History of the Ragdoll
Ann Baker
The origin of the Ragdoll is a fascinating story that begins with the efforts of Ann Baker in the 1960s in California. Initially, she bred Persians and Balinese cats, but after a series of unexpected events, she began developing what is now known as the Ragdoll breed.
The story of Josephine, the white Angora cat who survived a car accident, is crucial to the breed’s development. After the accident, her kittens were mysteriously different: social, calm, and with a unique coat texture. These unexpected traits intrigued Ann, and she decided to create a new breed that embodied these characteristics.
Ann Baker believed that there might even have been extraordinary influences at play, such as extraterrestrial intervention, which earned her a rather eccentric reputation. Despite this, she seriously continued her breeding program. With the help of her neighbors, the Pennels, and cats like Josephine,
Daddy Warbucks, Fugianna, and Buckwheat, she laid the foundation for the Ragdoll breed, although at that time, these were not yet considered true Ragdolls.
Although it is often said that the Ragdoll originated from breeds like the Persian, Siamese, and Birman, later DNA research revealed that the Ragdoll is genetically closer to the American Curl and domestic cats.
Although it is often said that the Ragdoll originated from breeds like the Persian, Siamese, and Birman, later DNA research revealed that the Ragdoll is genetically closer to the American Curl and domestic cats.
The name "Ragdoll" came about because Ann noticed that the cats, like ragdolls, went completely limp when picked up. This distinctive trait gave the breed its name. Ann named her cattery after the popular ragdolls "Raggedy Ann" and "Raggedy Andy," which fit both her own name and the distinctive characteristic of the cats.
The first official registration of the Ragdoll breed took place in 1966 when Daddy Warbucks, Fugianna, Tiki, and Kyoto were recognized by the National Cat Fanciers Association (NCFA). Although Ann Baker did not sell Ragdolls between 1964 and 1969, she continued working on the breed during this period, ensuring that the desired traits were further ingrained in the Ragdoll. When she first sold breeding cats in 1969, Denny and Laura Dayton came to the forefront.
These breeders played a crucial role in spreading and recognizing the Ragdoll as an official cat breed.
The first breeders
Denny and Laura Dayton were among the first breeders of Ragdolls, and their involvement with the breed began in 1969 when they purchased their first breeding pair from Ann Baker, the founder of the breed. Although Denny was initially not a true cat enthusiast, his perspective quickly changed after he and Laura encountered the Ragdoll for the first time. The cats' charm and temperament immediately captivated them, and their cattery, Blossom Time, was born.
The Daytons recognized the growing demand for Ragdolls, fueled by Ann Baker's claims about the breed (such as that Ragdolls wouldn't feel pain and would go completely limp in their owners' arms). However, they were unable to keep up with the enormous demand for Ragdolls, signaling the increasing popularity of the breed. The Daytons were not only breeders but also pioneers in promoting the Ragdoll. By participating in cat shows, they gave the public the opportunity to see and experience the Ragdoll firsthand.
A significant moment for the Daytons was their effort to gain official recognition for the Ragdoll as a breed. Initially, the Ragdoll was not recognized by cat associations, but thanks to the hard work of the Daytons and other early breeders, the breed gained more and more recognition. Denny Dayton was also the first to map the Ragdoll's genetics, laying the foundation for future breeding programs. Their contributions played a pivotal role in the establishment and popularity of the Ragdoll as an officially recognized breed.
Blanche Herman
Blanche Herman became interested in Ragdolls in 1972 and quickly became a key figure in the early development of the breed. In 1973, she purchased her first breeding pair from Ann Baker, and her cattery, Ragtime, was born.
Through her efforts, the Ragdoll breed eventually gained recognition from major cat associations such as the ACA (American Cat Association), ACFA (American Cat Fanciers Association), and TICA (The International Cat Association), which marked a significant milestone for the breed. Many of today's Ragdolls can trace their lineage back to cats from Blanche Herman's Ragtime cattery, highlighting how influential her work was in shaping the breed's development and its acceptance within the broader cat fancy community.
Only mitted?
Ann Baker had a strong vision for the Ragdoll from the start, particularly seeing the mitted Ragdoll as the standard for the breed. She believed that the other patterns, such as bicolor and colorpoint, would disappear after seven generations, which is why she focused solely on breeding the mitted. Her standard for the Ragdoll reflected this belief, which became problematic when it turned out that the other patterns did not disappear but instead remained due to genetic diversity.
In the early days, the names for these patterns were not yet officially used. Ann simply referred to them as "black-legged" for the colorpoint and "white-legged" for the bicolor. As the differences between the patterns became clearer and the demand for formal recognition of the various variants increased, the terms mitted, bicolor, and colorpoint were officially introduced as the accepted names for the different patterns within the breed.
The founding of the 'Ragdoll Society
Recognition in the largest American association
The 1980s were crucial for the Ragdoll's recognition in the largest cat association in the U.S., the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA). Initially, the CFA was hesitant to recognize the Ragdoll, which made the efforts of Denny Dayton and other breeders more difficult.
It became necessary for as many Ragdoll breeders as possible to join the CFA to gather enough support. Only in the 1990s did the Ragdoll finally achieve full recognition within the CFA, in the colors seal, blue, chocolate, and lilac, and in the patterns mitted, bicolor, and colorpoint.
In the 1980s, Pat Brownsell and Lulu Rowley were the pioneers who brought this new breed to England. After much effort, they managed to make contact with American breeders, such as the Daytons, who provided valuable information and some of the first Ragdoll kittens. Blossom-Time Lad and Blossom-Time Lass were the very first Ragdolls to set foot in Europe, although they had to spend six months in quarantine first.
It became necessary for as many Ragdoll breeders as possible to join the CFA to gather enough support. Only in the 1990s did the Ragdoll finally achieve full recognition within the CFA, in the colors seal, blue, chocolate, and lilac, and in the patterns mitted, bicolor, and colorpoint.
The Ragdoll in Europe
A special moment occurred during the quarantine period: Lass gave birth to three kittens on the same evening as the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, which inspired Rowley to host a large party to celebrate the birth of the first Ragdoll kittens born in Europe. This event even caught the attention of the BBC, further increasing the popularity of the Ragdoll in England.
The Ragdoll in FIFe
The Ragdoll in FIFe
The breed soon became beloved in the Netherlands as well. In 1990, the first Ragdolls appeared at shows, and in 1991, the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) recognized the bicolor variants in the traditional colors Seal, Blue, Chocolate, and Lilac. In 1997, the recognition of the colorpoint Ragdoll followed. It was only in 1999 that the mitted Ragdoll was recognized. In 2005, more colors were recognized, such as red, cream, tortie, and tabby.
Corry Husada-Ghesquiere
Ragdoll Cattery Miracles Douces
Stadskanaal
Ragdoll Cattery Miracles Douces
Stadskanaal