Ragdoll - breed description and cat character

The name of the breed ragdoll in translation from English means "rag doll". Its representatives are characterized by excessive leisurelyness. They would undoubtedly have handed the palm of the championship in the world championship for laziness among cat breeds. Thus, a characteristic feature of a Ragdoll cat is its temperament - it is a real phlegmatic person. Some will consider this a virtue, others a disadvantage. And what other features do representatives of this breed possess?

Ragdoll breed: history of origin

A detailed list of events describing the appearance of cats of this breed in the world is practically unknown to anyone. Therefore, people often joke that it was the excessive laziness of the ragdolls themselves that did not allow them to leave the genealogy or annals for their descendants. In fact, we only know a few facts about the history of the ragdolls that we will try to familiarize ourselves with.

The United States of America is the place where the story of the origin of the Ragdoll breed originates. Animal breeding professionals living in this country in the sixties of the twentieth century unintentionally discovered a jackpot for themselves. We are talking about a cat found in an amazing way named Josephine. Her feature was a very flexible character. The kitty was crossed with a color-point male Burmese breed.

The result of such an experiment was a new breed called the "rag doll." The newly-bred thoroughbred representative of the cat family was officially registered in 1965. On the Internet you can find photos of the cat Josephine, which clearly demonstrate, for example, that she belonged to the Angora type.

Redgalls gained great popularity in many countries of the world, such as England, Germany, France, Italy, the United States of America. They are in demand there until now. If we compare the appearance of the ragdolls with the external characteristics of other breeds, then most of all they look like representatives of the breed of Persian cats.

External characteristics of the Ragdoll breed

The bright blue eyes of the ragdolls do not leave anyone indifferent. Their mind and mysterious insight convince a person that a cat understands everything and knows how to see the most important thing in life. The ragdolls were called the Cat Buddhas. However, the official status of the breed draws our attention not only to the memorable features of the appearance of the thoroughbred cat, but also to clearly established breed standards.

Head

• Wedge-shaped head.
• A pronounced flat surface of the head between them contrasting with the ears.
• Well developed cheeks.
• Medium chin.
• Long nose.
• The width of the nose is half its length.
• Wide bases of the ears (rarely end with tassels).
• Middle ears, the inside of which is covered with wool.
• Oval-shaped eyes of large size, far set.
• Bright blue eye color (various shades are possible).
• Thick and long white mustache.

In general, the appearance of the ragdolls is similar to the cats of the Burmese breed. Among the differences are the fact that ragdolls are larger and heavier cats. Gender affects their size, so females are smaller (weight 4-6 kg) than males (weight 6-9 kg).In turn, both sexes have the same descriptive characteristics of the chest: it is wide and well developed. The body of the ragdolls is quite long and muscular if the cat leads an active lifestyle. There is no fat deposits on the body of the ragdolls, with the exception of folds in the abdomen. The length of the limbs of cats of this breed is average, in turn, their tail is quite long and very fluffy. The development of cats of this breed lasts until they reach the age of three years. The described external characteristics bring the breed closer to the famous Maine Coons. The main difference between redgalls in this context is the color of the coat.

There are several types of color of thoroughbred ragdolls:

1. Siamese color point, in which the muzzle, tail, ears and paws are dark in color, the rest of the coat is light.
2. Glove, in which the legs, chest and chin are highlighted with light hair.
3. Bicolor, which is a combination of light and dark shades of flowers.

The shades of colors used in different types of colors are coffee, purple and even bluish. The way colors are combined is not limited to the official breed standard.

In structure, the wool of the ragdolls is very similar to the soft and silky hair of rabbits. Its length is average, with undercoat, so ragdolls need to be combed out. The quality of the coat allows you to do this without difficulties for the owner and without pain for the animal. Wool texture highlights the neck of the pet with a fur collar, as well as hind legs through the "panties".

Ragdoll cat character

The beautiful character of the cat Josephine is praised by all the owners of ragdolls, because her descendants are incredibly complaisant. And this applies not only to their relationship with a person. Ragdolls have a high level of adaptability. They quickly get used to a new house or apartment when moving, they get along with all the members of the company of their owners.

Dislike for loud sounds is often attributed to the minuses of representatives of this breed, but cats can be understood. The phlegmatic nature of ragdolls does not have sympathy for everything noisy. Cats of this breed are calm and friendly. The softness of the ragdolls makes them incapable of aggression. Therefore, they live well in families where there are children, endure their games and curiosity in relation to themselves, and they are also able to pose for a long time in the photo in those poses that the small owner wants.

Please note that since the first ragdolls were bred, they often try to give other cats and cats as representatives of this breed. How can a “fake” be recognized? The answer is simple - by nature. The liveliness of nature, the love of scratches and fun games - all this is not about him. If you are dealing with a real phlegmatic person, then you have not been deceived.

The calling card of Ragdol cats is the voice, the frequency of which is related to the rest of his character traits. As you might have guessed, he serves it rarely and quietly.

Ragdolls easily make friends with other pets in the house, however, it will be people who are the authority. Ragdolls love to go tail for the owner a little more than to be lazy.

Ragdoll Cat Health

The health of cats of this breed is notable for its strength, which they skillfully maintain until their advanced years. But there are no rules without exceptions, which means there are roughnesses in this matter.

Ragdolls have some diseases that are unique to this breed. Among them is hip dysplasia. If the disease does not develop, then it will not cause great difficulties to the animal, and the owner will completely leave its presence unnoticed. In turn, a severe degree of dysplasia can respond with an animal’s limp or total immobilization.

The next disease that a pet of this breed can meet is feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.It entails sudden death, both at an early and an advanced age. This is a hereditary disease, therefore, it is possible to trace the likelihood of its occurrence in a particular pet through information about the health of its parents.

Features of caring for a ragdoll cat

Ragdoll cat breeding professionals advise you to remove a kitten from its mother no earlier than sixteen weeks after its birth, as babies develop much longer than their brothers in the family of other breeds. This feature affects the care and maintenance of the cat.

Independent walks to pets of this breed are contraindicated and even prohibited, since the phlegmatic nature will not allow them to hide from the aggression of street animals or the inattention of motorists. They absolutely do not know how to defend themselves; for them, only the space of the house is comfortable and safe.

Another difficulty in the life of cats of this breed is that they absolutely do not know how to group. Falling from significant and even small heights can be fatal for an animal. Owners either need to always be on the alert, or from childhood, wean a kitten to climb high. Fortunately, ragdolls have excellent learning abilities, which means they will quickly understand what is required of them.

In general, caring for Ragdoll cats does not provide much trouble. The only addition will be to pay attention to the pet's coat. He will not be hurt by daily combing, from which, in addition to benefit, he enjoys it very much.

How to feed a ragdoll cat?

Ragdolls are very fond of eating and do not differ in poor appetite. Despite the fact that they are excessively lazy, a tendency to obesity is not found in them. In addition to ordinary food, cats need special mineral supplements that contribute to the development of the skeleton. The heaviness of the breed representatives already noted earlier entails the size of their portions. A kitten needs 120 grams of food per day, an adult will not give up 300 grams. Watch for a moderate frequency of feeding.

Ragdolls are good at eating properly selected dry food. If you prefer a natural type of feeding, keep proportionality, as 2/3 of the total diet should be meat. It is forbidden to feed the pet fatty and fried, river fish and milk.

Some interesting facts

1. Ragdol kittens have a white coat at birth. The color scheme of a kitten appears only by the tenth day. The establishment of a permanent color occurs at the age of two years.
2. The average life span of a pet is 15-18 years.

Where can I buy a Ragdoll kitten?

Professional breeders of this breed are located in the United States of America. However, in Russia there are also places where people have been doing this in good faith for many years (elite cats cattery “SAPFIR”).

How much does a ragdoll kitten cost?

It varies depending on the participation in exhibitions and championships of his parents. The price also affects the need to deliver a pet to another city or even a country. Thus, the price range ranges from 10,000 to 35,000 rubles.

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