Our new chocolate point ragdoll kitten Merlo is well and truly settling in and I have been taking some photographs of him.  He is now 9 weeks old and demands constant attention.

It’s rare to see him sleeping and all he seems to want to do at the moment is play, play and play some more.  He’s not very good at amusing himself with all of the rattling balls and toys we have bought for him so I end up  having to throw these balls and he will dart off after them, slipping on the tiled floor as he speeds off.  If I dare to stop, he will climb up my leg, miaowing loudly until I play with him again!

He is very, very cute though and when he looks up at me with those vivid blue eyes I just melt!

Ragdoll History

In the 1960′s a regular non-pedigreed white domestic long-haired cat named Josephine, who had produced several litters of typical cats, was injured in an accident involving a car and taken to a laboratory at the University of California. Josephine was of a Persian/Angora type, sired by several unknown male Birman or Burmese-like cats, one of which had the Siamese point coloration. After she recovered, her next litter produced exceptionally friendly kittens, which Baker claimed, was a result of a secret government genetic experiment on Josephine(a claim rejected by genetics experts). When the subsequent litter produced more of the same, Mrs Ann Baker (an established cat breeder) purchased several kittens from the owner, who lived behind her, and believing she had something special, set out to create what is now known as the Ragdoll. The breed was selectively bred over many years for desirable traits, such as large size, gentle demeanor, and a tendency to go limp when picked up, as well as the striking pointed coloration. Out of those early litters came Blackie, an all black Burmese-like 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 daughters of Josephine. All Ragdolls and are descended from Baker’s cats through matings of Daddy Warbucks to Fugianna and Buckwheat.

Baker, in an unusual move, spurned traditional cat breeding associations. She trademarked the name “Ragdoll”, set up her own registry—International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA)—and enforced stringent standards on anyone who wanted to breed or sell cats under that name. The Ragdolls were also not allowed to be registered in other breed associations. In 1975, a group led by Denny Dayton broke rank with IRCA with the aim of gaining mainstream recognition for the Ragdoll. This group eventually developed the Ragdoll standard currently accepted by major cat registries.

Ragdoll Description & Traits

Ragdoll cats get their name from their tendency to go limp when picked up or held. They are also one of the least aggressive and calmest breeds of domestic cat and posses a warm, affectionate disposition.  The Ragdoll is a large, heavy cat. Fully mature males can weigh up to 10 kg or more. Females will weigh about 8 kg. They are a semi-longhaired breed, with Siamese-like colourings, and although not possessed of a thick undercoat (like the Persian) they do retain a soft, silky outer coat. Another distinctive feature of the Ragdoll is its large, oval and rich blue eyes – very striking.

Ragdolls come in 6 different colors – seal, chocolate, flame, and the corresponding “dilutes” blue, lilac and cream. There are three different patterns:

• Pointed – One color darkening at the extremities (nose, ears, tail and paws)
• Mitted – Same as pointed, but with white paws and tummy. With or without a blaze (a white line on the face),
• Bicolor — White legs, white inverted ‘V’ on the face, white tummy and often white patches on the back.

Info Source: Ragdoll-Wikipedia