With their silky pelts in appealing colors, bright blue eyes and affectionate natures, Ragdoll cats have had a strong following since their introduction in 1971. The most notable characteristic of the breed is a tendency among some individuals to become limp and doll-like when picked up and held. Ragdolls are some of the most docile and people-friendly cats you can meet.
Along with their intelligence and willingness to learn cute or useful tricks, this has earned them the reputation of being “puppy-dog cats” among fans of the breed. Ragdolls are a longhaired cat with a soft, luxurious single-layered coat. Ragdolls can exhibit a range of colors in their fur.
In this article, we’ll be looking at the possible fur colors allowed within the breed standard for Ragdolls. You’ll learn about the history of the breed and the ancestry that gave rise to the Ragdoll’s unique coat. You’ll learn how different colors and fur patterns manifest in this breed and how you can best take care of your Ragdoll’s handsome coat.
Ragdoll History and Breed Specifications
The Ragdoll is a unique and remarkable breed. Their origins are recent, dating back to the 1960s. A cat breeder in the US bought some kittens from a neighbor, whose white non-pedigree longhair had given birth to three litters with an interesting quirk. The father was unknown but was presumed to be a seal-point cat as many of Josephine’s kittens were seal counterpoints too. When picked up, these kittens would relax completely: their muscles would go limp and they would flop like a ragdoll.
The breeder, Anne Baker, realized there was something very special about these cute seal-point kittens and began breeding from them. Baker selected for this trait, as well as other desirable characteristics. These included the originally pointed coloration, luxurious fur, and a friendly disposition.
Rather than take the usual step of attempting to get her new breed registered with traditional cat-fancying associations. Instead, she struck out on her own. She copyrighted the name “Ragdoll” to prevent it from being adopted by other breeders and founded her own registry, the International Ragdoll Cat Association or IRCA. The Association had strict standards; nobody could sell or breed Ragdoll cats unless they met the stringent requirements imposed by Baker. Cats registered as official Ragdolls could not be registered with any other association. After Baker’s death, the trademark eventually lapsed. Various offshoot groups were created that broke away from the more strict standards of the original IRCA. The largest is currently the Ragdoll Fanciers’ Club International (RFCI). RFCI Ragdoll cats are now accepted to be registered with other cat-breeding associations.
Breed Standard Patterns for the Ragdoll Cat
There are three patterns recognized by most breed standard organizations: colorpoint, bi-color and mitted. Colorpoint Ragdolls are marked similarly to a Siamese, with a light-colored body and darker fur on the nose, ears, tail and paws. There should be no white anywhere on the cat’s body, although light-colored fur is fine.
A mitted Ragdoll has white fore-paws resembling mittens. The rear paws are white to the hock as if the cat was wearing boots. A whitetail tip and a white blaze on the face are also possible.
Bi-color Ragdolls have much more white on their bodies than mitted Ragdolls. The white markings extend further up their legs and they have a white undercarriage. Sometimes bi-colour Ragdolls have white splashes on their backs and a white delta shape on their faces. Some also have a white tip on their tails. Larger quantities of white on a bi-colored cat are sometimes called Van markings.
Two variations on these color patterns are also permitted. These are Lynx, a variant of the bi-color type with tabby markings, and Tortoiseshell, which is a variant with mottled or particolored fur.
A recent development in the Ragdoll fancy is the Mink type. These are pointed cats but with darker body colors, creating a more subtle contrast between the body and the pointed areas. Not all breeders recognize the Mink coloration as acceptable for a Ragdoll but this pattern has plenty of fans.
It can take some time for a Ragdoll’s coloring to manifest completely. Kittens are often born looking quite different to their adult form. They are typically born with white fur all over, which will start to darken as soon as the kitten is delivered. The cat’s general color will be evident after about 8 to 12 weeks but their patterns may take much longer to become fully evident. A Ragdoll’s colors and patterns will continue to develop over the years, generally growing darker as the cat gets older.
Ragdoll Colors
A Ragdoll may have any of six colors recognized by the various breed standard associations. These are a seal, red and chocolate, plus the “dilutes” of these shades — lilac, cream and blue.
Seal refers to a cool light brown. Many Ragdolls are seal-pointed, with a creamy body and light brown colorpoints. The Lynx variant in this color has delicate tabby stripes in the seal color, sometimes confined to specific parts of the body. Seal bi-colors have large patches of seal brown with white colors.
Red refers to a strong reddish-orange shade. Pointed Ragdolls with this color are sometimes called flame Ragdolls, and when you see them you’ll realize why. The bright red tips to their creamy body-coat make them look like a living flame. Red Lynx Ragdolls have delicate ginger stripes, often in rings along with their tails.
Chocolate refers to a much deeper brown than the seal. On a chocolate point Ragdoll, this color contrasts strongly with their soft ivory body coats. Seal Lynx Ragdolls have quite distinct chocolate tabby stripes. This color looks particularly fetching in the mitted type, as it really brings out the Ragdoll’s white socks.
Lilac is a very soft pinkish shade. It’s the dilute form of the seal coloration. Cats with this color have quite subtle markings, with the lilac contrasting against body fur of the palest grey.
Blue refers to deep blue-grey shade, the dilute of chocolate brown. Blue pointed Ragdolls have a light platinum-grey body-color, providing a strong contrast to the deeper shades of the points. Paw pads and nose leather should be a deeper greyish-blue. Blue Lynx Ragdolls have subtle tabby stripes of deep grey against a light grey ground.
The cream is dilute of red. It’s a very soft slightly pinkish shade, warmer than ivory. Cream markings are among the most subtle.
Eye Colour in Ragdolls
Ragdolls have inherited their eye color from their mysterious seal-pointed male progenitors. To this day, all pure-bred Ragdolls have blue eyes like the eyes of a Siamese. Some are a very pale blue, almost pastel; others are a bright and vivid shade that makes them look like living gems. In the darker-furred Mink types, you may sometimes see a slight greenish tint. Show judges and breeders tend to favor the brightest blue eyes.