Ragdoll Cats

How to name your ragdoll cat.

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:52:17 +0000

Originally uploaded by tierfotos

You’ve picked out the perfect kitten. You spent hours on the internet, researching the right breed for you and your family. Then you went from breeder to breeder or humane society to humane society, meeting and greeting kitties until you find just the right match.

Now what? He needs a name! Over the course of its life, you will use your cat’s name more than 35,000 times. So be sure you’re picking a name you can live with and love.

With these nine simple steps, the key to finding the perfect puppy name is at your fingertips!

1. Cats understand short commands. Easy names with two or fewer syllables work well. If possible use “s” in their name.

Your kitten’s name shouldn’t sound like any commands. “Stacy” and “stay” are too close for comfort. Such a name will only confuse the issue.

Remember, you’ll be using your cat’s name in public. “Stinky” may be cute among your fellow fraternity members, but it won’t go over well at the veterinarian.

2. Make your kids part of the decision process. Kids like it simple, too, so if calling your ragdoll “Ugly Betty” works for them, consider keeping the hoity toity name strictly for AKC purposes.

3. You may think it’s an honor to name your cat after you’re favorite Aunt Drucilla. Naming your baby after her may keep you in the will, but naming your kitten after her may not.

4. If you’re bringing home an older ragdoll cat , ideally, stick with the name it already owns. Can’t stand it because “Tiger” was the first boy who broke your heart? Then stick with similar sounds when choosing a new dog name. “Tiger” morphs into “Eager” easily.

5. Once you’ve chosen a name, try it out for a day or so. You’ll know right away whether it’s a keeper. If not, there’s always more kitten names on your list!

6. Take a look around you. Everywhere you are, you’ll find a variety of terrific ideas on what to name your ragdoll kitten. At first glance, a couple things will stand out about your new kitten. Enjoy him or her for a day or two and take these into consideration.

7. Appearance. What’s your cat look like? Her color, size, and personal style inspires a variety of name choices. “Blue” would be a great name for a blueish cat. Or you may call a cream colored kitten “Buffy.”

8. Personality. Given a couple of days, your new kitten’s personality will really shine through.

9. If you want to go beyond the basics, many famous cat names or foreign cat names can fit the bill. Consider these favorite kitten names when making your decision. Celebrity puppy names. Tom is always a good cat name.

The choices are endless. However, with these simple tips and some thought, before long, you’ll have found the perfect kitten name!

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About declawing

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:40:19 +0000

Declawing is a major surgery known as onychectomy, performed under general anesthesia, by which the tip of each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the cat’s forepaws is removed.

There is a slight chance of death in the surgery, & a declawed cat may have an increased risk of infection & life-long discomfort in its paws.

This surgery is not recommended for an adult animal & is thought about an act of animal cruelty in some countries.

People generally have felines declawed to prevent them from hunting &damaging furniture. Only in rare cases, vicious felines are declawed. In the USA, some landlords require tenants’ felines to be declawed.

Ragdolls don’t usually need declawing as they are calm and understand when being told not to to something.

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Ragdoll nutrition

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:24:14 +0000

When choosing the right type of food for your Ragdoll cat you must take into consideration your cats age, activity level, and current health.

Your cat’s food should be meet-based; cats (especially this one) needs a lot of good quality proteins.

There are three main food varieties: dry, semi-most, and wet.

Dry cat food is crunchy, kibble and has the side benefit of removing buildup from your cat’s teeth as it is eaten. For this reason most veterinarians recommend feeding dry food on a daily basis.

Semi-most cat food comes in pouches and is more easily digested than dry cat food due to higher water content. Semi-wet cat food can be left out during the day for your Ragdoll cat to snack on.

Wet cat food has the highest water content of the three types and is the most easy to digest. Wet food is the favorite of most cats and comes in a wide variety of flavors from fish to chicken. This type of food does nothing to help clean your cat’s teeth and contributes to plaque and tartar build up.

A suitable wet and dry food combination is to leave dry food out for your Ragdoll cat to nibble during the day and feed a can of wet food for dinner. Remember to refrigerate any unused portions as wet food will spoil if left out for too long.

Quality, premium cat foods have a balance of the nutrition needed for your cat to be healthy. If you add human foods to your Ragdoll’s diet you can upset the balance provided by your cat food. This doesn’t mean however they don’t like some fresh chicken liver; just don’t overdue it.

Milk should never be used instead of water; milk does not add balance to your cat’s diet, and most cats are actually lactose intolerant. Feeding your cat milk can give your cat diarrhea, which you will have to deal with when it’s time to clean the litter box.

It is also not a good idea to feed your cat raw eggs. Eggs can contribute to a lack of biotin in your Ragdoll’s diet. This deficiency can cause skin and coat problems. It can even stunt your cat’s growth.

Feeding your Ragdoll raw fish can also lead to dietary problems. Fish contribute to a lack of thiamine in your cat’s diet. Lack of thiamine can cause weakness, seizures, and a lack of appetite.

Feeding raw meat to your cat can introduce bacteria and parasites that can make your Ragdoll sick.

If you feed your cat a quality premium cat food you will not have nutritional deficiencies. Table scraps do not provide the nutrition your cat needs. If you are unsure which premium food to feed your Ragdoll cat consult your veterinarian.

Before starting a vitamin regiment for your ragdoll cat consults your veterinarian. If you feed your Ragdoll cat a premium brand of cat food it may not be necessary to supplement your cat’s diet with vitamins. Do not start supplementing your cat’s diet without consulting your veterinarian.

Vitamin supplements come in two forms: water soluble and fat soluble. Excess water soluble vitamins are passed in your cat’s urine. Fat soluble vitamins are stored in your cat’s body and excesses could be harmful to your cat.

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Radgoll varieties (details)

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:25:25 +0000

In the table below you can see all ragdoll variants, including the most rare ones.

The table represents the standatd drafted by the Australian Cat Federation

For everyday use the ragdoll varieties presented in another article on this website are more than enough.

SEAL POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Cream – shading to pale fawn, shading same colour as points.
Points	Deep seal brown
Nose Leather	As for points
Paw Pads	Seal brown in colourpoint, pink in mitted and bi-colour.
BLUE POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Bluish white, any shading at all to tone with point colour, to almost white on stomach and chest.
Points	Blue-grey.
Nose Leather	Blue-grey.
Paw Pads	Blue-grey in colourpoint, pink in mitted and bi-colour.
CHOCOLATE POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Ivory, preferably no shading, but if any, to tone with point colour.
Points	Milk chocolate, warm in tone.
Nose Leather	Milk-chocolate.
Paw Pads	Milk-chocolate in colourpoint, pink in mitted and bi-colour.
LILAC POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Magnolia, almost white
Points	Frosty grey with pinkish tone.
Nose Leather	Lavender-pink
Paw Pads	Lavender in colourpoint, pink in mitted and bi-colour.
RED POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Pale, clear cream, almost white, preferably no shading, but if any, same tone as points.
Points	Reddish gold. Tabby markings, barring and tail rings shall not be considered a MAJOR fault in kittens.
Nose Leather	Pink (spots / freckles permitted).
Paw Pads	Pink
CREAM POINT RAGDOLL
Body colour	Off white
Points	Pale cream. Tabby markings, barring and tail rings shall not be considered a MAJOR fault in kittens.
Nose Leather	Pink (spots / freckles permitted).
Paw Pads	Pink.
CARAMEL POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Pale, off white (magnolia), preferably no shading, but if any, same tone as points.
Points	Dark warm toned brownish blue-grey (for blue based) or warm light brownish-grey (for lilac/fawn based) with metallic sheen. Tabby markings, barring and tail rings shall not be considered a major fault, especially in kittens.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Pinkish grey: blue based mauve/pink, lilac-based almost without pigment.
APRICOT POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Warm creamy white, preferably no shading, but if any, same tone as points.
Points	Warm bright apricot almost coral pink (for lilac based) or duller warm apricot (for blue based) with soft metallic sheen. Fawn based is very hot in tone, much hotter than fawn based caramel point. Tabby markings, barring and tail rings shall not be considered a major fault, especially in kittens.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Pink.
TORTIE POINT Points need not be evenly broken but each point should preferably display more than one colour. Colours may be intermingled or patched; blazes, solid legs, ears or tail are all permissible. Presence or absence of a blaze is immaterial. Points may display two or more shades of the basic colours. The expression of colour or patching in tortoiseshells is random and immaterial.
SEAL TORTIE POINT RAGDOLL
Body colour	Preferably no shading in body colour, but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Three colours, shades of red, cream and seal to be displayed on the mask, ears and tail.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Plain or blotched.
BLUE TORTIE POINT RAGDOLL
Body colour	Preferably no shading in body colour, but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Blue and cream to be displayed on the mask, ears and tail.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Plain or blotched.
CHOCOLATE TORTIE POINT RAGDOLL
Body colour	Preferably no shading in body colour, but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Three colours, shades of chocolate, red and cream to be displayed on the mask, ears and tail.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Plain or blotched.
LILAC TORTIE POINT RAGDOLL
Body colour	Preferably no shading in body colour, but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Frosty grey of pinkish tone and cream to be displayed on the mask, ears and tail.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Plain or blotched.
CARAMEL TORTIE POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Preferably no shading but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Dark warm-toned brownish blue grey (for blue based) or brownish grey (for lilac/fawn based) with metallic sheen and hot tone apricot almost red (dark and light shades).
Nose Leather	Pinkish grey, pink or patched with both.
Paw Pads	Mauvish grey, pink, or patched with both.
Remarks:	Metallic sheen may be less evident in kittens. Colour on legs may be slightly paler in tone than the other points.
TABBY POINT RAGDOLLS GENERAL In all Tabby Point Ragdolls, the mask must be clearly tabby marked, especially around the eyes and nose, the cheeks have stripes and the whisker pads are spotted. The ears are without stripes but have a thumb-mark (as in all tabbies). The tail is evenly ringed and ends in a solid tip. There are bars of varying lengths on the legs; the soles of the hind legs (where not white) are solid colour. Nose leather colour may not be solid. Colour variations allowable. Refer to Tabby Colourpoint Persian standard.
SEAL TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body colour	Preferably no shading in body colour, but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Seal brown stripes.
Nose Leather	Seal brown.
Paw Pads	Seal brown in colourpoint, pink in mitted and bi-colour.
BLUE TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body colour	Preferably no shading in body colour, but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Refer to Seal Tabby Point Ragdoll. Blue-grey stripes.
Nose Leather	Slate-blue, blue grey, or brick red/deep pink outlined with grey.
Paw Pads	Blue-grey in colourpoint, pink in mitted and bi-colour.
CHOCOLATE TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body colour	Preferably no shading in body colour, but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Refer to Seal Tabby Point Ragdoll. Milk-chocolate stripes.
Nose Leather	Milk chocolate or brick red/dark pink outlined with brown.
Paw Pads	Milk chocolate in colourpoint, pink in mitted and bi-colour.
LILAC TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body colour	Preferably no shading in body colour, but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Refer to Seal Tabby Point Ragdoll. Stripes frosty grey of pinkish tone.
Nose Leather	Pinkish mauve (Lavender) or pink outlined with lavender pink.
Paw Pads	Lavender-pink in colourpoint, pink in mitted and bi-colour.
RED TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body colour	Preferably no shading in body colour, but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Refer to Seal Tabby Point Ragdoll. Stripes red (orange).
Nose Leather	Pink or pink outlined with red/dark pink.
Paw Pads	Pink.
CREAM TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body colour	Preferably no shading in body colour, but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Refer to Seal Tabby Point Ragdoll. Pale cream stripes.
Nose Leather	Pink or pink outlined with darker pink.
Paw Pads	Pink.
CARAMEL TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Preferably no shading, but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Brownish grey tabby markings with metallic sheen. Dark warm toned blue with a fawn overtone (for blue based) or antelope/taupe (for lilac/fawn based).
Nose Leather	Pinkish grey or pink outlined with darker pinkish grey.
Paw Pads	Pinkish grey or pink.
Remarks:	Metallic sheen clearly seen on scarab and under feet (to hock), sometimes on leg bracelets and tail rings. The metallic sheen may be less evident in kittens.
APRICOT TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Preferably no shading but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Clear hot cream (warm apricot) tabby markings with soft metallic sheen. Lilac/fawn-based apricot is almost coral pink, which is warmer and brighter than the blue-based apricot colour, which is duller and shows the metallic sheen much earlier.
Nose Leather	Pink outlined in deep pink.
Paw Pads	Pink.
Remarks:	Same as for caramel point.
TORTIE TABBY POINT RAGDOLLS GENERAL Same as the tabby description with patches or intermingled red/cream (all shades of light and dark), the distribution of the patches the same as for tortie point. These cats resemble tabby points rather than tortie points.
SEAL TORTIE TABBY POINT
Body colour	Cream shading to lighter colour on stomach and chest. Body shading may take form of ghost striping or ticking and/or cream mottling.
Points	Seal brown bars, distinct and separated by lighter background colour; ears seal brown with paler thumb-print in centre. Variable mottling of red and/or cream overlays the marking of the points. Tail ringed, patching permissible.
Nose Leather	Seal brown permitted, pink edged in seal brown preferred, flesh or coral pink mottling may be present.
Paw Pads	Seal brown or seal brown mottled with flesh or coral pink.
BLUE TORTIE TABBY POINT
Body colour	Bluish white to platinum grey, cold in tone, shading to lighter colour on stomach and chest. Body shading may take form of ghost striping or ticking and/or cream mottling.
Points	Deep blue grey bars, distinct and separated by lighter background colour; ears deep blue-grey with paler thumb-print in centre. Variable mottling of cream overlays the marking of the points.
Nose Leather	Slate coloured permitted, pink edged in slate preferred, flesh or coral pink mottling may be present.
Paw Pads	Slate coloured or slate mottled with flesh or coral pink.
CHOCOLATE-TORTIE TABBY POINT
Body colour	Ivory. Body shading may take form of ghost striping or ticking and/or cream mottling.
Points	Warm milk-chocolate bars, distinct and separated by lighter background colour; ears warm milk-chocolate with paler thumb-print in centre. Variable mottling of red and/or cream overlays the marking of the points.
Nose Leather	Milk-chocolate permitted, pink edged in milk-chocolate preferred, flesh or coral pink mottling may be present.
Paw Pads	Milk-chocolate or milk-chocolate mottled with flesh or coral pink.
LILAC TORTIE TABBY POINT
Body colour	Glacial White. Body shading may take form of ghost striping or ticking and/or cream mottling.
Points	Frosty grey with pinkish tone bars, distinct and separated by lighter background colour; ears frosty-grey with pinkish tone, paler thumb-print in centre. Variable mottling of cream overlays the marking of the points.
Nose Leather	Lavender-pink permitted, pink edged in lavender-pink preferred, flesh or coral pink mottling may be present.
Paw Pads	Lavender-pink or lavender-pink mottled with flesh or coral pink.
CARAMEL TORTIE TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Preferably no shading but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Caramel tabby pattern overlaid with caramel tortie pattern.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Pinkish grey, pink, or patched with both.
Remarks:	Metallic sheen seen on caramel coloured patches. The metallic sheen may be less evident in kittens.
SILVER TABBY POINT RAGDOLL In all Silver Tabby Point Ragdolls, point colour is the equivalent of a standard coloured tabby point with the addition of the inhibitor (silver) gene that removes the colour from the roots of the hairs. Thus the roots should be silver white with the agouti ground areas showing contrasting bands of colour and silver white. The degree of silvering varies some cats resemble tabby points while others show extreme contract with the ground colour. The mask must be clearly tabby marked, especially around the eyes and nose; the cheeks have stripes and the whisker pads are spotted. The ears are without stripes but have a thumbmark (as in all tabbies). The tail is evenly ringed and ends in a solid tip. There are bars of varying length on the legs; the soles of the hind legs (where not white) are solid colour. Nose leather colour may not be solid. Colour variations allowable.
SEAL SILVER TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Cream beige or pale fawn, preferably no shading but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Agouti silver white with seal brown stripes on silver ground.
Nose Leather	Seal brown or brick red outlined with seal brown.
Paw Pads	Seal brown in points, pink in mitts and bi-colours.
BLUE SILVER TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Glacial white (blush white of ice), preferably no shading but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Agouti silver white with blue-grey stripes on silver ground.
Nose Leather	Blue-grey, or brick red/deep pink outlined with blue-grey.
Paw Pads	Mixture of slate and pink in points, pink in mitts and bi-colours with pigment patches allowed.
CHOCOLATE SILVER TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Ivory, preferably no shading but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Agouti silver white with milk chocolate stripes on silver ground.
Nose Leather	Milk chocolate, or brick red/deep pink outlined with brown.
Paw Pads	Mixture of pink and milk chocolate in points, pink in mitts and bi-colours with pigment patches allowed.
LILAC SILVER TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Off white (magnolia), preferably no shading but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Agouti silver white with frosty grey with pinkish tone stripes on silver ground.
Nose Leather	Lavender-pink or pink outlined with lavender-pink.
Paw Pads	Pink preferred, may be a mixture of lavender and pink, pink in mitts and bi-colours with pigment patches allowed.
RED SILVER TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Pale cream (almost white), preferably no shading but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Agouti silver white with reddish gold stripes on silver ground.
Nose Leather	Pink outlined with red (dark orange).
Paw Pads	Pink.
Remarks:	“Freckles” may occur on nose, pads, lips, eyelids and ears and slight freckling even in a mature cat should not be penalised.
CREAM SILVER TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Pale cream (almost white), preferably no shading but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Agouti silver white with rich cream (pale chamois) stripes on silver ground.
Nose Leather	Pink outlined with dark pink.
Paw Pads	Pink.
Remarks:	“Freckles” may occur on nose, pads, lips, eyelids and ears and slight freckling even in a mature cat should not be penalised.
CARAMEL SILVER TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Off white (magnolia), preferably no shading but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Agouti silver white with brownish grey tabby markings with metallic sheen stripes on silver ground. The brownish grey is dark warm toned blue with a fawn overtone (for blue based) or antelope/taupe (for lilac/fawn based).
Nose Leather	Pinkish grey. Or pink outlined with darker pinkish grey.
Paw Pads	Pinkish grey or pink.
Remarks:	Metallic sheen clearly seen on scarab and under feet (to hock), sometimes on leg bracelets and tail rings. The metallic sheen may be less evident in kittens.
APRICOT SILVER TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Warm creamy white, preferably no shading but if any, same tone as points but paler.
Points	Agouti silver white with clear hot cream (warm apricot) stripes with a soft metallic sheen on silver ground. Lilac/fawn-based apricot is almost coral pink, which is warmer and brighter than the blue-based apricot colour, which is duller and shows the metallic sheen much earlier.
Nose Leather	Pink outlined in deep pink.
Paw Pads	Pink.
Remarks:	The metallic sheen may be less evident in kittens. “Freckles” may occur on nose, pads, lips, eyelids and ears and slight freckling even in a mature cat should not be penalised.
SILVER TORTIE TABBY POINT RAGDOLL In all Silver Tortie Tabby Point Ragdolls, point colour is the equivalent of a standard coloured tortie tabby point with the addition of the inhibitor (silver) gene that removes the colour from the roots of the hairs, thus the pattern is not solid to roots. Colours may be patched or mingled at random with the relevant tortie colours overlaid with the relevant tabby point colour. Blazes, solid legs, ears or tails are all permissible. Presence or absence of a blaze is immaterial. Points may display two or more shades of the basic colours with tabby barring. The distribution and degree of tortie colouring is the same as for tortie point. The underside of the tail will be paler. The degree of silvering varies; some cats resemble tortie tabby points while others show extreme contrast with the ground colour. The ideal is the silver with the extreme contrast.
SEAL SILVER TORTIE TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Beige cream to fawn; lighter on stomach and chest. Body shading may take form of ghost striping/ticking and/or mottling.
Points	Agouti silver white and seal tabby pattern overlaid with seal tortie pattern on silver ground.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Seal-brown or pink, plain or blotched.
BLUE SILVER TORTIE TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Bluish white (of ice) platinum grey cold in tone, lighter on stomach and chest. Body shading may take form of ghost striping/ticking and/or mottling.
Points	Agouti silver white and blue tabby pattern overlaid with blue tortie pattern on silver ground.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Blue-grey or pink, plain or blotched.
CHOCOLATE SILVER TORTIE TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Ivory, lighter on stomach and chest. Body shading may take form of ghost striping/ticking and/or mottling.
Points	Agouti silver white and chocolate tabby pattern overlaid with chocolate tortie pattern on silver ground.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Milk chocolate or pink, plain or blotched.
LILAC SILVER TORTIE TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Glacial white, lighter on stomach and chest. Body shading may take form of ghost striping/ticking and/or mottling.
Points	Agouti silver white and lilac tabby pattern overlaid with lilac tortie pattern on silver ground.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Lavender-pink or pink, plain or blotched.
CARAMEL SILVER TORTIE TABBY POINT RAGDOLL
Body Colour	Off white (magnolia), lighter on stomach and chest. Body shading may take form of ghost striping/ticking and/or mottling.
Points	Agouti silver white and caramel tabby pattern overlaid with caramel tortie pattern on silver ground.
Nose Leather & Paw Pads	Pinkish-grey or pink, plain or blotched.
SMOKE POINT RAGDOLL The undercoat in the points of all smoke points is lighter than the surface colour. There are paler areas around the eyes and ear furnishings will normally be of this lighter , contrasting tone. Ghost tabby markings and scattered white hairs are permissible in an otherwise good kitten. The smoke effect is produced by a silvery undercoat, usually most noticeable on the underside of the tail, which is often devoid of other colour. There is a great degree of variation in the degree of contrast between roots and surface (point) colour. The reduction in pigment overall allows the hidden tabby patterns present in all cats to show through in a ghost tabby pattern in the smoke especially in the brow.
SEAL SMOKE POINT
Body Colour	As for seal point.
Point Colour	Mask, legs, ears, feet and tail shading from roots of silvery white to seal brown/black tipping. In repose appears as a seal point.
BLUE SMOKE POINT
Body Colour	As for blue point.
Point Colour	Mask, legs, ears, feet and tail shading from roots of silvery white to blue tipping. In repose appears as a blue point.
CHOCOLATE SMOKE POINT
Body Colour	As for chocolate point.
Point Colour	Mask, legs, ears, feet and tail shading from roots of silvery white to chocolate tipping. In repose appears as a chocolate point.
LILAC SMOKE POINT
Body Colour	As for lilac point.
Point Colour	Mask, legs, ears, feet and tail shading from roots of silvery white to lilac (mushroom pink) tipping. In repose appears as a lilac point.
RED SMOKE POINT
Body Colour	As for red point.
Point Colour	Mask, legs, ears, feet and tail shading from roots of creamy silver to apricot red tipping. In repose appears as a red point.
CREAM SMOKE POINT
Body Colour	As for cream point.
Point Colour	Mask, legs, ears, feet and tail shading from roots of creamy silver to cream tipping. In repose appears as a cream point.
CARAMEL SMOKE POINT
As for other colours but substituting caramel in the colour description.
APRICOT SMOKE POINT
As for other colours but substitution apricot in the colour description.
SEAL TORTIE SMOKE POINT
Body Colour	As for seal tortie point.
Point Colour	Mask, legs, ears, feet and tail to show patches of silvery white hair shading to black tipping, and patches of creamy silver hair shading to red (pale and dark shades) tipping. In repose appears as a seal tortie point.
BLUE TORTIE SMOKE POINT
Body Colour	As for blue tortie point.
Point Colour	Mask, legs, ears, feet and tail to show patches of silvery white hair shading to blue tipping, and patches of creamy silver hair shading to cream tipping. In repose appears as a blue tortie point.
CHOCOLATE TORTIE SMOKE POINT
Body Colour	As for chocolate tortie point.
Point Colour	Mask, legs, ears, feet and tail to show patches of silvery white hair shading to chocolate tipping, and patches of creamy silver hair shading to red (pale and dark shades) tipping. In repose appears as a chocolate tortie point.
LILAC TORTIE SMOKE POINT
Body Colour	As for lilac tortie point.
Point Colour	Mask, legs, ears, feet and tail to show patches of silvery white hair shading to lilac tipping, and creamy silver hair shading to cream tipping. In repose appears as a lilac tortie point.
CARAMEL TORTIE SMOKE POINT
As for other colours but substituting caramel in the colour description.

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Ragdoll Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:48:27 +0000

Ragdoll Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

The deadliest enemy of ragdoll cat isn’t your neighbor’s dog nor its children; a rare cardiac disease affects about 30% of all ragdoll cats being probably the most frequent cause of death and disease.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most significant cause of heart failure and death in ragdoll cats. This disease is characterized by a marked thickening of the left ventricle (heart muscle mass). This increased muscular thickness determines a decrease in chamber diameters, meaning less blood will pass through the heart.

As a result your cat will have problems breathing, will eat less, will be lethargic and weak, will lose weight, suffer abdominal swelling, vomit more frequently, or will lose the ability to use its hindlegs.

Cardiomyopathy is life-threatening for any cat but especially for ragdolls as usually they are pretty calm, quite beings making the initial symptoms much more difficult to spot.

If a specific cause is identified and can be resolved, many (sometimes all) changes in the heart can be reversed. This only happens though in very rare occasions, usually ragdoll HCM being considered to be of an unknown cause (idiopathic HCM). Even in these cases a good treatment can alleviate the symptoms for a long period of time.

Recently a genetic cause was found for this idiopathic form of HCM – MYBPC3 gene (cardiac myosin binding protein C gene), the same causing a human variant of HCM. Each gene comes in ever organism’s genetic material in two copies; these copies can be identical (homozygous) or different (heterozygous).

The ragdoll cats having a single copy of the defective MYBPC3 gene have a less severe outcome than the ones having two mutant copies. Some veterinary services already offer genetic testing for this gene, crucial for breeders as the frequency of these mutation is around 30%.

Very important – if your cat has the gene, keep in mind that half of its offsprings will have it too; you shouldn’t use these cats in breeding programs if you don’t really have to.

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Ragdoll Varieties

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:30:00 +0000

COLOUR POINT

The colour of the points (ears, mask, legs and tail) to be darker, well defined. Body colour to be sound to the roots. Body colour to be lighter than point colour: chest, bib and chin areas may be somewhat lighter in colour. Soft shadings of colour are allowed on the body. Allowance to be made for uneven shading for a cat under two years of age. Eyes blue, the deeper the better.

Withhold Challenge: any white on points.

MITTED

The points (except feet) to be well defined. A broken or evenly matched white blaze of even dimension on nose and/or between eyes to be acceptable. White mittens on front legs to be evenly matched and scalloped. Back legs should be entirely white extending no higher than mid-thigh. White must go around the hock entirely. White stripe varying in width extends from the bib and runs down the underside between the forelegs to the under base of the tail. The body is a shade lighter than the point colour. Eyes blue, the deeper the better.

Withhold Challenge: Any dark spotting on white mittens or underbelly. Lack of white stripe running down the underside to base of tail. Lack of white chin.

BI-COLOUR

The points (ears, mask and tail) to be well defined. Mask to have a white inverted V, stomach and all four legs, feet and ruff to be white. The colour on the body to be a shade lighter than the points and may have various markings of white and colour patches. Nose and pad leather pink. Eyes blue, the deeper the better. Withhold Challenge: White on ears and tail, colour patches on stomach or area designated white. Dark markings on white area of mask. Whiskers other than white.

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Ragdoll History

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:59:28 +0000

First ragdoll cat was born in the early 60’s from a male sealpoint Birman and a female persian-type white Persan whose progenitor was bred to a Burmese female.

Ragdoll cats were first recognized in 1965 by the NCFA and are accepted nowadays in almost all associations.

The classical description of this race’s birth is:

At the time Ann had been borrowing one of Josephine’s older sons to sire progeny in her black persian program. This son had the appearance of a Black/Brown Persian and she named him Blackie, and it was one of her visits to borrow him that she saw Blackies brother. He appeared most immpressive and in Ann’s words had the appearance of of a Sacred Cat of Burma,{The Birman Breed}. Having already established the owners trust, she was also permitted to borrow this cat to breed with one of her own females. she was most taken with this son of Josephine and named him Raggedy Ann Daddy Warbucks. What Ann clearly states is that Blackie and Daddy Warbucks are both sons of Josephine, but differant sirers. In the IRCA booklet it would appear to indicate that Blackies father was a black cat from the East, that appeared more persian than Burmese. during detailed Questioning, Ann confirmed that no one had ever seen the father of Daddy Warbucks, and he was the only kitten in that particular litter of Joesphine’s. This being so , makes it difficult to take the origins of the breed further.

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Ragdoll Temperament

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:31:18 +0000

Ragdoll temperament

Ragdolls are perfect indoor cats; but that is it – they are not the type to chase mice or other stuff a regular cat should do. This doesn’t mean however they don’t like to smell the fresh air from time to time; just be careful not to leave them unsupervised as outside their typical environment are pretty helpless – they can get lost, can be stolen easily (they really love strangers, especially the smelly ones), get hit by a car or worse, scare the crap out of your dog.

They learn very fast what should and shouldn’t do; this doesn’t mean however they are always doing what they should – they know it’s wrong but keep on doing it. Ragdoll cats can easily be accustomed to travel or wear a collar, especially if thought from a young age.

Ragdolls are maybe the most sociable cats. They are very attached to their owner and people in general and usually enjoy the company of other cats. Of course, there are exceptions (my cat being one of them – she really hates all non human species). As true family cats Ragdolls enjoy being with kids, just not the king that tortures them continuously

Young Ragdoll kittens are usually quite active while older ones are rather well-tempered, calm partners. Often Ragdolls like to fetch tossed toys, others prefer a combination of a game of hide and seek and tag with you. They are always happy when you spend some time playing with them your free time with them.

Ragdolls often answer in their soft low voice when called. Their sounds are very expressive and sometimes you think they answer you back.

If you need a lovable and ever trusting pet, then Ragdoll cat is definitely a good choice. They are a cross between a really loyal dog and a cat, the perfect pet for someone who wants a kind and trusting lap animal as an addition to their already loving and loyal family.

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Ragdoll cat characteristics

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:53:21 +0000

Ragdoll cat characteristics

Ragdoll cats are one of the largest domesticated cat breeds. A fully grown female weighs from 7 to 18 pounds while males are much larger reaching 20 pounds with ease.

Ragdolls have six different color patterns – chocolate, seal, flame, and the corresponding "dilutes”: blue, lilac and cream. This also includes the tortoiseshell pattern in all colors and the three patterns.

All Ragdoll kittens are born white. They have good color at 8 – 10 weeks and full color and coat at 3 – 4 years.

Ragdoll Standard, according to FIFE are as follows (from ragdoll)
Category II	RAG	Ragdoll Standard
General	Appearance	The Ragdoll is a firm, large cat with a medium to strongly boned muscular body. Solid in the overall appearance
General	Size	large
Head	Shape	medium size, broad modified wedge with the appearance of a flat plane between the ears
	Nose	the nose should show a slight curve in the upper third
	Cheeks	cheeks well developed, tapering to a rounded well developed, medium long muzzle and a well-developed chin
Ears	Shape	medium size, broad at the base, with rounded tips
Ears	Placement	set wide on the skull with a slight tilt forward
Eyes	Shape	large and oval outer edge of the eye aperture to be level with the base of the ears
Eyes	Colour	blue, the more intensive the better, in relation to the body colour
Neck		short and strong
Body	Structure	Long body, medium to strong bone structure, muscular. Chest broad and well developed. Muscular and heavier in the hindquarters. The mature cat is as broad at shoulders as it is at the hindquarters.
Legs		Medium in length and of medium to strong bone. Hind legs to be slightly higher than the front, giving the line of the back a slightly forward tilt in appearance.
Legs	Paws	large, round and compact, tufted between the toes
Tail		long, medium broad at the base, slightly tapered towards the tip and in proportion to the body well furnished, bushy
Coat	Structure	medium long, dense, soft and silky texture, lying with the body and breaking as the cat moves longest around the neck and framing the outer edge of the face giving the appearance of a bib short on the face increasing in length from the top of the head to the shoulders down the back medium to long on the sides, belly and hindquarters short to medium long on the front legs
Coat	Colour	for recognised colour varieties refer to table below
Remarks		females noticeably smaller than males male jowls should be taken into consideration development is slow
Faults	Head	narrow head
	Nose	stop, roman nose
	Ears	large or small ears pointed ears
	Eyes	almond in shape
	Neck	too long and too thin neck
	Body	cobby body narrow chest
	Legs	short legs splayed toes lack of tufting
	Tail	short tail blunt tip
	Coat	short coat (seasonal)
Disqualification	Eyes	other than blue eyes

Scale of Points

Points

Total

100

Head

general shape, nose, forehead, cheeks and muzzle, jaw and teeth, chin shape and size of the eyes

Ears

shape and placement

Eye colour

Body

shape, size, bone structure

Legs and paws

length of legs, shape of paws

Tail

shape and length

Coat

colour and pattern

quality and texture, length

Condition

Ragdoll Standard colour varieties
Recognized Colour Varieties
Colour	EMS Code	*Remarks
Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac/Red/Cream colourpoint	RAG n/a/b/c/d/e	A, E
Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac tortie colourpoint	RAG f/g/h/j	A, E
Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac/Red/Cream tabby colourpoint	RAG n/a/b/c/d/e 21	A, E
Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac tortie tabby colourpoint	RAG f/g/h/j 21	A, E
Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac/Red/Cream bicolour	RAG n/a/b/c/d/e 03	B, D, F
Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac tortie bicolour	RAG f/g/h/j 03	B, D, F
Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac/Red/Cream tabby bicolour	RAG n/a/b/c/d/e 21 03	B, D, F
Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac tortie tabby bicolour	RAG f/g/h/j 21 03	B, D, F
Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac/Red/Cream mitted	RAG n/a/b/c/d/e 04	C
Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac tortie mitted	RAG f/g/h/j 04	C
Seal/Blue/Chocolate/Lilac tortie tabby mitted	RAG f/g/h/j 21 04	C

Ragdoll Standard remarks

Coat	A	colour of points: – ears, mask, legs and tail – to be well defined and in harmony with the body colour
	B	Points: – ears, mask and tail – to be well defined. The mask to have an inverted white "V". Body colour is to be a shade lighter than the points; with or without white spots on the back. Belly white and without spots. Preference is given to white legs.
	C	Points (except paws, chin and the possible white stripe/markings on the bridge of the nose up to the forehead) and body colour as in the Colourpoint, well defined and in harmony with the body colour. White stripe extends from the bib and runs down the underside between the front legs to the base of the tail.
	D	Nose leather: Pink
Faults	E	coat: any white spot
Faults	F	ears: white on the ears tail: white on the tail

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