Editing Ragdoll

{{Short description|Breed of cat}}
{{About|the cat breed|the toy|Rag doll|other uses}}
{{Infobox Catbreed 
| name          = Ragdoll
| image         = Ragdoll from Gatil Ragbelas.jpg
| imagecaption  = A Ragdoll cat
| altname       = 
| nickname      = 
| country       = United States
| cfastd        = http://www.cfa.org/Portals/0/documents/breeds/standards/ragdoll.pdf
| fifestd       = https://fifeweb.org/app/uploads/2023/10/RAG.pdf
| ticastd=https://www.tica.org/phocadownload/rd.pdf
| gccfstd       = https://www.gccfcats.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ragdoll-SOP-25-02-23.pdf
| acfastd       = https://acfacat.com/Breed%20Standards/RAGDOLL.pdf
| acfstd        = https://www.acf.asn.au/notices/notices/standards/Group%20One/ACF-RagdollOctober2023.pdf
| ccastd        = https://www.cca-afc.com/Breeds/Standards
| nzcfstd       = https://nzcf.com/file_downloads/sop/LH-04-RAG-2016-a.pdf
| otherstd      = 
| note          = 
|}}The '''Ragdoll''' is a [[List of cat breeds|breed of cat]] with a distinct [[Point coloration|colorpoint]] coat and blue eyes. Its [[Morphology (biology)|morphology]] is large and weighty, and it has a semi-long and silky soft coat. American breeder Ann Baker developed Ragdolls in the 1960s. They are best known for their docile, placid temperament and affectionate nature. The name ''Ragdoll'' is derived from the tendency of individuals from the original breeding stock to go limp and relaxed when picked up.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HYt3zSa9N1EC&q=ragdoll+cat+flop&pg=PA84 |title=Why Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet?: 101 of the Most Perplexing Questions ... – Marty Becker, Gina Spadafori – Google Books |date=16 September 2006 |isbn=9780757305733 |access-date=15 August 2014|last1=Becker |first1=Marty |last2=Spadafori |first2=Gina |publisher=Health Communications, Incorporated }}</ref> The breed is particularly popular in both the United Kingdom and the United States. 

Ragdolls are known as [[Dog-like cat|dog-like cats]] due to their tendency to follow people around, their receptiveness to handling, and their relative lack of aggression towards other pets.<ref name=ideal>{{cite book|title=Your Ideal Cat: Insights Into Breed and Gender Differences in Cat Behavior|author1=Benjamin L. Hart|author2=Lynette A. Hart|publisher=Purdue University Press|date=2013|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fxf8FRNJvKgC&q=ideal+cat+ragdoll&pg=PA99|pages=99–101|isbn=9781557536488}}</ref>

Ragdolls are distinguishable by their pointed coloration (where the body is lighter than the face, ears, legs, and tail), large round blue eyes, soft, thick coats, thick limbs, long tails, and soft bodies. Their color rings are commonly tricolor or bicolor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ragdoll |url=https://www.petplan.co.uk/pet-information/cat/breed/ragdoll/ |website=Petplan |access-date=14 May 2021}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Pansy cat.jpg| thumb | right |A bicolor Ragdoll cat]]
The breed was developed in [[Riverside, California]], by breeder Ann Baker. In 1963, a regular, non-pedigreed, white domestic longhaired cat named Josephine produced several litters of typical cats.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ragdoll – The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc|url=https://cfa.org/ragdoll/|access-date=20 November 2020|website=cfa.org}}</ref> Josephine was not of any particular breed, nor were the males who sired the original litters. Ann Baker herself said that the original cats of the Ragdoll breed were "alley cats".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://riversiderags.com/history-of-the-ragdoll-cat-breed/ | title=History of the Ragdoll Cat Breed | date=19 February 2023 }}</ref> Josephine later produced kittens with a docile, placid temperament, affectionate nature, and a tendency to go limp and relaxed when picked up.<ref name="Helgren2006" />

Out of those early litters came Blackie, an all-black male, and Daddy Warbucks, a seal point with white feet. Daddy Warbucks sired the founding bi-color female Fugianna, and Blackie sired Buckwheat, a dark brown-black Burmese-like female. Both Fugianna and Buckwheat were Josephine's daughters. All Ragdolls are descended from Baker's cats through matings of Daddy Warbucks to Fugianna and Buckwheat.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ragdollhistoricalsociety.com/ragdoll-history.php |title=Ragdoll History-The Beginning |publisher=Ragdoll Historical Society |access-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218211300/http://ragdollhistoricalsociety.com/ragdoll-history.php |archive-date=18 February 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Baker, in an unusual move, spurned traditional cat breeding associations. She trademarked the name ''Ragdoll'', set up her own registry—the International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA)—around 1971, and enforced stringent standards on anyone who wanted to breed or sell cats under that name.<ref name="Helgren2006">{{cite web |last=Helgren |first=J. Anne |date=2006 |title=Ragdoll |publisher=Telemark Productions |url=http://www.iams.com/pet-health/cat-breeds/ragdoll |website=[[Iams]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113103751/https://www.iams.com/pet-health/cat-breeds/ragdoll |archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref> The Ragdolls were also not allowed to be registered by other breed associations.<ref name="Iams">{{cite web |url=http://us.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=CBD&breedPage=ragdoll.html |title=Ragdoll |website=[[Iams]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928110337/http://us.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=CBD&breedPage=ragdoll.html |archive-date=28 September 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Domestic Cats">{{cite book|last1=Robbins|first1=Nancy|title=Domestic Cats: Their History, Breeds and Other Facts|date=14 February 2012|publisher=CreateSpace|isbn=9781470075385|page=220}}</ref> The IRCA is still in existence today but is quite small, particularly since Baker's death in 1997.

In 1975, a group led by a husband-and-wife team, Denny and Laura Dayton, broke ranks with the IRCA to gain mainstream recognition for the Ragdoll. Beginning with a breeding pair of IRCA cats, this group eventually developed the Ragdoll standard currently accepted by major cat registries such as the [[Cat Fanciers' Association|CFA]] and the [[FIFe]].<ref name=raistrickragdolls>{{cite web|url=http://www.raistrickragdolls.co.uk/ragdoll-cats.php|title=Raistrick Ragdolls|website=Raistrickragdfolls.co.uk|access-date=15 November 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129045115/http://www.raistrickragdolls.co.uk/ragdoll-cats.php|archive-date=29 November 2014}}</ref> Around the time of the spread of the Ragdoll breed in America during the early 1960s, a breeding pair of Ragdolls was exported to the UK. Eight more cats followed this pair to fully establish the breed in the UK, where the [[Governing Council of the Cat Fancy]] recognizes it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gccfcats.org/breeds.html|title=Welcome to the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy|access-date=14 December 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208085015/http://www.gccfcats.org/breeds.html|archive-date=8 December 2012}}</ref>

==Breed description==

===Temperament===
[[File:A_breed_of_cat_with_a_distinct_colorpoint_coat_and_blue_eyes..jpg|thumb|Ragdoll with blue eyes]]
[[File:Flame point Ragdoll.jpg|thumb|A flame (red) [[point coloration|point]] ragdoll]]
The Ragdoll has been known to have a very floppy and calm nature, with claims that these characteristics have been passed down from the Persian and Birman breeds. Opinions vary as to whether this trait might be the result of genetic mutation or merely an instinctive reaction from being picked up as kittens by their mother.<ref name="Tabor">[https://books.google.com/books?id=7-PDwgJHVS8C&pg=PA33 Understanding Cat Behavior: The Complete Feline Problem Solver]{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Roger Tabor (2003). P 33.</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=HYt3zSa9N1EC&dq=ragdoll+limp+mutation&pg=PA84 Do cats always land on their feet] Gina Spadafori, Marty Becker</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=17 January 2021|title=Why Do Ragdoll Cats Go Limp?|url=https://animalpath.org/why-do-ragdoll-cats-go-limp/|access-date=17 September 2021|language=en-US}}</ref> The extreme docility of some individuals has led to the myth that Ragdolls are pain resistant. Some breeders in Britain have tried to breed away from the limpness owing to concerns that extreme docility "might not be in the best interests of the cat".<ref name="Tabor"/><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=mdg0R6nDWgoC&pg=PA31 The Cat: Its Behavior, Nutrition & Health] Linda P. Case, Kerry Helms, Bruce Macallister (2003). P 31.</ref>

[[Breed standard]] marketing and publicity material describe the Ragdoll as affectionate, intelligent, relaxed in temperament, gentle, and an easy-to-handle lap cat.<ref>[http://www.rfci.org/standards/gccf_std.php Ragdoll Breed standard] Governing Council of Cat Fancy</ref><ref>[http://www.cfa.org/Breeds/BreedsKthruR/Ragdoll.aspx Ragdoll Breed standard] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315012500/http://cfa.org/Breeds/BreedsKthruR/Ragdoll.aspx |date=2015-03-15 }} Cat Fanciers' Association</ref> The animals are often known as "puppy cats", "dog-like cats", "cat-dogs", etc., because of their placid nature and affectionate behavior, with the cats often following owners from room to room as well as seeking physical affection akin to certain dog breeds. Ragdolls can be trained to retrieve toys and enjoy doing so. They have a very playful nature that often lasts well into their senior years.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dina|date=2 February 2019|title=Are Ragdoll Cats Playful?|work=purrcraze.com|url=https://purrcraze.com/are-ragdoll-cats-playful|access-date=24 June 2021|language=en-US}}</ref> Unlike many other breeds, Ragdolls prefer staying low to the ground rather than the highest point in the household.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Braaksma|first1=Hilary|last2=Guthrie|first2=Claudia|title=Ragdoll|url=https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/cat-breeds/ragdoll|access-date=1 December 2021|website=Daily Paws|language=en}}</ref>

===Physical characteristics===
The Ragdoll is one of the largest domesticated cat breeds. Fully-grown females weigh from {{convert|8|to|15|lb|kg}}. Males are substantially larger, ranging from {{convert|12|to|20|lb|kg}} or more.<ref name="Helgren2006"/> It can take up to four years for a Ragdoll to reach mature size.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Mattern|first=Joanne|title=The Ragdoll Cat|publisher=Capstone|year=2001|isbn=0736808973|location=Mankato, Minnesota|pages=5–16}}</ref> They have a sturdy body, bulky frame, and proportionate legs. Their heads are broad with a flat top and wide space between the ears. They have long, muscular bodies with broad chests and short necks. Their tails are bushy and long in length, their paws are large, round, and tufted, and their coats are silky, dense, and medium to long length. Due to their coats tending to be long, they usually require brushing at least twice a week.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 March 2012 |title=Grooming Tips for a Ragdoll Cat |url=https://www.petango.com/care_center/grooming-tips-for-a-ragdoll-cat#:~:text=Caring%20for%20Ragdoll%20cats%20should,signs%20of%20lumps%20or%20illness. |access-date=May 31, 2022 |website=Petango}}</ref> Adults develop knickerbockers on their hind legs and a ruff around their necks.

The breed is often known for its large, round, deep-blue eyes,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ragdoll Cat Breed Information|url=https://www.purina.co.uk/find-a-pet/cat-breeds/ragdoll|access-date=24 June 2021|website=www.purina.co.uk|language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=14 May 2019|title=Ragdoll Cats - A Complete Guide To The Ragdoll Cat Breed.|url=https://www.thehappycatsite.com/ragdoll-cats/|access-date=24 June 2021|website=The Happy Cat Site|language=en-US}}</ref> though other cats may have that feature as well.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Braaksma|first1=Hilary|date=December 1, 2021|first2=Claudia |last2=Guthrie |title=Ragdoll|url=https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/cat-breeds/ragdoll|access-date=1 December 2021|website=Daily Paws|language=en}}</ref> The genes for point coloration are also responsible for these distinctive blue eyes. Deeper shades of blue are favored in cat shows.
[[File:Ragdoll_Cat_Face.jpg|thumb|Ragdoll cat looking away from camera]]
[[File:Ragdoll cat DSC07500 (4021848667).jpg|alt=Male ragdoll cat with blue eyes.|thumb|Ragdoll cats have distinctive, large, oval, blue eyes]]

Although the breed has a plush coat, it consists mainly of long guard hairs, while the lack of a dense undercoat results, according to the Cat Fanciers' Association, in "reduced shedding and matting".<ref>[http://www.cfa.org/breeds/profiles/ragdoll.html Breed Profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714202130/http://www.cfa.org/breeds/profiles/ragdoll.html |date=14 July 2009 }} Cat Fanciers' Association</ref> There may be a noticeable increase of shedding in the spring.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ragdoll – The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc|url=https://cfa.org/ragdoll/|access-date=1 December 2021|website=cfa.org}}</ref>

Ragdolls come in six distinct colors: seal, chocolate, red, and the corresponding dilutes: blue, lilac, and cream. There also are the lynx and [[tortoiseshell cat|tortoiseshell]] variations<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tica.org/cat-breeds/item/254|title=Ragdoll Introduction|website=Tica.org|access-date=15 December 2017}}</ref> in all colors and the three patterns. Ragdoll kittens are born white; they have good color at 8–10 weeks and full color and coat at 3–4 years.

==== Patterns ====

*[[Point coloration|Colorpoint]]: one color darkening at the extremities (nose, ears, tail, and paws)
*Mitted: same as pointed but with white paws and abdomen. With or without a blaze (a white line or spot on the face), they must have a ''belly stripe'' (white stripe that runs from the chin to the genitals) and a white chin. Mitted Ragdolls, which weren't allowed titling in CFA until the 2008–2009 show season, are often confused with Birmans. The easiest way to tell the difference is by size (the Ragdoll being larger) and chin color (Mitted Ragdolls have white chins,<ref name="mittedragdoll">{{cite book|title=The Ragdoll Cat|publisher=capstone press|page=19|last1=Mattern|first1=Joanne}}</ref> while Birmans have colored chins), although breeders recognize the two by head shape and boning.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Birman vs Ragdoll|url=https://thelittlecarnivore.com/en/blog/what-are-the-differences-ragdoll-birman-cat|access-date=24 January 2022|website=The Little Carnivore|language=en-US}}</ref>
*[[Bicolor cat|Bicolor]]: white legs, white inverted ''V'' on the face, white abdomen, and sometimes white patches on the back (excessive amounts of white, while it does occur, is against breed standard).

==== Variations ====
[[File:BabyRagdoll2.jpg|thumb|upright|A 16-year-old female tortoiseshell Ragdoll]]
*[[Lynx point|Lynx]]: a variant of the colorpoint type having [[Tabby cat|tabby markings]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ragdollinternational.org/patscolors.shtml|title=Ragdoll International Patterns and Colors|website=Ragdollinternational.org|access-date=11 June 2012}}</ref> This variation always comes with white ear lines, no matter the pattern.
*[[tortoiseshell cat|Tortoiseshell]] or ''tortie:'' a variant noted for mottled or parti-colored<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfa.org/Portals/0/documents/breeds/standards/ragdoll.pdf|title=Ragdoll : POINT SCORE|website=Cfa.org|access-date=15 December 2017|archive-date=31 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131214616/http://www.cfa.org/Portals/0/documents/breeds/standards/ragdoll.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> markings in the above patterns. 

==Health==
A UK study utilizing veterinary records found a life expectancy of 10.31 years compared to 11.74 overall.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Teng | first=Kendy Tzu-yun | last2=Brodbelt | first2=Dave C | last3=Church | first3=David B | last4=O’Neill | first4=Dan G | title=Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the UK | journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery | volume=26 | issue=5 | date=2024 | issn=1098-612X | doi=10.1177/1098612X241234556 | page=| doi-access=free | pmc=11156239 }}</ref> One study, utilizing Swedish insurance data, showed that of the common cat breeds, the Ragdoll and Siamese have the lowest survival rate, with a 78% chance of survival to 10 years.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Egenvall | first1 = A. | last2 = Nødtvedt | first2 = A. | last3 = Häggström | first3 = J. | last4 = Ström Holst | first4 = B. | last5 = Möller | first5 = L. | last6 = Bonnett | first6 = B. N. | title = Mortality of Life-Insured Swedish Cats during 1999–2006: Age, Breed, Sex, and Diagnosis | journal = Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine | volume = 23 | issue = 6 | pages = 1175–1183 | year = 2009 | pmid = 19780926 | doi = 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0396.x| pmc = 7167180 }}</ref> An English study of patient records found a life expectancy of 10.1 years.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=O’Neill | first1=Dan G | last2=Church | first2=David B | last3=McGreevy | first3=Paul D | last4=Thomson | first4=Peter C | last5=Brodbelt | first5=David C | title=Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England | journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery | publisher=SAGE Publications | volume=17 | issue=2 | date=2014-06-12 | issn=1098-612X | doi=10.1177/1098612x14536176 | pages=125–133| pmid=24925771 | pmc=10816413 }}</ref> In a review of over 5,000 cases of [[Bladder stone (animal)|urate urolithiasis]], the Ragdoll was over-represented, with an odds ratio of 5.14.<ref name="pmid22443437">{{cite journal |last1=Albasan |first1=H. |last2=Osborne |first2=C. A. |last3=Lulich |first3=J. P. |last4=Lekcharoensuk |first4=C. |title=Risk factors for urate uroliths in cats. |journal=[[Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association]] |date=2012 |volume=240 |issue=7 |pages=842–847 |pmid=22443437 |doi=10.2460/javma.240.7.842 |pmc= |url= https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&tool=sumsearch.org/cite&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks&id=22443437}}</ref> An English study reviewing over 190,000 patient records found the Ragdoll to be less likely to acquire [[diabetes mellitus]] than mixed breed cats. The prevalence in Ragdolls was 0.24% compared to 0.58% overall.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=O'Neill | first1=D.G. | last2=Gostelow | first2=R. | last3=Orme | first3=C. | last4=Church | first4=D.B. | last5=Niessen | first5=S.J.M. | last6=Verheyen | first6=K. | last7=Brodbelt | first7=D.C. | title=Epidemiology of Diabetes Mellitus among 193,435 Cats Attending Primary-Care Veterinary Practices in England | journal=Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine | publisher=Wiley | volume=30 | issue=4 | date=2016-06-29 | issn=0891-6640 | doi=10.1111/jvim.14365 | pages=964–972| pmid=27353396 | pmc=5094533 }}</ref>
===Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy===
The Ragdoll is one of the more commonly affected breeds for [[hypertrophic cardiomyopathy]]. An [[autosomal dominant]] mutation of the [[MYBPC (disambiguation)|MYBPC]] group of genes is responsible for the condition in the breed.<ref>{{cite book |author1-first=James A.C. |author1-last=Oliver |author2-first=Cathryn S. |author2-last=Mellersh | editor1-first=Barbara | editor1-last=Cooper | editor2-first=Elizabeth |editor2-last=Mullineaux |editor3-first=Lynn | editor3-last=Turner |title=BSAVA Textbook of Veterinary Nursing |date=2020 |publisher=British Small Animal Veterinary Association |isbn=978-1-910-44339-2 |edition=Sixth|chapter=Genetics| page=131}}</ref>

The [[allele|allelic frequencies]] of the mutation R820W were 0.17 in cats from Italy and 0.23 in cats from the US in 2013.<ref name="vetogene.it">{{cite web|url=http://www.vetogene.it/GATTI/upload/jvim12031.pdf|title=Myosin-Binding Protein C DNA Variants in Domestic Cats (A31P, A74T, R820W) and Their Association with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy|publisher=Vetogene.it|access-date=15 December 2017|archive-date=11 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211222112/http://www.vetogene.it/GATTI/upload/jvim12031.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> This reference states that the R820W prevalence is 30% in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fabcats.org/hcm/|title=Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats|website=Fabcats.org|access-date=15 December 2017}}</ref> The HCM prevalence was found to be 2.9% (95% CI = 2.7–8.6%) in this study.<ref name="vetogene.it"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.rfci.org/history/ragdoll_history.php Ragdoll history] according to the Ragdoll Fanciers Club International

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[[Category:Cat breeds originating in the United States]]