If you are looking for a big, soft, cuddly, lap-cat, you should consider a ragdoll. Not the type  your grandmother’s used to play with, but a ragdoll cat.

The ragdoll is a large, laid-back, loving cat with a long, beautiful coat and big brilliant blue eyes. Ragdolls are mild-mannered cats with sweet, docile temperaments. They tend to go limp when picked up like a child’s rag doll, hence, their name. A hybrid breed, the ragdoll was developed or created in the 1960s by the late Ann Baker of Riverside, Calif. All genuine ragdolls can be traced back to the bloodlines she developed.

The ragdoll is a large, powerful cat generally weighing 15 to 20 pounds. The body is long, broad and solid with a large head. His ears are wide set and moderately flared with rounded tips. Slow to develop, ragdolls attain their full size and weight at around three years of age.

The ragdoll cat comes in four point colors: seal, chocolate, blue and lilac; although the Cat Fanciers’ Association accepts the additional colors of red and cream. Three patterns are accepted: colorpoint (also called the pointed or Siamese pattern), mitted (pointed pattern except for four white feet), and bicolor (pointed pattern with areas of white including a white inverted "V" on the face).

New owners should be aware that a ragdoll cat requires grooming to keep his coat soft and luscious looking. But if he is introduced to being brushed as a kitten, he should just lay back and enjoy your attention as he becomes an adult cat. Pure-bred ragdolls can be expensive, costing between $400 and $750. Breeder or show quality cats are usually $1,000 to $2000, depending upon the pattern, color, and lineage.

Posted by Barbara.