About Ragdolls This page is graphic intensive - please be patient - it's worth downloading EARLY BEGINNINGS The late Ann Baker of Riverside, California (USA) is the founder of the Ragdoll breed. Ann Baker recounted the history of the Ragdoll as follows: Ann's neighbour, Mrs Pennels, owned a white Angora-type female, called Josephine. Josephine often had kittens, but they were all wild like their mother. Stand in for Josephine with the first Ragdoll kittens, Summer 1965,   Left to right :  Gueber, Mitts, Tiki and Kyoto Josephine was run over by a car and left lying by the side of the road for a couple of days.   Eventually she was taken to the local university for treatment.   Ann firmly believed that during her time at the university, Josephine was "genetically manipulated", resulting in future kittens being loving, relaxed, "floppy" and unable to feel pain.   Today, this belief in Josephine's genetic manipulation is rejected as a fallacy as the Ragdoll experiences pain in the same way as any other breed of cat.   As far as the "floppiness" is concerned, kittens and cats from any breed could present this trait - it is not caused by any genetic characteristic, but rather by the way in which the kitten is raised and socialised. Raggedy Ann Daddy Warbucks The first Mitted Ragdoll, and the father of the "Ragdoll look" Buckwheat with her kittens, Kyoto and Tiki Ann acquired three of Josephine's half-related kittens from her neighbour – Pretty Boy, "a cat with the appearance  of the Sacred Cat of Burma" (The Birman breed) which Ann later called Daddy Warbucks; Buckwheat (a black non-pointed female); and Fugianna (a badly marked Bicolour female). These three cats became the founding Ragdolls, producing the first Ragdoll kittens. In the summer of 1965, a litter of four kittens were born - two pointed and two non-pointed kittens.   Ann ruled the Ragdoll breeding programme with a strict hand, registering and patenting the name Ragdoll and franchising out future breeding stock under strict contracts.  Ann Baker with Kyoto and Kookie Tu Ann holding Fugianna  Remaining protective over her kittens, Josephine fought with the family dog. It is alleged that Mr Baker, who had had enough of Josephine's protectiveness, had Josephine and her kittens destroyed, thereby ending the life of the founding queen of the Ragdoll breed. Ann Baker passed away in 1997. During mid-1997 the first Ragdolls were imported to South Africa, and in November 1999 the Ragdoll breed achieved full championship status in the South African show halls. Early 2000 the non-pointed Ragdoll was granted full championship status in South Africa.  Raglin Ragdolls produced the first Ragdoll to qualify for, and compete in, the prestigious annual Cat of The Year competition. Read more about SP PM Raglin's Mille Miglia on the Gallery : Colourpoint web pages. (Some information and all pictures above from "The Definitive Guide to Ragdolls" by Lorna Wallace, Robin Pickering & David Pollard) CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RAGDOLL Temperament Ragdolls have amiable temperaments.  Although they differ individually, they are gentle and quiet cats. They enjoy human companionship although some individuals might enjoy sitting next to you, rather than in your lap.   They also enjoy the company of other pets, including dogs.   Due to Ragdolls being trusting, they should never ever be allowed to roam the neighbourhood where they could get into harm's way. Gentle Giants The ideal Ragdoll is a large, imposing, strongly built cat with an elongated body, moderately long legs and plumed tail in proportion to the body. They may also have a fat pad (Greater Omentum) on the lower abdomen.       Neutered males could grow into gentle giants weighing more than 10 kg but the norm seems to be around 7 kg. Spayed females could weigh up to about 7kg but in general they are around 5 kg. Ragdolls mature slowly and do not reach maturity until they are approximately four years old.   Point colouring could take up to three years to develop. Ragdolls are born without colour.  They are not white, they are not beige.   The term "whiter shade of pale" is most applicable for newborn pointed kittens.   Within about 12 hours, the first sign of colour is visible on the ears.  By day three colour is visible on nose leather. Newborn Ragdoll kittens showing colour and pattern are Mink or Sepia and not accepted in South Africa.  Those kittens may not be registered nor shown. Note :  The purple markings you see on the kittens above are our way of identifying newborn kittens for weight record keeping purposes. We use Gentian Violet in order to tell kittens apart at this age Patterns Pointed Ragdolls come in three different patterns: Colourpoint – Dark mask, ears, legs & tail; no white whatsoever allowed Mitted – Dark mask, ears and tail; white mittens on front feet and white hind legs Bicolour – Dark ears & tail; white legs; inverted "V" on the face   From L to R :  BoomBoom, Lori & Bailey Seal Tabby Colourpoint Seal Mitted Blue Bicolour Colours Pointed Ragdolls come in six different colours: Seal – Points are deep seal brown Blue – Points are slate blue Chocolate – Points are milk chocolate in colour (not available in South Africa) Lilac – Points are frosty grey (not available in South Africa) Flame - Points are deep orange flame to deep red Cream - Points are buff cream to apricot in colour Blue Colourpoint Blue Tabby Bicolour Cream Mitted Seal Tortie  Mitted Non-Pointed Ragdolls Non-pointed Ragdolls come in the Bicolour and Mitted patterns, as well as the solid (self-coloured) cat. These cats are purebred and registered Ragdolls, descending from the foundation cats. At present there are no purebred, registered non-pointed Ragdolls being bred with in South Africa.   The Ragdoll Coat Ragdolls have a soft, medium length coat which sheds just like any other cat breed.  Regular grooming assists in removing loose, dead hair and prevents hairballs and mats. Grooming is a wonderful one-on-one communication and bonding experience for both owner and pet. Taking Care of your Ragdoll When looking at overseas Ragdoll websites, one is reminded that the Ragdoll is a strictly indoor breed.  That is because they are kept indoors (all windows and doors shut) ... not because they have a gene that will prevent them from going outside the house. If you choose to have a strictly indoor Ragdoll pet, they can be taught to walk on a body harness. Here's 8 month old Carlos taking his mom for a brisk walk!   All cats love to be outdoors and there is no harm in letting them do so - on condition that they are confined to a cat escape-proof and extremely safe outdoor area. Johannesburg based company "D's Fencing & Security" specialises in electrified pet fencing and one of my kitten owners found them to be very reliable and fairly priced. You can view their website for contact details and more information at http://www.dsfencing.co.za/  Disclaimer : Raglin Ragdolls is not associated with this company; we do not earn commission on referrals; and if you decide to appoint them for a contract we are not to be held responsible in case of any disputes. Alf and Diana made this very beautiful, safe and interesting safety enclosure for their new kitten, Darwin. This is not where their kitten lives - this enclosure is only there for his playtime in the garden during the day, and probably during hot Summer evenings Look under the solid roof - there Darwin has a safe enclosed "house" where he can go hide and sleep, if he wants to. This enclosure has a beautiful water feature, shelves, tree branches ... a lot of fun for any cat ... Darwin is one very lucky boy! Below : an interesting wooden walk-way for an energetic Ragdoll   Raglin Ragdoll kitten owners Mike & Gail built this beautiful "cat house" themselves. Below are photographs which will inspire you to make a safe enclosure for your own kitten/cat Geoff & Annie Hall in George had a special outdoor cage built for their Ragdolls.  This cage is attached to the outside wall and can be dismantled and removed, should they so wish. The cage also has an outdoor gate which makes gardening easy Outdoor scratch posts, wooden logs, lovely lawn and cat-safe plants and shrubs make this a very safe and aesthetically pleasing place for the cats to play To prevent their Ragdolls from jumping over walls, they constructed this easy-to-make cat-fence To prevent their Ragdolls from climbing this tree, they attached an "umbrella" of mesh around the trunk My sincerest thanks to Geoff & Annie for the above photographs A friend's Maine Coon went missing and that spurred him on to investigate some kind of tracking device for pets.  Such a product is being launched in South Africa and you can read more about at http://www.ptrack.co.za Weight and size can be found on the FAQ page.  This device is also suitable to track children. Disclaimer :  Please note that I am not associated with this company or product and do not earn commission on any sales.  Please do not contact me for sales or enquiries. Ragdolls don’t need any special treatment. High-quality premium foods and healthy treats, fresh water, a secure and loving home, de-worming, annual booster vaccinations and an annual vet check are all that are needed to maintain their health. Ragdolls are easily trained and can be taught to come on command, fetch and do tricks. Michelle taught 15 week old Jessie to "beg" in only one day! A Ragdoll should never be dangled like a toy rag doll.  Always pick up a kitten or lift a cat by supporting it with one hand under the armpits and the other hand under the buttocks.   Never pick up a kitten or cat by the scruff ... only queens know how to do it without hurting their kittens. Here's Robert holding ChiChi in a safe and comfortable cradle position On a Personal Note: I am often asked exactly what attracted me to the Ragdoll breed.   It is quite easy ... There is nothing extreme about the Ragdoll.   The "overall package" of the Ragdoll is pleasing to the eye.  The ideal Ragdoll should be large, friendly, soft-spoken, inquisitive (yet not adventurous) cat -  always ready to "lend a helping hand".  They will greet visitors, head-butt for massages, walk around showing off their plumed tails and flop down at your feet. Some lines produce kittens that are very relaxed when held, like ChiChi above in a "Ragdoll Flop". However, there isn't a "flop gene" in the Ragdoll that makes them go limp At Raglin Ragdolls, our aim is to only breed with lines that produce kittens with the above personality traits; as well as only work with healthy lines that produce kittens with strong immunities and healthy systems.   Here's what Ragdoll owners have to say about this special breed : We have been owned by Ragdolls since end 2001 ~ was there life before Ragdoll cats we often ask ourselves? Monty and Kashka (aka Chicken, Baby, Button and a host of other kitchee-coo names) are half brothers sharing the same dad and they arrived with us on a Christmas morning aged just over 3 months. One Blue Mitted Lynx and one Seal Mitted bundle of soft, creamy fur with enormous blue eyes. Our hearts were theirs from the first instance. And our bed, morning newspaper, couch, chairs as well as any empty box or plastic packet! Slowly but surely they re-arranged the entire house to suit themselves and their agenda. Monty slept in the guest room until noon while Kashka found that alternating between my in-tray and my t-shirt shelf suited him better. Their favourite time of day is late afternoon when Da returns from work and Mom is home and thinking about supper. Then they go for walks in and around the garden with us, chase leaves or bugs and play hide-and-seek with each other in the bushes. Suddenly they remember they are adults and cats after all and preen and wash, look aloof and think about sleeping off their supper. They sleep. Goodness how they sleep! After a good night’s rest they are exhausted and so move to their ‘flavour of the month’ day time place and sleep some more. In winter they will sleep like real cats, all curled up neatly with paws tucked under and noses covered by tail. But in summer they fly the Ragdoll colours! Whether on the floor, the couch or a chair they sleep either on their backs with legs akimbo or drape themselves over the back of a sofa like a floppy soft toy. We always thought our previous feline owners were large cats until the Raggies arrived and grew . . . . and grew . . . . . and grew. I think they have stopped now and fluctuations are only between winter coats with heavy ruffs and slinkier summer attire. They don’t so much run as lope across the lawn, their lion-like bellies swaying. But they would rather walk than run any time. They are placid, predictable, affectionate (on their terms), cuddlers and not fighters, homebodies and not wanderers. Their voices, like their coats, are rabbit soft. They are vocal at suppertime, sometimes when spoken to and when they want the water fountain turned on. They prrrrrrrrt greetings when we return home and first thing in the morning but are never loud and never yowl. Last week we had four new visitors from overseas to our home. They spent more time on the carpet scratching offered tummies, stroking floppy, draped backs and taking photographs than eating their braai. Our hearts and homes would be empty without them. Penni Warncke, February 2006 I, like other "cat people" consider myself born a "cat person".   I have been so enriched by all the whiskered friends I have met on my life journey. I have truly felt every moment of time spent with "my furry children" to have been so precious.   Last year, to my great joy and delight I "found" the Ragdoll breed. In the words of my vet "they are the most phenomenal animals".   I have encountered some of the characteristics I list here in all of my "kitty kids" but my two Ragdoll's have displayed ALL of these characteristics.   Large, muscular, talkative, relaxed, intelligent, gentle, exceptionally affectionate, responsive, healthy, bright eyed and bushy tailed, playful, companionable, friendly, beautiful, luxurious, inquisitive, always ready for a game.   They truly are the most magnificent friends one could ever wish for. Annie Hall, February 2006 Cats have owned me my entire life, and in 2000 two Ragdoll brothers came into my life, Pie a Seal Mitted and Skye a Blue solid.  Like many potential owners, prior to deciding on Ragdolls I researched the breed and found they were commonly described as large cats with medium length fur and gentle temperaments.   What a bland description for an amazing breed.  Don’t be misled, Ragdolls have all those lovable mischievous qualities that make us admire and adore cats and then that intangible something extra.  Although there are certain breed specifications with which they should conform, each is a unique character.  Pie is outgoing and adventuresome and somehow always seems to land up in trouble.   If it rains he will be caught in it, coming in with his fur standing on end, his tree climbing activities tend to result in him getting stuck and needing rescuing and he is always on the wrong side of a closed door.   Skye however prefers his home comforts and even when venturing outside prefers to stay close to the door and his humans.   He is happiest lying on a chair or table next to his humans.   Pie too loves to know his humans are close but doesn’t believe in being as demonstrative about it.  When you are busy in a room he will be found sleeping on the windowsill, move to a new room and you soon find he has followed you and dozing where he can keep an eye on you. Doors must be left open so he can patrol his territory, checking on the humans (even during the night).  Ragdolls are very intelligent and are experienced human trainers.   Pie informs us long before he gets to the door that he wants to come in and has trained us to wait with the door open whilst he comes ambling up the steps. It is quite likely at this point that he will tell you he needs a rest from all that exertion and flops over onto his back exposing his tummy for a rub.  Tummy rubs are one of his favourite activities and he will find every opportunity to lie in your way so you have to bend over and give him attention. Ragdolls like to talk, but don’t see the need to raise their voices unless all other means of communication have failed.  Both boys greet us with soft chirrups, when they come into a room.  Skye extends this courtesy to his doggy friends and can often be found rubbing up against the dogs’ faces in greeting (much to the dogs’ embarrassment) and sneaking out of the house through a dog’s legs.    Despite their bulk Ragdolls are incredibly gentle, and are more likely to restrain your hand with a large fluffy paw rather than first resorting to using claws.  Their large paws are a wonderful feature of the breed, when you feel like you need a bit of comfort; just holding a huge paw makes you feel much better. My Ragdolls love their cuddles; Skye loves to be picked up, folding himself to fit snugly into your arms.   Pie finds the feet off ground thing a bit off-putting, preferring you to be seated for a Rag cuddle.   If you get too preoccupied to do the cuddle thing, a quick furry head but is used to get your attention.  Ragdolls are the gentle giants of the cat world and are loving, companions who thrive on human attention.   If you are looking for the stereotypical cat, the one you only see at mealtimes then don’t even consider a Ragdoll.   A Ragdoll is a partner, a friend, a family member, a very human soul wrapped in a large furry cat form and yes I am their very willing slave. Ruth Hine, February 2006 Word of caution … Ragdolls are addictive!