Varieties of Ragdoll Cats: A Comprehensive Guide

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Let's begin with the colors that characterize the Ragdoll cat, which come in a total of eight varieties. These are black, chocolate, cinnamon, red, blue, lilac, cream, and tortoiseshell. However, in China, there's a common practice of grouping black and chocolate into a single category known as "seal point," while blue and lilac are often collectively referred to as "blue." Additionally, cinnamon, red, cream, and tortoiseshell are collectively known as "red" colors. Since there is a limited interest in the red color, breeders rarely focus on producing red Ragdoll cats.

These color classifications are more than just labels; they serve as a form of marketing, making the cats appear more sophisticated. For instance, "seal point" is essentially a brown color, and "blue" is actually a shade of gray.

Ragdoll cats can also be categorized by their patterns, which are either "mink" (also known as "tiger striping") or "nonmink." Mink patterns feature ringed stripes on the fur, giving it a distinctive look.

When it comes to coloration, Ragdolls can be further divided into "bicolor," "手套色" (gloves color), and "focus color" Ragdolls. Bicolor Ragdolls have a face mask in the shape of an inverted V, while gloves color Ragdolls have a black face and front paws white, resembling a cat wearing gloves. Focus color Ragdolls, on the other hand, have a black face but lack the white on the front paws.

The combination of colors, patterns, and colorations leads to the specific names we use for different types of Ragdoll cats, such as "seal point mink bicolor Ragdoll" or "blue gloves Ragdoll."

Physically, Ragdolls can be categorized into "traditional" and "Persian" lines, a distinction that has emerged in recent years. The "Persian" line, in a more straightforward explanation, refers to Ragdolls that have been crossbred with Persian cats. Despite the genetic risks, these cats have become popular for their sweet appearance. There's even a misconception that Persian line Ragdolls are superior to traditional ones, which is quite misleading.

Early breeders of Ragdolls were not fully aware of genetic diseases, leading to the introduction of Persian cat's genetic diseasecausing genes into the Ragdoll bloodline. Today, Ragdolls are prone to two main genetic disorders: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and polycystic kidney disease (PKD). These conditions are more prevalent in Persian line Ragdolls, so it's advisable for owners to have their pets tested for genetic disease markers.

Lastly, we should mention the early offshoot of the Ragdoll breed—the "Ragamuffin" cat. This name was adopted by early breeders who had a falling out with Ragdoll founder Ann Baker. Since Baker held the trademark on the name "Ragdoll," these breeders couldn't use it and decided to call their cats "Ragamuffins." Despite the different name, Ragamuffins and Ragdolls are genetically closely related. In fact, calling a Ragamuffin a Ragdoll would be quite appropriate. The good news is that Ragamuffins have not been found to carry any genetic diseases to date.

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