Ragdoll Cat Breed Origins

by Ben Harper

The history of the Ragdoll cat breed is filled with controversy and myths. This cat's origins often contradict itself depending on who tells the story and some of the Ragdoll's story is simply ridiculous. Some of the breed's history is factual, for example we know the breed was founded in California during the 60s. The breed was started by Ann Baker, an eccentric woman that loved her cats. The very first Ragdoll cat belonged to Ann Baker and was named Josephine.

Ragdoll Cat Secrets

Ann Baker recognized a characteristic in Josephine and her kittens that became the defining feature of the breed. Ragdolls simply go limp when you pick them up and hold them. Ann Baker even trademarked the breed name so that anyone that wanted to breed the cats had to pay her a royalty. She founded the first registry for Ragdoll cats but eventually lost control of the breed partially due to her wild claims and erratic behavior.

This characteristic of going limp when held is where Ann Baker's wild stories come from. It all started when her cat Josephine was hit by car. On one account Ann Baker said she rushed Josephine to a nearby University to be treated for the accident. Ann Baker's story goes to to say that Josephine's DNA was altered and this is where the characteristic limpness comes from.

Ann baker made other wild claims, telling people for instance that her cats did not feel pain. She claimed the cats had been altered genetically and their DNA was actually a hybrid of aliens and cats. Look out x-files; alien cat hybrids have been hiding out in California since the 60s. Baker made other wild claims telling people the cats did not have fear and were hypoallergenic. She claimed that Ragdoll cats were the ideal pet for anyone suffering from allergies. When it comes to Ann Baker and the history of her cat breed, the stories she told are stranger than science fiction.

If you'd like more information about ragdoll cats, see Ben Harper's ragdoll cat website.