Description of the unusual cat Ragdoll: features of the character of the pet, problems of care at home. Kittens price. The Ragdoll is an exceptionally calm and remarkably friendly domestic cat, which differs from the rest of the cat family in that it, like no one else, knows how to relax muscles, completely surrendering to the power of the person who took her in his arms. Well, just like a rag doll from your childhood.
The Ragdoll is an exceptionally calm and remarkably friendly domestic cat, which differs from the rest of the cat family in that it, like no one else, knows how to relax muscles, completely surrendering to the power of the person who took her in his arms. Well, just like a rag doll from your childhood.
Hence the name of the breed - Ragdoll (from English "regdoll" - "ragdoll").
The origin of the ragdoll breed
The history of this in its own way curious breed dates back to the mid-60s of the last century, when the first kittens of this unique breed were obtained in the state of California (USA) by the American breeder Ann Baker.
It is believed that Ragdoll cats are descended from two breeds - White Angora and Burmese. According to another version - from the Burmese and long-haired Persian (this opinion is probably based on the fact that the Persian-Angora cat named Josephine is considered the progenitor of the breed). In any case, the Ragdoll breed is hugely popular in the United States, but surprisingly little known in the rest of the world.
There is also a legend that somehow explains the unusual "raginess" of the muscles of animals of this breed. According to her, the cat, the ancestor of the breed, was hit by a car, because of which she was sedentary, lazy and had a reduced muscle tone for the rest of her days, which was ultimately inherited by her descendants. Most likely - this is nothing more than a legend. It is more likely that the dominant gene responsible for a special "relaxed" muscle tone, the ragdolls received in addition to their very cute peaceful character, which, in general, the creators of the breed sought to breed, crossing among themselves the most smart, but phlegmatic, docile and calm cats.
External standard for ragdoll cats
Ragdoll cats are quite large representatives of the feline world. The weight of an adult cat reaches 10 kg, and that of a cat - 7 kg.
The head of a fluffy, rounded creature of medium size (due to the presence of abundant wool always seems larger) with a smooth transition from the forehead to the muzzle. The cheeks are well developed. The chin and jaw are medium in size. The length of the nose is almost twice its width. The neck is medium in length, muscular and strong, due to the presence of rich fur "collar", seeming to be short and thick.
The ears are of medium size, triangular, wide at the base, with rounded tips. The eyes of the Ragdoll are large, oval in shape, set wide apart. Eye color is necessarily blue, with all sorts of shades of bright blue.
The physique of the cat is dense and even plump, but, nevertheless, muscular, with a well-developed and wide chest. There may be fat accumulations on the belly of the animal. The back line is slightly raised towards the pelvis. The paws of a ragdoll cat are medium in length, quite muscular. The hind legs are longer than the front. The tail is long, medium in thickness, well furred.
The coat is distributed along the length - from short on the muzzle, to medium length on the belly and long on the back and sides of the breed. Ragdoll fur is silky, soft and thick, forming a rich and beautiful fur "collar" around the animal's neck. The hair on the front legs is longer than on the hind legs. When assessing pedigree, preference is given to individuals with longer and thicker fur.
A truly thoroughbred cat should be dense, strong, muscular enough, not prone to corpulence, proportionally built. Fat deposits are allowed only in the abdominal area.
Ragdoll Color Standards
The Ragdoll breed belongs to a group of feline breeds called colorpoints. Colorpoints are characterized by a light main body color (ranging from pure white to brownish-cream) and a darker muzzle, ears, paws and tail.
The standards of most associations allow three types of ragdoll colors to enter the feline championships, called: color-point, bi-color and mitted.
Also in the color of the ragdoll's wool there is one very characteristic detail - the presence of a kind of dark "mask" on the animal's face. The size of this "mask", its shape, appearance and color are rather strictly regulated by the standards of feline associations and seriously affect the overall assessment of a candidate for champion.
- Color-point (color-point). Ears, “mask”, lower part of legs and tail (so-called “points”) are colored in a dark color and are combined with a lighter tone of the main color of the body. The pads and nose are also dark. White spots are not allowed. The "mask" is located not only on the muzzle, but also goes to the forehead, reaching the middle of the ears.
- Mitted. The main color is white, combined with the dark color of the "mask", ears, legs and tail. Plus to this - white "socks" on the front legs, white spots or stripes on the belly and chin, a white "collar" around the neck.
- Bi-color. The main color is light, not pure white, but evenly colored. The color of the “points” is dark and stands out well against the background of the main coat color. Symmetrical white triangle on the face (sometimes called the letter "V"), turning into a white wedge on the chest. The color ratio is not defined by the standard. The nose and paw pads are pink.
Each of the listed color options has four color variations:
- blue (blu);
- lilac (lilac);
- chocolate (chocolate);
- forces (seal).
Ragdoll character
This is a friendly, sociable, extremely calm and peaceful domestic cat, with a high intelligence and a gentle character, preferring to communicate with a person to communicate with their own kind. The main feature of this breed is the complete absence of any resistance. Low muscle tone and masterful ability to relax, falling into the hands of a person, creates an amazing feeling of warm soft weak-willed obedience of the animal, its "rag" obedience. This quality especially pleases children who love to play with such a "doll". The congenital low pain threshold of sensitivity allows ragdolls to endure these children's games without any problems.
They are meek and docile creatures, capable of being a good companion for both adults and children. They are affectionate, obedient and not at all aggressive. They easily get along with other pets, love to play with children. They quickly get used to the daily routine, feeding places and the toilet.
Despite their good intelligence and learning ability, ragdolls are prone to being lazy and not too fond of excessive training. Ragdolls never pretend to be great hunters for birds or rodents, they do not arrange high-speed races through rooms, coupled with the destruction of furniture, interior, the fight of dishes and flower pots. For this they are too phlegmatic and balanced.
These pets are always not averse to walking down the street, but you shouldn't let them go outside alone. Due to the congenital specific muscle tone, when walking alone, your cat runs the risk of injury by inadvertently jumping somewhere and landing unsuccessfully. It is much better (yes, and calmer for the owner) to walk it somewhere in a quiet and calm place on a harness or leash, to which the ragdoll is very easy to accustom.
The timbre of the voice of these pets is soft and rather quiet. Their voice is rarely heard and is intended solely for calm communication with the owner.
Ragdolls are very balanced, but emotionally vulnerable animals, poorly perceived communication in high tones. For people with a choleric temperament and a noisy character, this breed is unlikely to suit. It is better for them to have a pet that is more energetic and less fearful in character.
Ragdoll health
Representatives of this breed, receiving proper care from the owner, eating right and receiving all the necessary vaccinations on time, do not have any special health problems.
The rather large body weight and congenital low muscle tone, which does not allow these animals to fully group in time, carries the danger of a cat getting injuries when jumping even from a low height. To avoid this, the owner needs to think about the issue in advance when choosing the main place of stay of his pet.
Sometimes these animals can have problems with the hip joints, which without proper care and treatment can lead to lameness, or even complete immobility of the cat.
It is not uncommon for older Ragdoll cats to be diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (thickening of the walls of the heart muscle). Cats of this breed are so phlegmatic and patient that they can often hide existing health problems. Therefore, the owner of such a pet needs to be doubly careful, observing the behavior of the animal.
The average lifespan of this beautiful fluffy animal is about 15 years. Maximum - up to 19 years.
Caring for the "doll cat"
The uniqueness of cats of this breed also lies in the fact that, despite the fact that the fur of these animals is long and thick, but due to the lack of undercoat, it still does not require particularly complicated care. It is enough only occasionally to comb the shaggy "rag doll" with a fine comb and a massage brush. As a rule, this should be done only once a week, and during the molting of the animal - no more than twice a week. Problems with combing never arise - cats of this breed simply adore this procedure.
The same cannot be said about bathing. They do not like to swim and experience the strongest stress from communicating with the wet element. Therefore, in order not to injure the psyche of this too vulnerable creature, ragdolls are bathed relatively rarely and only as a last resort - with severe pollution, before a mating or cat beauty championship. However, this eternally relaxed fluffy pet is naturally very clean and able to take care of itself on its own.
Any special diet in the diet of this breed of cats is not required. A properly balanced, high-quality food for long-haired cats is sufficient. The only condition is moderation. Ragdolls are big food lovers, and the problem of obesity is relevant for them. It is recommended to feed an adult of this breed no more than twice a day, in accordance with the body weight and the recommendations of the feed manufacturer.
Ragdoll kittens
Animals of this breed become sexually mature by three years of age. Females of the breed usually tolerate pregnancy without relapses and easily give birth to kittens. The usual number of newborn ragdolls is three to six, but there are more.
Mother cats are very caring, attentive and patient, constantly taking care of their children at a leisurely pace. Therefore, at this stage, no specific assistance is required from the owner, except for the timely vaccination of the younger generation.
In the future, kittens must be taught in a timely manner to the places of the toilet and the rules of behavior and nutrition. Ragdolls learn well, but don't relearn well afterwards.
Price when buying a ragdoll kitten
In the United States, the Ragdoll breed has long gained well-deserved popularity. In the rest of the world, cats of this breed are still a relative rarity.
And if in the USA it is not difficult to buy a ragdoll kitten, in other countries there are not so many catteries of these "dolls". Quite often, enterprising sellers give out kittens of Burmese cats (the ancestors of the breed) for ragdolls, similar in color and color. But, even without being a great specialist, it is quite easy to identify a ragdoll kitten - just take it in your arms and feel with your own eyes this indescribably relaxed creature, with rag muscles. No Burmese cat (yes, and any other) will simply not be able to repeat such a signature Ragdoll trick.
For the rest, of course, the price of a kitten varies depending on its birth, color and status, which only a specialist can fully appreciate (especially in a kitten).
For example, in Russia a 2-3 month old ragdoll kitten of the cheapest "pet" class can be bought for an amount of 40-50 thousand rubles, while kittens of the "breed" and "show" classes will cost significantly more. "Thoroughbred" kittens, offered without the appropriate documents for 5-10 thousand rubles, are likely to be local mestizos, not much like a real representative of the famous breed.
Description of the Ragdoll cat breed in this video:
[media =
