The History of the Ragdoll Breed

The Ragdoll breed has a relatively short history, having been recognized in America in 1965. Within FIFe, the first recognized variant was the bicolor in 1992, followed by the colorpoint variant in 1997 and the mitted variant in 1999.

Ragdolls are surrounded by many myths and legends. This semi-longhaired breed was developed in 1960 by Californian breeder Ann Baker in her cattery, Raggedy Ann. The foundation of the breed came from the pairing of a white Persian cat named Josephine, who had blue eyes, with a Burmese male. Before giving birth, Josephine had a car accident and miraculously survived. She gave birth to live kittens, named Daddy Warbucks, Fugiana, and Buckwheat, which are considered the foundation of the Ragdoll breed. Ann Baker claimed that after the accident, Josephine became completely insensitive to pain and was so soft that when lifted, she went limp like a rag doll—hence the breed name "Ragdoll." She also claimed that Josephine passed these traits to her kittens, though genetically this is impossible. Like all cats, Ragdolls are as sensitive as any other breed.

Denny and Laura Dayton of Blossom-Time cattery and Georgann Chamber of Ragnarok cattery were unwilling to follow the breeding practices of Ann Baker, who focused on profit and dictated breeding conditions. This led to a split within the American Ragdoll breeding community, resulting in two factions: IRCA (International Ragdoll Cat Association), led by Ann Baker, and RFC (Ragdoll Fancier's Club), founded in 1975 by the Dayton family, which became the strong foundation for modern Ragdoll breeding.

The first Ragdolls arrived in Europe in 1981. Mrs. Lulu Rowley from the United Kingdom imported cats named Prim, Proper, Lad, and Lass from the Dayton cattery. These attractive four-legged companions quickly won the hearts of the British, and Ragdolls soon became quite popular.

In the Czech Republic, Ragdolls were once a rare breed, but now the number of enthusiastic breeders is growing. These breeders have fallen in love with this magnificent breed and showcase them at cat shows.

Source: Internet