When people first see this cat at a distance, the first thing they experience is fear. A magnificent cat lying with large expressive eyes appears, which only asks a person to come closer. It is hard to believe that this animal will allow its person to press its soft coat of luxurious color to its body. As you approach this beautiful cat, the one who is approaching is completely absorbed in the eyes of the animal, which welcome his attention, and when he first touches the magnificent coat, he feels a sense of pleasure. This miracle is called ragamuffin - a cat whose strange name translates as "ragged man."
Ragamuffin - who is it
This is a new breed of cats, derived from the Ragdoll breed , named after this name because the ancestors of the breed were outbred animals. It turned into a completely separate line as a result of a breakaway group from the original Ragdoll breeding program in America and was called ragamuffin. Description of the breed should start with the fact that these animals in the classical style are medium and large sized cats. Males are significantly larger than females. The weight of males averages from eight to thirteen kilograms, and females from seven to ten. They have a large skeleton with a tendency to fatty deposits in the lower abdomen. Representatives of ragamuffins become fully mature by the age of four and have a life expectancy of ten to thirteen years. In the process of selection, they completely lost their hunting skill.
Why is wool special?
Ragamuffin is a semi-long-haired cat with a rich palette of colors and patterns: plain and striped, tortie or mink. The symmetry of the drawing is not very important, and the marks are not considered important. But most breeders appreciate unique designs that fall within the breed match. The hair of these cats can be compared to rabbit fur, it is thick and plush, the length of the hair is almost equal to the length of the undercoat. Currently, ragamuffin is a breed of cats, approved in an independent line, and to obtain animals of this breed it is allowed to cross either both parents of ragamuffins, or one of them can be of this breed, and the second is ragdoll.
Start of breed
The history of the breed is recognized as foggy, but is quite interesting. The talented American Persian breeder Anne Baker from California had a neighbor who kept a colony of wild cats. His cat Josephine, similar to an angora, from an unbred wild cat produced kittens of an unhealthy temperament. But once she got under the car and after treatment in a veterinary clinic kittens with a very good-natured character began to appear in her litters. In 1960, Anne acquired several of these kittens and decided to start breeding a new breed. In 1963, she managed to get the first Ragdoll - a kitten with a calm temperament, which she sought. Ann Baker set strict standards for the new breed, which provided for its breeding only through its own breeder association.
Further developments
In 1994, a group of American breeders represented by Janet Klarmann, Kurt Gem (Gehm) and Kim Clark decided to leave the Anne Association and create their own breeding line that went beyond the strict standards of Anne by crossing all the species obtained before that. In 2003, the association was registered, and in 2011 the breed was recognized at the championship. Since the name Ragdoll was already patented, their new breed became known as ragamuffin. It has a greater variety of colors and attracts many who hear the name ragamuffin cat. The photo clearly demonstrates the beauty of this breed.
The nature and health of the breed
Ragamuffin is a cat breed that is famous for its unusual calm temperament, friendly and sociable character. Animals of this breed are very affectionate, they like to expose the tummy so that they are stroked, and at the same time they purr loudly. Ragamuffins love to play, often bring an abandoned toy, treat other animals and small children in families well, so they are not at all dangerous. These cats do not like to be left alone for a long time, and are very happy when someone pays attention to them. They are also great companions for those who live alone because they provide much-needed company and support.
As a rule, these are very healthy cats without any known defects associated with the breed. To protect against diseases, they are annually shown vaccination against influenza and enteritis, as well as against leukemia, if they are kept outdoors.
Ragamuffin Care
Despite the presence of long thick hair, ragamuffin is a cat that is not demanding in grooming. In order to prevent the formation of tangles and the wool not getting tangled, you need to comb it at least once a week, paying special attention to the βpantiesβ on the hind legs. For a good quality coat, a cat must have a varied diet and take vitamins. Especially important for the skeleton is calcium, since the breed has a large skeleton and a lot of weight.