According to the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) the Ragdoll is the world’s most popular cat breed and has been for the past four years. The Infographic relates to 2020. The infographic is interesting, as well, for the fact that it shows the other most popular breeds. We know that the Maine Coon is popular and it comes third. The Persian and the shorthaired variety of the Persian, the Exotic, remain popular despite their inherited health issues. A surprising entry for me is the Devon Rex but this is a very cute-looking cat.
The Abyssinian has always been popular because it’s such an athletic and beautiful cat. The Scottish Fold has been made popular by celebrities such as Taylor Swift. And the Sphynx has gradually built-up popularity over recent years because of their interesting appearance and their monkey-like behaviour combined with their intelligence.
Why is the Ragdoll cat so popular? It is probably for two reasons: they are one of the most beautiful looking cat breeds and they have a personality which makes them suited to full-time indoor life. The concept of keeping cats indoors all their lives has gained traction over recent years as cat caregivers are more attuned to the welfare of their companion animals and I guess because of an increase in urbanisation, which makes life less suited to allowing your cat to go outside unsupervised.
You probably know that the Ragdoll cat is one of the largest domestic cat breeds, second only to the Maine Coon. They are semi-longhaired and they have beautiful blue eyes. This is a pointed cat. All Ragdolls are pointed by which I mean the extremities are darker than the other parts of the body. Although the pointing is masked by the white spotting gene which creates white fur on the points which overlay the pointing created by the Siamese gene.
The laid-back nature of the Ragdoll makes them more suited to a full-time and alive. This should be a pretty, well-balanced cat. Neutered males weigh in the range 15-20 pounds. Females are smaller and usually weigh between 10-15 pounds when they are adults. They are slow to mature. They reach full coat colour at two years of age and full size and weight at four years of age.
It is said that they are very human-orientated and more so than some other breeds. They are gentle cats and tend to be “floor cats, not jumpers” according to the CFA.
