Creature feature | PETS
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Legend has it they were fi rst bred by Ann
Baker, a resident of Riverside, California, who
bred Josephine, a domestic longhaired white
female she found roaming the neighbourhood
to other cats she owned and some she found.
She chose breeding partners based on physical
and character traits she liked, and the breed
has evolved from there.THE CAT WITH DOG-LIKE TRAITS
Cathy says Ragdolls should be kept as indoor-
only cats due to their docile, gentle, trusting
nature. “They adapt easily into any environment;
therefore, they are suitable for almost all kinds
of homes, even apartments,” she says. They suit
all kinds of living arrangements — families,
couples, single- and multiple-pet homes.
They’re also a great choice for families that like
having multiple species of pet in their home
— unlike many cats, they love dogs, and Cathy
adds they are very dog-like themselves.
“The way they greet you at the front door, and
the way they want to be in the same room as you
all the time makes them a popular alternative to
owning a dog, especially in apartments.” She says
they’re also low maintenance, and have non-
matting, low-allergy fur, so they may suit folk that
avoid owning pets due to allergy (though you’d
best test this before bringing home a kitten).THE BREED STANDARD
Ragdolls are larger cats. Fixed males will weigh
an average of 6.8–9 kilograms; females will
weigh between 4.5–6.8 kilograms at maturity,
though they grow slowly into their size and
fl uff y coat, taking up to two years to fully reach
their colour and four to reach their full size. The
Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) describes them
as a semi-longhaired pointed breed, meaning
their body hair is lighter than their points —
the face, legs, tail and ears.
They come in three colour patterns — bi-colour,
colourpoint, and mitted — and these patterns
come in six colours — blue, chocolate, cream, lilac,
red and seal. When you combine this with the four
possible patterns the points can come in — lynx,
solid, tortie or torbie — you can see there is a quite
a variety of colours that can be bred.
So, what do these diff erent patterns mean?
Bi-colours are primarily white, with their paws,underbodies, chest and an upside-down V
marking on their faces in all white. Colourpoints
have pointed markings and no white hair in
their coat, while mitteds, much like the name
implies, have white feet in the front and white
boots that go all the way up, a white chin and
a stripe of white up their bellies. They may also
have a blaze, star or hourglass-shaped patch
of white covering their forehead and nose, and
only their tails, ears and the outer part of their
masks show the darker markings.CARING FOR YOUR RAGDOLL
Ragdolls have a semi-long coat, with plush,
silky hair, and require fairly minimal grooming;
brushing their hair a few times a week with
a steel comb to remove any matts or tangles
will suffi ce. Health-wise, they’re a sturdy,
healthy breed, so you won’t need to be wary
of many hereditary diseases, though some
breeders believe they are prone to the heart
condition, big-cat syndrome, which can be
ruled out by having your kitten blood tested
for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy — a healthy
kitten will test negative.
That said, they are a large cat and can
become obese if overfed, so watch their weight
and talk to your vet if they need to lose weight;
as with any breed, obesity can cause heart,
joint and muscle issues for cats. They will also
require their annual shots, and preventative
treatments to keep them tick, worm and fl ea
free. And last, but certainly not least, spaying
or neutering your cat is important — not only
does it prevent unwanted pregnancy, it can
reduce straying (which puts them at risk of
injury from accidents or cat fi ghts) and for
owners of female cats, it can reduce midnight
callers meowing at your door!Grooming: Low maintenance
Size: Large
Weight: 6.8–9kg for males,
4.5–6.8kg for females
Lifespan: 12–15 yearsAt a Glance
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