okie Rhonda......specially for you.... Happie Valentine's Day in
Advance 
The Rag Doll
Brief Introduction
Ragdolls are large, docile cats. They are sweet-faced and muscular,
with an overall impression of elegance and balance. They have a
medium-long, non-matting coat with a soft texture like rabbit fur.
They are pointed in color (like the Himalayan or Siamese) and
appear in seal point, blue point, chocolate point, and lilac point,
with or without white markings.
Is This The Breed For Me?
If you want a large cat which is non-aggressive, loves to be with
people, and is very placid, you may want to consider a Ragdoll.
Also, if you love the look of a long-haired cat, but do not want
the constant grooming associated with breeds such as the Persian, a
Ragdoll would be a good choice. The gentle Ragdoll is also good
with children and is easy to introduce into a multi-pet
household.
If you want a very active or talkative cat, then you might not be
happy with the less-active Ragdoll.
(This is an informal description. Precise breed standards are
available from the various associations. If you plan to show or
breed your Ragdoll, you should obtain breed standards from the
associations in which you want to show, and read them
carefully.)
Ragdolls are large, heavy cats, with broad chests and large
hindquarters. They are slow-maturing, and do not reach full
maturity until approximately three years of age. Females are
smaller than males, weighing about 10-15 pounds on average. Males
weigh an average of 12-20 pounds as adults, although some may grow
to be larger.
Ragdolls have large, oval, blue eyes and sweet expressions. Their
large, rounded ears are set with a slight forward tilt. They have a
curved profile with the look of a "ski slope" as it merges to the
top of the head.
Their medium-long coats and bushy tails have a soft texture that
feels like rabbit fur. In general, Ragdolls have longer fur around
the neck (a "ruff") and on the back of the hindquarters (sometimes
referred to as "britches"). The fur does not tend to mat, and is
easily combed. It does, however, require occasional grooming.
Ragdolls are pointed cats. Like other pointed breeds such as the
Himalayan and Siamese, Ragdoll kittens are born all white and
slowly develop color. The color continues to deepen as the cat
ages.
In most associations, Ragdolls are accepted in 3 patterns and 4
colors. The three patterns are "colorpoint," "mitted," and
"bicolor":
* A "colorpoint" has dark points (ears, tail, face, and feet) with
a body of a lighter shade. The nose leather and pawpads match the
point color. Colorpoints do not have white markings (although the
pale body color may appear white on some cats).
* A "mitted" has dark points and lighter body like a colorpoint,
but also has white "mitts" on the front paws, white "boots" on the
back legs and feet, a white chin, a white strip on the stomach, and
a white ruff.
* A "bi-color" has the dark points (ears and tail), but the mask is
interrupted by an inverted "V" running between the eyes and
expanding into the muzzle. The body color forms a "saddle" on the
cat's back and the remainder of the cat is white. Bi-colors have
pink nose leather and paw pads.
The four colors are "seal," "chocolate," "blue," and "lilac" (also
known as "frost"):
* A "seal" has dark seal brown points with a light tan body
color.
* A "chocolate" has milk chocolate points with an ivory body
color.
* A "blue" has dark gray points with a pale gray body color.
* A "lilac" has pinkish gray points with a frosty white body
color.
To describe a Ragdoll, combine the color and pattern names. For
example, a seal Ragdoll, depending on the pattern, might be a "seal
colorpoint," "seal mitted," or "seal bi-color."
Characteristics and Temperament
