Breed Standard
Head: Medium-sized, broad, slightly wedge-shaped with rounded contours. Skull is flat between the ears. Slightly rounded forehead. Well-developed cheeks. Rounded, moderately long, well-developed muzzle. Nose with gentle break. Well-developed chin.
Eyes: Large, oval, slightly slanted. As intense a shade of blue as possible, corresponding to coat color.
Neck: Short and strong.
Body: Large, long, well-built. Broad, well-developed chest. Heavy, solid hindquarters. Medium-boned.
Paw: Moderately long, medium-boned. Hind legs slightly longer than forelegs. Large, round, compact paws with tufts of hair between the toes.
Tail: Long, proportionate to the body, fairly thick at the base, tapering slightly to the tip. Well-furnished and fluffy.
Coat: Semilong, soft, silky hair lying flat against the body. In motion, the hair separates into tufts. Very substantial ruff. Four classic colors (seal, blue, chocolate, lilac). Three patterns for coats with points: - colorpoint: body lighter in color than extremities (points). - mitted or gloved: also with Siamese pattern, but with gloves on the paws. White blaze on the nose. White chin. - biColor: colorpoint with white extending over the face in an inverted V; four white paws. White chest and belly. Coloring is not complete until the cat is two years old and darkens with age.
Fault: Narrow head. Nose with a stop. Large or small, pointed ears. Almond-shaped eyes. Neck too long or too slender. Stocky body. Narrow chest. Short legs. Lack of interdigital hair. Short tail. Short hair. Disqualify: white markings in the colorpoint; absence of white chin in the mitted; dark markings on the white mask in the bicolor. Eyes of a color other than blue.
History
Big and floppy, like a ragdoll Around 1960 in Riverside, east of Los Angeles, a white Turkish Angora type female named Josephine was born in the home of Ms. Pennels. This cat was crossed with a gloved Birman type tom named Daddy Warbucks. Their litter sparked the interest of Ann Baker, who set about intense inbreeding. Thus was created the so-called Ragdoll breed, named for the way the cats typically relax completely, with low muscle tone. The Ragdoll was approved in the United States in 1965. In 1971, Baker founded the International Ragdoll Cat Association (I.R.C.A.). In 1969, two Ragdolls from Baker's cattery were sent to Great Britain. A British Ragdoll club was founded in 1987. The G.C.C.G. recognized the breed in 1991, and the F.I.Fe. recognized it in 1992. The Ragdoll arrived in Germany and France in 1985 and 1986, respectively. In 1993, a French breed club was created. The Ragdoll is quite uncommon outside the United States.
Behavior
The Ragdoll's calmness and his debonair, docile temperament make him a very pleasant companion. He does not tolerate agitation and noise. Ragdolls are sociable, getting along well with other cats and with dogs. Very affectionate and loving, they like company and despise solitude. They adapt very well to apartment life. They are not noisy. They do not reach full size until the age of three or four. In terms of grooming, they require frequent brushing and combing.
Health
Ragdoll cats are a hearty breed that have very few health problems. One common problem with Ragdoll cats is they tend to have sensitive stomachs. This can result in frequent vomiting when eating their food too fast or dealing with a hairball.
