Origins of the Ragdoll Cat

Our Ragdoll story starts in a small town called Riverside in the state of California.

There lived a Persian breeder called Anne Baker. Across from Anne Baker was her neighbour Mrs Pennel who also liked cats and had a colony of semi-long haired cats running around her yard.

The origins of the unique Ragdoll cat started with a white semi long Angora feral cat called Josephine who belonged to Mrs Pennel. Josephine got hurt by a car and as the story goes laid on the side of the road for 2 days before being picked up and nursed back to health.

She was also in kitten and it was from this accident that the idea came of the relaxed temperment of Josephine's kittens came to being.

Anne Baker was quick to notice this, plus the fact that there was this superb semi-long fur that was non matting. Anne Baker acquired a number of these kittens and consequently showed what a remarked person she was.

Anne worked on bringing out these traits and set up a breeding program. Together with splitting up the group in two; the dark side and the light side, she also worked at setting the colours: Seal, Chocolate, Blue and Lilac; and the patterns: colour point mitted pattern and Bi colour.

It was most unfortunate that Josephine and her kittens got under foot of Mr Pennel, due to their laid back temperment. This resulted in Mr Pennel putting them down, and so ended the founding Queen of the Ragdoll Dynasty.

Anne Baker passed away in 1996, leaving behind a wonderful legacy in the Ragdoll Cat.

So much did Anne care as to what would happen to her unique cat, she had the Ragdoll trademarked/registered until the year 2005 as the Authentic Ragdoll cat, in the four original colours and the three patterns. This was even to include that Mitted and the Bi colour cats where to have a white tip on their tail and that the Ragdoll breed would remain a pure breed and not be mistaken for the Birmans or a Persian Bi Colour breeds.

The Cat Fancy will not agree to have the white on the tip of the Ragdoll tail in its show rules standard. The Ragdoll Cat Today. Anne's legacy to the cat world is breeding a large and some what beautifully natured cat with sapphire blue eyes superb semi-long fur and a personality likened to that of a canine.

They will talk with you, run with you, go on a leash in the park, and travel well in a car. They will play fetch, carry toys in their mouth, can entertain your visitors with their antics by jumping up into the air 3-4 feet to catch balls, moths etc.....

Other favourite antics include coming in the shower with you, sitting on your knee or shoulders when in the toilet, and yelling their heads off if they can not see you. They love to sit on the table, bench tops, ironing boards, lounges and computer desks just to be with you.

They will growl at odd outside noises letting you know there is something around, especially at night. They are an excellent Watch Cat. It is disappointing to see the Ragdoll cat being crossed with other breeds of cats to get other colours, one loses the unique traces that it was breed for in the beginning.

Ten years went into this breed and over 800 kittens before Anne got what she wanted in her Ragdoll Cat. There are true Lilacs and Chocolate in the lines that are here today without adding the Balinese, Birmans or Persian.