What is a Ragdoll?

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🐾 The Ragdoll Breed Group (RD/CB):

           Origins, Genetics, and Recognition

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The Classic Ragdoll 

The Ragdoll most people recognize is a medium-haired, blue-eyed cat with a pale body and darker face, ears, legs, and tail—known as a pointed pattern. This stunning coloration results from the recessive Siamese (cs) gene located on the C locus, where pure albinism is also carried. Two copies of this gene are required for the pattern to appear. A heat-sensitive enzyme, Tyrosinase (TYR), affects pigment production. It becomes active only in cooler areas of the body, creating darker points while the warmer areas remain light. Kittens are born white, and their color develops as they mature and their extremities cool.

 

Coat Color Genetics

According to the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory and Robinson’s Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians, variations on the C locus determine coat color and pattern:

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Genotype Expression

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C/CFull color; no colorpoint gene; cannot produce colorpoint offspring.

C/cbFull color; carries Burmese restriction; may produce 25% Burmese colorpoint kittens when bred to another carrier.

C/csFull color; carries Siamese restriction; may produce 25% Siamese colorpoint kittens when bred to another carrier.

cb/cbDisplays Burmese colorpoint restriction.

cs/csDisplays Siamese (pointed) colorpoint restriction.

cb/csDisplays Mink colorpoint restriction—an intermediate between Burmese and Siamese.

 

Ann Baker and the Foundation Cats

The Ragdoll breed was founded by Ann Baker in Riverside, California, in the 1960s. Her breeding program began with three foundation cats of unknown ancestry:

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• Josephine – A solid white cat carrying the pointed gene and founder of the “White Line.”

• Burmese (Blackie) – A Mink female and founder of the “Dark Line.”

• Birman (Beauty) – A male resembling a Birman who carried the white spotting gene (not the gloved gene) and could have been either pointed or mink.

 

According to the Association of the Original Ragdoll (VdOR), all 100% Original Ragdolls trace exclusively to these three foundation cats, with no outcrosses to other breeds. These “white pedigree” lines exist only in the colors Seal, Blue, Chocolate, and Lilac, and in the Colorpoint, Mitted, or Bicolor patterns.“100% Original Ragdolls” are defined as cats fully traceable to Ann Baker’s three foundation cats with no outcrosses—Josephine, Burmese (Blackie), and Birman (Beauty).

 

Traditional vs. Non-Traditional Ragdolls

In the United States, Traditional Ragdolls are those traceable to Ann Baker’s original lines, particularly through Josephine and the Dayton Genetic Card. Some loyal Baker lines, such as Purple Mountain and Blue Heather, were excluded from Denny Dayton’s registry but remain fully traceable through other records.Traditional Ragdolls are the blue-eyed, pointed cats in Seal, Blue, Chocolate, or Lilac, and in the Colorpoint, Mitted, and Bicolor patterns—colors included in Ann Baker’s 1975 patent. These cats gained worldwide recognition thanks to Denny and Laura Dayton, who introduced them in major cat associations.

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European breeders further classify Ragdolls as:

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• Original Ragdolls – Pure lines from Baker’s three foundation cats.

• New Color Ragdolls – Lines that include outcrosses producing Cinnamon, Fawn, Red (Flame), Cream, or Tortie colors, or Lynx (Tabby) and Torbie patterns.

 

Registry Evolution and Breed Development

When registration records transferred from Ann Baker’s IRCA Registry to TICA, all Ragdolls were grouped under a single designation. This caused many Mink and Solid Ragdolls to be mistakenly registered as Pointed.

Historical IRCA pedigrees show that Ann Baker’s breeding program included Solids, Minks, Lynx, Smokes, Silvers, Torties, Torbies, and Pointed Ragdolls—all recognized under the Ragdoll name. Baker herself registered Solid and Mink cats as Ragdolls, reflecting her intent to include all varieties within the breed. While Denny Dayton and his followers promoted the pointed Ragdoll in show circuits, breeder Curt Gehm continued working with Baker’s broader lines. His breeding efforts ultimately contributed to the creation of the Ragamuffin, a related breed through the foundation cats, but was developed and further separated from its ancestral beginnings through extensive outcrossing to Persians, Siberians, Selkirks, British Longhairs, Turkish Angoras, and domestic longhairs.

 

Modern Recognition

As of May 1, 2025, Mink, Solid, and Sepia Ragdolls were officially designated as Cherubim and accepted into the TICA Championship Class within the Ragdoll Breed Group (RD/CB).This milestone acknowledges Ann Baker’s original vision to include all coat colors under the Ragdoll Breed Group. These varieties were already recognized for championship titles in LCWW, and TICA’s acceptance now affirms their rightful place within the breed’s history and genetic foundation.

 

The Heart of the Ragdoll

No matter their color or pattern—Pointed, Mink, Solid, or Sepia—all pedigreed Ragdolls share the same hallmark traits:

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• Remarkable intelligence

• Deep affection and loyalty

• Gentle curiosity

• And, of course, the famous “Ragdoll flop”—a relaxed, trusting gesture that endears them to cat lovers around the world.

 

✨ A Legacy of Beauty, Temperament, and Trust

 

From Ann Baker’s pioneering vision to modern breed recognition, the Ragdoll and Cherubim remain one of the most beloved and distinctive cats in the world—cherished for its gentle spirit, striking appearance, and loving nature.

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~Christine Lupo

NYDIVINEDOLLS Ragdoll Cattery

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          Update your TICA Membership, so you may bring your Cherubim Ragdolls to show. Your family members may ALSO register their mink, solid and sepia Cherubim Ragdolls and become voting members by filling out this same form. Be sure to SPECIFY that you are part of the Ragdoll Breed Section:

 

TICA Membership Form

 

     

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