not only will your cat have a beautifully groomed coat but it will also prevent the chances of your Ragdoll getting hairballs.

3. Don't let your Ragdoll outdoors alone
Ragdoll Cats should be either be kept indoors or be closely monitored if they are outdoors. Their gentle demeanour means that they will not defend themselves if attacked and they are at risk of contracting parasites.

4. Prevent scratching by covering the affected area with tin foil
Many Ragdoll Cat breeders and owners have problems with their cats clawing furniture and other objects around the home. An easy way to stop this is by wrapping tin foil around the object. Cats do not like the texture of the foil and cease scratching it.

5. Make sure your Ragdoll has plenty of toys to play with
One of the most rewarding aspects of owning a Ragdoll Cat is watching it play (and even joining in!). Playing is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle for your Ragdoll. Not only does it provide fantastic exercise but allows cat and owner to bond, so it is important that your Ragdoll has plenty of toys to play with. Toys can either be bought from a pet store or found around the house. Something as mundane as a cardboard box or a large bottle top can provide hours of entertainment.

I hope these tips have been of use to you and I wish you many happy and enjoyable years with your Ragdoll Cat.

If you want to know more about Ragdoll Cats, I can highly recommend The Complete Ragdoll Cat Keepers Handbook by Drew Pilton. In it you will discover a plethora of "trade secrets" for looking after this amazing breed including training your Ragdoll, feeding your Ragdoll, understanding it's body language and profes

In this article, I will discuss the different types of Ragdoll Cats. Although Ragdoll Cats are a unique breed in themselves, they can be further divided into groups based on the colors and patterns of their fur. The combination of color and pattern can then be used when describing a Ragdoll.

Colors
Ragdoll Cats are one of the following four colour types:

• Seal - Mostly cream/beige/fawn with dark brown points, nose and paw-pads


• Chocolate - Mostly ivory with milk chocolate colored points, nose and paw-pads


• Blue - Mostly bluish-white with blue-gray points, nose and paw-pads


• Lilac - Mostly white with pink-gray points, nose and paw pads

Patterns
The colored patterns of a ragdolls fur are either:

• Colorpoint
- The body is predominantly lighter, with darker ears, nose, tail, face and feet points. There is no white fur.

• Mitted
- As the colorpoint except with white front paws, rear paws and legs, chin and ruff and a white strip on the stomach.

• Bi-Color
- Predominately white with darker back, tail and ears with a trianglular pattern on the head between the eyes. Pink nose leather and paw pads.

Summary
Ragdoll Cats are described using a combination of their color and pattern types. For example, Seal Mitted, Chocolate Bi-Color, Lilac Colorpoint etc.

I hope you have enjoyed this article and it has given you an insight into the method used to describe Ragdolls.