Ragdoll

Ragdoll, breed of longhaired cat with colorpoints (characteristic large spots of darker fur on the face, ears, legs, and tail, contrasting with a lighter body coloring), known for its habit of going limp when held. The ragdoll appears to be fearless and unaware of danger, and often does not show when it feels pain.

The ragdoll was developed by a California cat breeder in the mid-1960s by crossing a white, longhaired female cat with a male Birman cat. One of the kittens later was bred to his mother to produce ragdoll kittens. Cat geneticists believe the ragdoll’s tendency to go limp is related to its gentle nature.

The largest of the domestic cats, a ragdoll takes up to four years to reach full maturity. Males weigh about 6.5 to 9 kg (about 15 to 20 lb), while females weigh about 4.5 to 5 kg (about 10 to 13 lb). This tall cat has a large, long body with a full chest and muscular, heavy hindquarters. The legs are large-boned, and the back legs are longer than the front. A short, heavy neck supports the medium-sized, broad, wedge-shaped head, which has a round muzzle and well-developed chin. Large, oval-shaped eyes are blue. Broad-based, medium-sized ears have rounded tips and tilt forward slightly. The long tail tapers slightly at the tip

The ragdoll’s long, thick fur is plush and silky, and forms a ruff, or collar, around the neck. The fur grows longest on the neck and tail. Short, thick hair covers the front legs, and long, thick yet feather-like hair grows on the back legs. The fur is shortest on the face.

Ragdoll colors are seal point, chocolate point, blue point, and lilac point. These colors have three coat patterns: bicolor, colorpoint, and mitted (mitten- or glovelike coloring on the feet).

"Ragdoll," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2006
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