General description
Ragamuffins are a muscular, heavy breed of cats which do not reach full maturity until approximately four years of age. The Physical traits of the breed include a rectangular shaped broad chested body, with shoulders supporting a short neck. The head is a broad modified wedge with a rounded forehead and a nose dip. Ragamuffins come in all coat colors and patterns, with a medium length coat that increases in length toward the stomach. Although the coat is thick and plush, it does not readily mat or clump and is easy to care for. Ragamuffins are bred to be sociable, intelligent, affectionate, cuddly companions that are playful all through their lives.
The head is a broad modified wedge, with a rounded appearance. The forehead should be moderately rounded. The body should appear rectangular, with a broad chest and broad shoulders, and moderately heavy muscling in the hindquarters with the hindquarters being equally as broad as the shoulders. There should be a fatty pad in the lower abdomen. Fur length is to be slightly longer around neck and outer edges of face, resulting in the appearance of a ruff, and increasing in length from top of head down through shoulder blades and back, with the coat on the sides and stomach being medium to medium-long. Every color and pattern is allowable with or without white. Some colors patterns are rarer than others, such as pure white, which are generally in greater demand.
They are adoptable as early as four months of age, but do not reach full maturity until around four years of age. The Ragamuffin is an expensive breed and costs can range from $900–1200 USD per kitten.
History
In the 1960s a regular non-pedigreed white domestic longhaired cat named Josephine, who had produced several litters of typical cats, was injured in an accident involving a car and taken to a laboratory at the University of California. After she recovered, her next litter produced exceptionally friendly kittens. When the subsequent litter produced more of the same, Mrs. Ann Baker (an established cat breeder) purchased several kittens from the owner, who lived behind her, and believing she had something special, set out to create what is now known as the Ragdoll.
Baker, in an unusual move, spurned traditional cat breeding associations. She trademarked the name "Ragdoll", set up her own registry—International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA)—and enforced stringent standards on anyone who wanted to breed or sell cats under that name. The Ragdolls were also not allowed to be registered in other breed associations. In 1975, a group broke rank with the IRCA with the aim of gaining mainstream recognition for the Ragdoll. This group eventually developed the Ragdoll standard currently accepted by major cat registries.
In 1994, a second group decided to leave the IRCA and form their own group due to increasingly strict breeding restrictions. Due to Ann Baker's trademark on the name "Ragdoll" the group re-named their stock of Ragdolls as Ragamuffins. While the name was initially put forth as a joke by one of the group founders, when the original registry could not be undone, the name stuck. One of the first concerns of the group was the genetic health of their stock, which was already in its fifth generation of inbreeding. So in the spirit of bettering the breed's genetic health and personality, they out crossed to Persians, Himalayans, and domestic long haired cats, which increased the distinctiveness of the Ragamuffin from their Ragdoll ancestors. They did allow some Ragdoll inbreeding as well (which will end in 2010 for ACFA recognized Ragamuffins). Only cats with at least one Ragamuffin parent and an ACFA accepted outcross currently qualifies to be called a Ragamuffin.
The first cat association to accept the breed at full show champion status was United Feline Organization (UFO), and while some major cat associations still refuse to accept the Ragamuffin as a recognizable breed, due primarily to their close association with the Ragdoll, they were accepted into the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA), and finally Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) as a provisional breed in the miscellaneous class in 2003.
Color forms
Ragamuffins come in all patterns and colors although colorpoints are not allowed under CFA standards. Their eyes can be any solid color, including odd-eyed (ie, each eye has a different color).
Personality
The only extreme allowed in this breed is the very docile nature. The Ragamuffin loves people and is very cuddly and affectionate, with a tendency to go limp when held. While not terribly athletic, they love playing and climbing scratching posts and some will even fetch toys. They greet family members at the door and will follow their people around the house. Because of their gentle nature, Ragamuffins are generally kept indoors for their own protection.
