Ragamuffin
The Ragamuffin cat is a distinct breed established in 1994, known for its heavy-boned body, plush coat, and ability to display any color or pattern.
The Ragamuffin cat is a distinct breed established in 1994, known for its heavy-boned body, plush coat, and ability to display any color or pattern. While it shares a history with the Ragdoll, the two diverged because breeders wanted to maintain the Ragdoll's gentle nature while removing the strict requirement for point coloration.
The physical standard defines the breed
Ragamuffins are classified as having heavy bones and a substantial body type that appears rectangular with a broad chest and shoulders. The head is a broad, modified wedge with a moderately rounded forehead, a short or medium-short muzzle, and an obvious nose dip. Their whisker pads are notably puffy, and the body should show moderately heavy muscling in the hindquarters, which are as broad as the shoulders. A tendency toward a fatty pad in the lower abdomen is expected and considered a correct trait for the breed.
The coat texture is soft, dense, and silky, with slightly longer fur around the neck and outer edges of the face creating a ruff. Unlike the Ragdoll, which requires specific point coloration, the Ragamuffin allows for every color and pattern, including solid, stripes, spots, or patches of white, black, blue, red, cream, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, seal brown, or mixed colors. Their eyes can be any solid color, and some individuals exhibit heterochromia.
History and the split from the Ragdoll
The breed originated from the Ragdoll breed in the 1960s, developed by Ann Baker in California. Baker initially trademarked the name "Ragdoll" and "Cherubim" and established the International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA) in 1975, imposing stringent standards that prevented her cats from being registered with other breed associations. The foundation cats for the Ragamuffin were the IRCA Cherubim Cats, which were developed from 1971 to 1994 and included lines such as the Miracle Ragdolls, Ragdolls, Honey Bears, and Maxamillion.
In 1994, a group of IRCA breeders left due to increasing restrictions and the inability to register with outside organizations. Because Baker held the trademark on "Ragdoll" and "Cherubim," the group renamed their stock Ragamuffins, a name proposed by founder Curt Gehm. The first cat association to accept the breed at full show champion status was the United Feline Organization (UFO), followed quickly by the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA). The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) accepted the breed into the Miscellaneous class in February 2003 and advanced it to Championship class in February 2011.
Genetic health and breeding freedom
The primary motivation for creating the Ragamuffin was to improve the breed's genetic health and temperament by allowing more breeding freedom than the original Ragdoll program permitted. To achieve this, the breeders selectively allowed a limited amount of outcrossing to Domestic Longhair cats that fit the Standard of Perfection established in the ACFA. Later, outcrosses included Persians and, initially, IRCA Ragdolls, though the latter was ended for ACFA-recognized Ragamuffins in 2010.
Currently, acceptable outcrosses for registration include the Siberian (ACFA), Long Haired Selkirk Rex (CFA), and British Longhair (GCCF). To be considered an Authentic Ragamuffin, a cat must have at least one Ragamuffin parent and an accepted outcross, as recognized by the ACFA, CFA, and GCCF. This genetic diversity was intended to reduce health issues while preserving the breed's characteristic "sweet" expression, which features large, rounded, walnut-shaped eyes with a pinch at the corner, distinct from the thinner, almond-shaped eyes of the Ragdoll.
How it differs from the Ragdoll
The most obvious distinction between the two breeds is the coat pattern; Ragdolls require point coloration, whereas Ragamuffins can be any color or pattern. While Ragdoll coats can be silky or plush, Ragamuffin coats are required to be plush in texture. The facial structure also differs, with Ragamuffins having rounded contours between the ears and a nose scoop, compared to the Ragdoll's flat planes. The topline of a Ragamuffin is flatter, while the Ragdoll has a more angular topline with a raised hind quarter.
Ragamuffin kittens are usually born white and develop their specific color patterns as they mature. This developmental trait, combined with their heavy bone structure and friendly personality, creates a cat that brings charm and love to households worldwide, distinct from its cousin the Ragdoll.