The coat of the Ragdoll cat is often compared to bunny fur. That is, the fur's texture and plushness are very much like a rabbit's soft, delicate fur. Two common misconceptions are that Ragdolls do not shed, and their fur never mats. These assumptions are largely incorrect. Just as human beings lose hair from their heads, Ragdolls do indeed shed, particularly during warmer months. However, the shedding is significantly less than that of many other long-haired breeds, partially because the Ragdoll does not have an undercoat of course or wooly fur. Thus, the silky hairs that are shed can easily be picked up with routine vacuuming and the use of lint rollers. Nevertheless, some Ragdolls have somewhat longer coats than others; these Ragdolls do, in fact, have fur that will sometimes mat under their “armpits” or under their chins as heavy seasonal shedding occurs. Combing or brushing the cat for a few minutes twice a week will, as a rule, keep the fur from tangling, and mats can ordinarily be held at bay with very little grooming fuss.

While most Ragdoll kittens are born weighing three to four ounces---similar to the weight of most other cat varieties---this is a breed that grows into rather large adults. Moreover, depending partially on genetically inherited growth rates and/or access to quality nutrition and health care, Ragdolls often grow very slowly. It may, in some circumstances, take up to four years for a Ragdoll to reach its full size and weight. Altered males can reach fifteen to twenty pounds, and occasionally, a bit more at full maturity; females tend to weigh approximately five pounds less. As with all of nature, however, exceptions do occur.

The Ragdoll temperament is renowned for its quiet, laid-back nature. Even though these cats can grow into physically large, strong, powerful adults, most Ragdolls are easy-going and do well with children and other animals. Many cats of this breed participate very successfully and effectively in therapy programs, including some that visit various facilities. For instance, therapy Ragdolls often assist the elderly, traumatically injured, grieving, and intellectually challenged; patients benefit from the warmth and amicable companionship Ragdolls offer, and their gently playful antics help bring smiles to those observing them. Ragdolls enjoy playing as much as other cats, but they usually do so without biting or swiping at play targets such as feather teasers or catnip balls with extended claws. This natural tendency toward a mild-mannered demeanor often makes the Ragdoll a great breed for families that have very young children. Of course, babies, toddlers, and young children should never be allowed to purposely handle any animal roughly, but as children learn, mistakes will happen; most Ragdolls will be rather tolerant of a child learning how to properly treat pets. As youngsters learn gentle animal handling, Ragdolls are usually forgiving of very short-lived lapses in benevolent conduct.

Along with its many positive qualities, numerous myths regarding the Ragdoll abound. For this reason, the Ragdoll breed can sometimes be misunderstood. Most breeders recommend against allowing Ragdolls to venture outdoors unsupervised, primarily because their easy-going nature makes them less apt to effectively defend themselves if they are attacked by another animal or a callous human. Also, because they tend to be gentle, docile cats, some people assume that Ragdolls do not feel physical pain and that they never scratch or bite. While the Ragdoll nature does tend to be laid-back and affectionate, this does not, in any way, imply that the breed experiences discomfort or distress in a manner different from that of other breeds. Indeed, each Ragdoll will have his or her own "purr-sonality," and while one can make many reasonably accurate generalizations about the Ragdoll's demeanor, it is important to always remember that the relationship we have with our cats is based on reciprocal love and respect.

Just as there are myths about the Ragdoll “purr-sonality,” many inaccurate assumptions about the Ragdoll’s gene pool exist. During cat shows, many spectators ask if Ragdolls are just long-haired Siamese cats or if they are akin to Birmans. Some ask how Persians are related, and others insist that Ragdolls, Snowshoes, and Ragamuffins are essentially the same breed. Some of these queries are well-founded in certain instances, but not in others. It helps to have a basic understanding of how it all began.

The Ragdoll breed arose in California during the 1960s under a woman named Ann Baker. Ragdolls as we now know them are a product of the foundation cats Josephine, Blackie, and Beauty, all cats whose true genetic backgrounds remain shrouded in mystery. Ann Baker bred Josephine to Beauty; from this union came Raggedy Ann Daddy Warbucks, the first cat ever to be registered as a Ragdoll.

Daddy Warbucks was a seal point mitted with a blaze; he also had a white tail tip. Additionally, Ann bred Josephine to Blackie, and this pair produced a female named Buckwheat. Daddy Warbucks was then mated back to Josephine (yes, his mother), and the resulting litter produced Fugiana; Ann also bred Buckwheat to Daddy Warbucks, thereby producing Kyoto and Tiki. Fugiana and Daddy Warbucks soon produced B’Wana and Thumper.

Ann Baker eventually sold breeding Ragdolls to others, including Laura and Denny Dayton of Blossom-Time. Although relations between Ann and and the Daytons were amicable at first, in time, disagreements occurred. In part, the falling out is allegedly because Ann Baker began making increasingly unreasonable demands of the earliest catteries and breeders. Additionally, she issued a series of statements in newspapers and magazines, asserting that Ragdolls emerged as the result of genetic experimentation and inter-species breeding. Many who loved the Ragdoll breed are said to have believed that Ann Baker's actions and words would prove detrimental to the breed's continuation; to counteract this effect, Denny Dayton began keeping meticulous records that provided documented evidence needed to have registries and cat associations seriously consider accepting a new breed for championship competition. From that time onward, the Ragdoll breed was to forever incorporate the influence of passionate breeders that may or may not have agreed with Ann Baker's approach.

Laura and Denny Dayton with Floppy, Phil, and Loveable

While other breeders have contributed significantly to the Ragdoll breed's evolution, Ann Baker's Raggedy Ann Cattery is where the Ragdoll breed began. And many modern Ragdolls can, in fact, be traced all the way back to Josephine, Blackie, and Beauty with no outcrosses from other breeds, and in some cases, with none of the more recently accepted red or lynx genes. Upon reaching these three original cats, however, the pedigree trail becomes cold because we currently have no way to ascertain exactly from what heritage they emerged. Still, while some pedigrees do contain outcrosses, countless Ragdolls throughout the world harbor no lines other than those that trace directly back to Josephine herself. Thus, the Ragdoll, while a fairly new man-made hybrid, is nevertheless its own distinct breed.

At this time, only pointed Ragdolls with blue eyes in the aforementioned colors are accepted as true Ragdolls in most registries and associations. Some breeders advertise their cats as “rare” solid, white, mink, sepia, or aqua-eyed Ragdolls. While these cats can, in fact, be registered in many registries as Ragdolls, it is important for buyers to realize that currently, these cats are not considered part of the Ragdoll breed standard and that these cats would not be eligible for championship competition as Ragdolls. As time goes on, the status of solid, white, mink, and sepia cats may shift, but for now, the Ragdoll standards of associations worldwide omit any allowances for these colors and patterns.