We cant express how beautiful a Ragdoll truly is. In our opinion, they are absolutely the most stunning breed out there... but then we are biased! We should share facts and traits instead of our own opinion!!
Ragdolls are considered to be a medium-to-large breed cat, sometimes weighing up to 20 pounds! I have found that males tend to be much bigger than females. The females weigh between 10-15 pounds, whilst the males weigh between 15-20 pounds. A ragdolls soft, silky fur and mane adds to the size of their profile, making them appear even larger.
Ragdolls should have medium length, silky coat has a soft rabbit-like texture. There is little shedding of the coat except in the spring and fall. Its soft texture means it stays on top of surfaces and is easy to pick-up with a hand or damp cloth. The tail should be bushy with the same silky feel, leading into “knickerbockers” – my absolute favourite word for “dense fur on the hind legs”. In between their tiny toe beans should be long, wispy fur. It is advised not to cut the toe fur, as it protects their paws and can cause them pain if the fur is missing.
All pedigree ragdolls have piercing blue eyes. The shade of blue can vary (though a deeper shade of blue is preferred), and is determined by the colourpoint gene, which also determines the colour of their fur.
The eyes should be large, slightly oblique (slightly slanted) and set well apart. Eyes should not be perfectly round in shape, nor like those of oriental breeds.
Ragdolls are semi-long-haired and do require regular grooming. We groom 1-3 times a week and have yet to find matts on our girls! During the summer months I groom more to help them shed their fur and in the cooler months I focus more on their manes and knickerbockers to reduce the chance of any matts.
𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠; it can take up to four years for them to reach their full size. Their colour will develop and darken as the years go by and will just keep getting more and more beautiful! The contrast between their lighter and darker colours will remain, but become more pronounced, giving them a stunning appearance.
𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞; I find that they are very dog-like! They like to be close to their owners, following them around the house and many even love to play fetch.. Although they are described as needing minimal exercise, as they are house cats I do advise lots of play to help keep their brains active and stimulated. All kittens want to play, and ragdolls are no different! We find that any games you play with your ragdoll will help build and strengthen that special owner/kitten bond. It's important for inquisitive kitten wellbeing to keep Ragdolls entertained.
Ragdolls love puzzles, they extremely love problem solving and being rewarded with their favourite treats.
𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝; each cat will have its own personality. They love to follow you around calling for food and treats! (you won't even get peace in the rest room haha)
Ragdoll cats are widely considered excellent with children due to their gentle, patient, and affectionate nature, tolerating being held and played with, making them great family pets, but proper socialisation and teaching kids gentle interaction are still key for any cat
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞 & 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭: They have a calm, docile temperament, often going limp when picked up (hence the name) and are known for not minding being dressed up or carried
𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 & 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞: They bond closely with families and enjoy being involved in household activities, forming strong bonds with children
𝐃𝐨𝐠-𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: They often follow owners around and get along well with other pets, making them adaptable to busy family life
𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: They are known to be patient with children, even young toddlers, and will even play fetch
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝: Even gentle breeds need supervision with young children to ensure the cat's space is respected and interactions are safe for both
Ragdolls love company, including other felines and known for being extremely sociable, affectionate "gentle giants" who crave human and feline interaction and often follow their owners around like loyal, fluffy shadows, greeting them at the door and getting involved in household activities, but they don't do well being left alone for long periods and can suffer from separation anxiety.
Their social, gentle and laid-back nature, often disliking being left alone for long periods and thriving with companions like other cats or even dogs, though introductions should be managed carefully. They are social "gentle giants" that enjoy interaction and can get along with almost any calm companion cat, making them great for multi-pet households if introduced properly.
𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: They form strong bonds and thrive on interaction, seeking attention and companionship
𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭: Their calm, friendly disposition means they often settle well with other cats, especially those with similar energy levels
𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬: Ragdolls can suffer from separation anxiety and benefit from a feline friend for play and comfort when owners are away
𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞-𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝: They form strong bonds, similar to dogs, and thrive on attention, often wanting to be near you, even if not always on your lap
𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬: Expect a Ragdoll to be your constant companion, supervising you while you work, cook, or even bathe
𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲-𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲: Their laid-back and gentle nature makes them great for families and children (with supervision), as they play gently and rarely use claws
𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐬: They get along extremely well with other animals, including dogs, and having a companion cat can be a great solution if you're away often.
𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), a thickening heart muscle condition with genetic tests available, and Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), which causes kidney cysts. They can also be prone to bladder issues, digestive problems, and dental disease, with some rare risks like Neonatal Isoerythrolysis (NI) in breeding.
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐂𝐌 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐊𝐃 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤... 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐂𝐌 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐊𝐃!!
𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫: Ragdoll HCM, Maine Coon HCM, PKD1, PKDef, Mucopolysaccaridosis MPS VI, PRA, SMA, rdAc, Feline Blood Group A or AB (does not carry B).
FeLV and FIV Negative
While many say male Ragdolls are generally more overtly affectionate, clingy "lap cats," and follow you around, females are just as loving but often show it on their own terms, being slightly more independent; however, individual personality, upbringing, and spaying/neutering matter more than gender for predicting a specific ragdolls cuddliness. Expect both sexes to be sweet, but males lean towards constant companionship, while females might prefer shorter, on-demand cuddles.
𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞:
𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥: They're known for being the "people cats" who follow you from room to room
𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐥𝐚𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐬: More likely to want to curl up on your lap for long periods
𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐟𝐮𝐥 & 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜: Often described as slightly more active
𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞:
𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭: They enjoy affection but may not seek it as constantly
𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐫 & 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐲: Can be more reserved but still very sweet
𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬: Might prefer to be near you or show love with head-butts rather than constant lap-sitting
Don't choose based on gender if you want a specific level of affection, as personality varies greatly. A male might be more of a shadow, but a female can be just as cuddly, just perhaps less demanding of it. If possible, meet the kittens to see their individual temperaments, as parent personalities often influence kittens, but unique traits shine through.
All our kittens, are equally as affectionate.. early socialisation is important, we raise our kittens in the home and they're familiar to all household noises/children.. we do this to avoid shy and timid cats/kittens. Both our female and male kittens are showered with endless love and lots of kitten cuddles from day one!
𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞; there are so many conflicting opinions amongst breeders and people on the internet! Ragdolls are less at risk of accidents outside the home as it is recommended that they are kept indoors, which can certainly lengthen their lifespan. Remaining indoors also makes them less likely to come into contact with common feline illnesses passed from other cats – though it is always recommended that you keep ragdolls vaccinations and boosters up to date!! A well-bred ragdoll, who has no medical problems, should live well up to the life expectancy of a cat; most sources suggest 10-15 years.