Thursday, February 11, 2010

Lovable Ragdoll Cat

it was in the middle of the 1900s that an American cat breeder developed an excellent breed of cat by crossing a Birman cat with another of unknown ancestry that had an unknown lineage. This cat breed was so comfortable in the hands of any person that it simply laid flat like a ragdoll when it was held. This behavior of these cats gave them the name of the ragdoll. Today these cats are known to be among the most laidback cats in the world. Though the Cat Fanciers' Association did not approve of these cats as ragdolls at that time, today their breed is well accepted and well loved all over the world.


Size-wise, the ragdoll is one of the biggest of all breeds of cat. They weigh somewhere between 10 and 20 pounds. They have bulky bodies that are full of muscle. Their round heads have small rounded ears and scintillating blue eyes, which add to their great physical appeal. The cats are also notable for their bushy tails which narrow at the tip.

You won't get many colors and patterns on the ragdoll cat. The Cat Fanciers' Association accepts only four colors as true ragdoll colors. These colors are Blue, Chocolate, Lilac and Seal. Patterns that are acceptable by the Cat Fanciers' Association are bicolor, pointed and mitted. Most breeders of these cats avoid getting the mitted patterns. The reason behind this is that bicolor ragdoll cats tend to look a lot like the original Birman cats they were bred from.

The ragdoll cat is a favorite family cat. Their behavior is like a cute pet dog you may have at home. They will do things like scurrying to the door to welcome people when they arrive and moving into the house with them. When you sit, do not be surprised when the cat cozies up to your legs. These cats are known for their minimal scratching on furniture, which will definitely come as good news for most families who want cats as pets. If you invest in a scratching post, the ragdoll cat will use the post and leave your furniture safe. Ragdoll cats learn using scratching posts much quicker than other cats. They are not much into scratching people too. They are the perfect choice if you are worried about how you will cope with your cat scratching about the house.

Ragdoll cats are also good at being lonely. They do not ask you to provide them with the company of other cats. They enjoy living with people more than with other cats. But if you do add another cat to the house, they will get along well with them too. The ragdoll has a very affectionate temperament and their large size give them a matronly look when they are with other house cats.

Some people are reluctant to get a ragdoll cat just because of their longhaired coats. The general impression is that this cat will require a lot of grooming. But the truth is that the cat has a silky coat which makes grooming time quite less. Just combing its hair to remove dirt and shed hair is enough to maintain the beauty of their coats. Its longhair coats may want you to think they will have hairballs often, but you will be surprised to know that that's quite a rarity in these cats.

A ragdoll cat is a perfect choice if you are looking for a wonderfully affectionate cat that's a great companion for your entire family.

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