lovable cats for
lovable people
agdolls are perfect indoor cats, no matter if you live in a condo or mansion. You should never let your Ragdoll roam uncontrolled even if you live in a quiet and supposedly safe neighborhood. Nowadays free running is just too dangerous; reports about Ragdolls stolen, hit by a car and even shot at confirm this sad fact (not to mention that other outdoor cats could spread diseases to your Ragdoll or hurt him). Nevertheless, Ragdolls enjoy fresh air once in a while and watch with great interest what's going on outside (cat TV!). Therefore they would be grateful for a secured place at the window or balcony, a safely fenced yard or enclosure.
| 
|
agdolls are known for being very sociable. They are very attached to their owner and enjoy the company of other cats or friendly dogs very much. Therefore, at least working Ragdoll owners should get another feline companion if possible (breed doesn't matter, just strongly dominant or extremely lively cats are not quite suitable). As true family cats Ragdolls enjoy being with kids but despite their patient and affectionate disposition, you should always keep in mind that a Ragdoll is not a cuddly toy without any will, but a real cat and wants to be treated as such.
agdolls learn quite fast to know what is and is not allowed, and it is not difficult to get Ragdoll kittens accustomed for example to a scratching post or a collar and leash, if they are taught lovingly and consistently. If you get your Ragdoll used to travelling at an early age there will be no problem at all, no matter if you go by car, train or plane or stay at a hotel.
| |
ust like their human counterparts, young Ragdoll kittens are usually quite active while older ones are rather laid-back, gentle and well-tempered fellows. Nevertheless, adult Ragdolls occasionally have their "wild five minutes" during which they are excitedly and boisterously dashing through their home. Many Ragdolls like to fetch tossed toys, others prefer a combination of a game of hide and seek and tag with you. They never give you the feeling you are not welcome and are always happy when you share your free time with them. On the other hand they "let you live" and don't demand nonstop attention. However, please consider "adopting" a Ragdoll (or any other breed of cats) only if you have enough time for your new family member.
hough most Ragdolls love being carried around, not all do. If this is important to you, please ask the breeder of your choice to choose a kitten for you that especially enjoys being lifted up and held. One of our Ragdoll spays definitely prefers to stay on the floor with all her 4 feet. But she has such a great temperament in all other respects and shows her love for us in so many other different ways that we don't miss anything.
agdolls often answer in their soft low voice when called. They climb relatively well but normally they don't jump very high, at most up to the height of the windowsill. So you don't have to clear off the top of your bookshelves and needn't fear that your cat will be swinging on the doorframe.
espite the breed's typical temperament, every kitten in the litter has its very own personality too. One of the kittens might be especially curious and playful while the second one is more a dreamer, and the third one has a temperament somewhere in between. So a quiet kitten is probably not going to do well in a family with kids or lots of other pets, and a busy active kitten needs a "stay home" mom... not one that works leaving him home alone all day. That means, not every kitten is suitable for every home and the new kitten should be chosen not only for its color or gender, but mainly for a matching personality.
| |
responsible breeder gives every kitten proper time to develop and "show" its own individual personality before promising it to a family. So it is most important for the prospective "parents" to inform the breeder about the *true* living conditions awaiting the kitten in the future. Only then it is possible for the breeder to place the right kitten in the right home. Please don't be disappointed if the breeder of your choice has no ideal kitten for you at the moment. The "adoption" of a kitten is a cat-life long decision, so possibly for 15 – 18 years or even longer. Here it is really worth to wait until you found *your* special kitten that will be your pride and joy for many years to come.
e have noticed:
"Ragdolls
are addictive" and "Once a Ragdoll, always a
Ragdoll"!
There is some controversy regarding this picture: while some claim this photo does show Josephine, others say this cat is just a stand in for her. |
he history of the Ragdoll breed began in the early sixties in Riverside, California (USA). At that time there lived a white Angora-type cat named Josephine, who was allowed to run around freely and once in a while she had kittens. Finally, one of the litters got the attention of Ann Baker, a neighbor of Josephine's owner.
s. Baker was so impressed by these kittens that she decided to develop a new breed of cats with the kitten's most striking distinguishing marks (big blue eyes, semi-long, easy-to-groom fur, adorable personality and impressive size). Thus Ann Baker established a line-breeding with Josephine, a Birman-type male and some other cats. Due to the tendency to relax like a Rag Doll when picked up, Ms. Baker named this new breed "Ragdoll" which was for the first time officially registered in 1965.
Raggedy Ann Daddy Warbucks, seal mitted,
the first "real" Ragdoll |
n 1983 the first Ragdolls for breed and show were imported into Germany from England. Unfortunately, Ann Baker had invented some dubious and entirely fictitious characteristics over the years, such as "insensitiveness to pain" just for marketing purposes. Therefore, some cat associations received the Ragdoll somewhat skeptically. However, due to the continuous informational efforts of the Ragdoll breeders and other Ragdoll friends, it gradually became clear that not a single word of all these old wives' tales was true. The Ragdoll is an absolutely "normal" cat, with an irresistibly wonderful temperament. Soon the Ragdoll was bred not only in Germany but also in many other European countries as Switzerland, Austria, France, Sweden, Finland, etc.
inally, in January 1992 the breed was recognized by FIFe with simultaneous championship status of the Bicolor pattern. Since 1997 the Colorpoint Ragdoll has been allowed to compete with other breeds in FIFe, followed by the Mitted in 1999.
n ACFA and TICA all Ragdoll patterns reached championship status a long time ago, while only the Bicolor and the Van pattern are recognized by CFA right now. In the GCCF (Great Britain), Ragdolls achieved championship status in June 2000.
