About RagaMuffins
All About RagaMuffin Kittens and Cats
RagaMuffin kittens and cats have several distinct traits that have defined them as great pets. Although RagaMuffins are still considered a rare breed, they continue to grow in popularity. This is because of their tried and true and genuine charm. Due to their clingy attitudes and willingness to share and receive affection with their owners, RagaMuffins are taking their place as one of today’s ‘best breed of cat to own.’ Their growing popularity is due to their charming personalities and the role they play with their human families. RagaMuffin kittens are a perfect fit for families with small children. In addition, they are wonderful for families who desire a gentle, loyal and faithful companion. Below is a list of some of the RagaMuffin cat traits that make them so incredibly special.
Personality of the RagaMuffin Cat
RagaMuffin are known for their very affectionate, cuddly, docile and easy-going nature. They will often flop and go limp when you hold them. RagaMuffin cats love to be with their humans. Whether it be in their lap, being cuddled or taking a nap together. They are often called puppy-cats by both breeders and owners. This is due to their dog-like qualities. RagaMuffin kittens and cats will often follow you around the house “helping” you do chores.
This Cats 101 YouTube video that was made in 2013 provides a nice description of some of the most endearing qualities of the RagaMuffin breed. However, the video contains one piece of information that in not accurate. It is not true that all RagaMuffins are born white. Only pointed RagaMuffins and solid white RagaMuffin kittens are born all white. The pointed RagaMuffin kittens are the kittens that have color that develops only on their “points.” “Points” are the tails, faces, ears and feet of the kitty as they mature a bit.
The Biggest Secret is That RagaMuffin Cats are Really Puppy-Cats ---Shhhhhh
(although they would never admit this to your face)
Most RagaMuffins are pretty sure they are puppies and not kitties. It is not unusual to see a RagaMuffin kitten playing fetch like a dog. You will also see RagaMuffins that will sit up and beg like a dog. RagaMuffins are very intelligent and can be easily trained. Some owners clicker train their RagaMuffins like a dog. Ragamuffins love to please their owners! They often are willing to do something that will reward them with a cuddle, a pat on the head or the proverbial ‘treat.’
RagaMuffins are also known as “door greeters.” This is because they love to welcome people visiting your home. They also love the attention they receive. Many will insist your visitors welcome them in return. The temperament of a RagaMuffin is second to none.
RagaMuffin Kittens are Usually Always Very Well-Behaved
Since RagaMuffins are so smart and easily trained, they are usually extremely well-behaved. However, on occasion, even the most well behaved RagaMuffin will get bored. They just might decide that all that paper you were saving up for an emergency…would be put to better use as their toy!
RagaMuffin Cat Size
RagaMuffins should be large-boned cats and generally a larger breed of feline. Females are smaller than males. Females usually weigh between 10 to 16 pounds. Males can be significantly larger and weigh between 15 to 20 pounds…..or larger! RagaMuffin cats are a slow maturing breed. They can take about four years to reach their full adult size.
Coat and Grooming
RagaMuffins have medium-long to longer, silky, rabbit-like dense coats that resist matting. The coat colors come in almost every conceivable color and pattern. The coat is slightly longer around the neck. This results in a beautiful ruff. RagaMuffins will have some tufting in the ears and between their toes. Depending upon the color, some colors get darker as the RagaMuffin matures.
RagaMuffin cats should be combed once or twice a week with a metal toothed comb. This will keep their coat in good condition, tangle-free, and it will also reduce shedding.
The Unique “Look” of a RagaMuffin Cat
RagaMuffins are known for their very sweet expressions. RagaMuffin adult cats often still look like kittens due to this quality. A combination of large, expressive, walnut-shaped eyes, puffy whisker pads, and a scoop to the nose, all contribute to this sweet expression. The RagaMuffin scoop should not be a break like Persian cats have. There are no extremes in the RagaMuffin breed. But a balance of these qualities is what gives the RagaMuffin an adorable expression. This expression matches their adorable personality.
Having such a sweet face on a beautiful large cat is truly a wonderful sight to see. Many examples of RagaMuffins can be seen on the websites of our RagaMuffin breeders on our RagaMuffin breeders page.
RagaMuffin Cat Health
RagaMuffins are a generally healthy breed with no known health problems specific to the breed. RagaMuffins are related to Ragdolls. Some foundation RagaMuffins had Persians as an outcross. This was to increase genetic diversity. Therefore, it is a good idea to ensure any RagaMuffin kitten you are adopting has been DNA tested for the Ragdoll mutation of HCM and for PKD. PKD used to be prevalent in Persians.
Our RagaMuffin breeders are committed to keeping these genes out of any of our breeding cats. Our Code of Ethics requires all TRKBS breeders DNA test their lines. This is to ensure the RagaMuffin breeding cats have no copy of these genes.
RagaMuffin Cats as Family Pets
How to Bond with Your RagaMuffin Kittens The "Safe Room" and RagaMuffin Kittens Adjusting to Their New Home and Other Pets
The slower the better, especially if you have other pets! Cats are territorial and current household cats often will not like the newcomer. Introduce them (or introduce your new RagaMuffin kittens to its new home) by isolating your new kitten in a small “safe” room.
Let the household cat/dog smell the newcomer through the cracks under the door. Feed your new kitten in this room. Provide the kitten with his or her own litter box. Show your RagaMuffin the food, water, and litter box. Do not force your kitten to come to you. You will have a much easier time having your RagaMuffin kitten adjust to your home if you allow the kitten to initiate contact. Wait until your kitten is comfortable with you before picking the kitty up for cuddles.
Spend time with your new kittens in this room, playing and cuddling. This will enable your new kitty to bond with you before he or she is introduced to the other animals or to the larger area of your home. This room will also serve as a “safety zone” if your kitten becomes startled when exploring its new home. Kitten owners often state that when kittens are grown and something startles them, they can always find them in the room they recognize as “safe.”
Initial Introduction to help RagaMuffin Kittens with Adjusting to Their New Home
After your RagaMuffin kitten has become comfortable in their room (playing with you and not showing signs of nervousness), it is time for introductions. Gradually allow your new kittens time out of the room, but only with your supervision. Simply leave the door of the safe room open and allow the kitten to come out and explore. Never leave your new RagaMuffin alone with other animals until you are certain that they have become friends. This could take several weeks if you have other animals.
If you do have another cat(s), allow the other cat to spend time in your kitten’s safe room while your RagaMuffin kittens spend time outside the safe room. Take some material (scent cloth) and rub it on your new RagaMuffin’s cheeks. Allow your other cats to have contact with this material. Also, provide a scented cloth with your other cats smell on it and allow your new RagaMuffin kittens to smell this scent cloth.
Feed your kittens on one side of the closed door to the safe room and feed your other cats on the other side of the closed door. Once they are all eating comfortably, crack the door open (this should be done after you have allowed your current cat(s) time to smell around in your new kitten’s safe room. While they are getting to know each other after the door has been cracked, initiate play with both of them in the same room but playing separately with a teaser toy. Give a favorite treat to them after playtime so they can eat the treat while in each other’s company and associate playing and treats with each other.
If you don’t have other animals, it’s still important to let your new little one get used to a smaller area first and then to have the run of the house. Give lots of love and you will have the most wonderful pet you could ever imagine! RagaMuffin kittens are like puppy-cats and behave in ways similar to puppies.
History of the RagaMuffin Cat Breed
The history of the RagaMuffin cat breed started in California in the 1960s with Ann Baker, who was a Persian Breeder. Ann Baker developed a friendship with a neighbor who fed and cared for a colony of feral cats. A car struck one of these cats named Josephine. Josephine has been described as a white Angora or Persian, and she had previously given birth to feral kittens. After Josephine recovered from her accident, she delivered a litter of kittens that impressed people with their sweetness and sociability. Differences in the temperament of these kittens could be explained by variation that occurs among kittens in litters or the fact that subsequent litters had different fathers. Ann Baker explained the difference in temperament using the highly unscientific theory that the docile temperament of the kittens was a result of the accident. This theory persists in the minds of some people to this day.
Ann gathered as many of Josephine’s kittens as possible and began breeding to preserve the wonderful personality of these cats that went limp as a Rag Doll when cuddled. She gave the cats the angelic name Cherubim. The most famous of Josephine’s random-bred offspring were Buckwheat and Daddy Warbucks. One of these cats was a short-haired cat that resembled a Burmese, and the other cat resembled a Birman because it was a pointed and cat with white mitts. Ann’s breeding program started with her founding her own cat registry, the International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA) in the early 1970s. Ann started the line with solely the pointed cats.
As the years went on, Anne continued to include other breeds of cats for genetic diversity, and this resulted in all different colors of cats and were not limited to just the pointed cats. All of these lines, both the pointed lines and the non-pointed lines, were registered by Ann in IRCA as Cherubim Cats. It was the Cherubim Cats that formed the foundation of the RagaMuffin breed. Though the Ragdoll breed was one of the Cherubim Cats registered in IRCA, they were not the only line behind the RagaMuffin breed ancestry.
The Formation of the Ragdoll
A few years after IRCA was established, a group of breeders decided to take only the pointed cats to be registered in a cat registry of higher standing, such as TICA. This was the beginning of the Ragdoll breed as it is known today.
The founders of the RagaMuffin breed continued to breed across the spectrum of the Cherubim Cats that were registered in IRCA. However, in 1992-1993, with lack of knowledge of the pedigrees of the cats they were breeding and Ann’s declining health, the founders of the RagaMuffin breed believed they had no choice but to break away from Ann and form a new breed. They decided they would use all the cats included as Cherubim Cats, so the rainbow of colors of the RagaMuffins was to be established.
Since the founders had signed contracts not to use the Ragdoll name, the first issue focused on what to call the cats, in the process of submitting a standard to the American Cat Fanciers Association. The first name discussed was “Liebling,” which means “darling,” “favorite,” or “love in German. The name “RagaMuffin” was discussed as sort of a joke. The “M” in RagaMuffin is capitalized because they are big huggable loveable Muffins. The new name stuck and in May 2001 the RagaMuffin cats gained championship recognition in ACFA. Through a labor of love, the RagaMuffin breeders were able to achieve Championship status for the RagaMuffin breed in the CFA in 2011.
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