The adorable Ragdoll cat is a new breed of cat – its origins are clouded in mystery. It all starts in Riverside, California with a breeder named Ann Baker. The breed began when a pure white Angora Persian kitty called Josephine was hurt in a car accident while she was pregnant. For some reason, this event was attributed to the reason that Josephine’s kittens were social, friendly and good natured. Luckily, Josephine was not seriously injured and went on to have more baby kittens, from which the cute and adorable Ragdoll cat breed evolved from.

How did the special temperament of the Ragdoll arise into a new breed of cat? Could it be that Josephine’s battle to heal from it, and her extra power that she reserved for her kittens in the womb had a permanent effect such that a new breed was created? No one can really know. Today’s Ragdoll kittens should all be very thankful and appreciative of the first Ragdoll called Josephine, but don’t give all the credit to her: Josephine the cat’s mate was the Great Cat of Burma, was also known as the great granddaddy of all Ragdolls. The Birman, also called the “Sacred Cat of Burma”, is a domestic cat breed. It is a long-haired, color-pointed cat distinguished by a silky coat, deep blue eyes, and contrasting white “gloves” or “socks” on each paw. Birman cats are known as especially loving and affectionate breeds, having been bred as companion cats for many generations. They are docile and quietly spoken.

Birman cats are sociable, smart and friendly cats, curious and people-oriented, but not too noisy. Like the Ragdoll, the Birman cat is a slow-maturing pointed breed with a medium-length coat. While mitted Ragdolls also have the colored points, as well as white markings on their feet and legs, they also have white chins, which Birmans do not. Ragdolls are very large cats, with males reaching up to 20 pounds. Today we think of Ragdolls as cute adorable cats that just go limp for no reason, but it was a happy accident that the Ragdoll was even created. And there is lot more the world can learn about Ragdolls. 

Have you wondered why the Ragdoll is called a “ragdoll”? Well you’ve got your answer. Ragdolls are very intelligent and affectionate creatures. You might be thinking: “well Ragdolls are simply dolls – they can’t do anything…like, ​duh!” Well, in this case Ragdolls are adorable cuddly cats. You also might be wondering why somebody would ever name a cat after a doll? Well I’m here to tell you that they are called Ragdolls because they go limp like regular ragdolls when you pick them up to cuddle. Although all this description seems to make the cat a fancy schmancy dream, if you’re the person who likes loud stuff the Ragdoll isn’t for you. Ragdolls may be cute, but they sure are quiet, and they aren’t going to play rock and roll any time soon. But honestly for me, I think this is like a dream cat because I like dogs and cats, and the Ragdoll acts like a dog: it even got the nickname ‘puppy cat’ and can play fetch.

The usual Ragdoll cat is a well-balanced cat, with no extreme features (except for their ability to go limp). Males will usually top the scale at 15-20 pounds; females are proportionately smaller and usually weigh between 10 to 15 pounds at maturity. If your Ragdoll is healthy, it can live up to 15+ years. For example, one Ragdoll called Rags lived up to 19 and a half years. Ragdolls are slow maturing, reaching full color coat at two years, and full size and weight at the age of 4.  

Ragdolls are very indoor creatures. Ragdolls should never be allowed to freely roam, because it easily could get permanently lost or get badly hurt. Most Ragdolls will live happily indoors, but if you do decide that you want your pet to have outside access, it should always be supervised and placed into a secure garden or, better still, into a cat pen or purpose-built enclosure. Overall, you must make sure you aren’t too rough on the Ragdoll because it might lose its friendly touch. So, be nice to it and the cat will be nice to you. 

If you’re the person who likes cats but hates messes, this cat is your type, for despite their furry cute-looking selves, they don’t shed a lot, according to All Pet magazine; however FloppyCats say they do shed a lot because they are long haired cats. Can I say duh again? However, they’re quiet, and sleep for around 16 hours a day, so you probably won’t hear any meowing when you’re trying to sleep. So, if you are bored all day long the Ragdoll will be perfect for you because Ragdolls are extremely social, (when they’re not snoozing) and just love to be around people. This shows it can be a great pet, a life companion, or just a cute little fluffball that you can play with and just have fun with.

So, first grooming. The coat of the Ragdoll cat is thick and extremely soft so you can enjoy grooming it and feeling its fur at the same time. Next, vet care. Your Ragdoll cat should have regular vet checkups and stay on a regular vet checkup schedule. Then feeding. A Ragdoll cat should be given quality food and plenty of fresh water because you want it to look happy and fresh as well as it being happy too. Afterwards, you can exercise your Ragdoll by playing catch with it or maybe even walking it, if it has extra puppy energy. Ragdoll cats can get large (and therefore overweight). So, make sure you exercise your Ragdoll often enough to keep good shape.

The Ragdoll seems very awesome and rare, but there are lots of cats with similar traits. For example, the Abyssinian cat, the Bombay cat, the Maine coon (slightly creepy  and very furry, with a heavy jaw and tendrils coming from the whiskers and ears), as mentioned the Birman (both have striking blue eyes and look alike in their coats), the Manx cat (fairly short-haired, yet with a fluffy tail), the Siberian cat (the fluffiest, some of them having striking blue eyes), the American curl cat (a fluffy cat with adorably curled ears), the Chartreux, the Burmese cat and the Turkish Angora (silky fur and extremely fluffy tail). These cats are all like the Ragdoll in different ways; looks, limpness and behavior.

The Ragdoll should be a great pet and shouldn’t be so hard to handle… (I’ve never had a pet so if the Ragdoll is hard to handle, let’s just say I don’t have experience). So anyway, if you get a Ragdoll someday, please comment below about your experiences.