The Ragdoll was ‘created’ in the 1960s and somewhat by chance the breed has become a premier cat breed for the 21st century. If you buy a purebred Ragdoll from a breeder she or she may insist that you keep your cat inside the home at all times or inside the home in combination with a full garden enclosure. The reason is well-known.
The Ragdoll is one of those rare cat breeds which have been bred for character and appearance but where character is almost the primary goal. And the character of this cat is ideal for modern 21st century living which is increasingly urbanised. As human population sizes grow there is greater urbanisation. This is more relevant to densely populated areas and countries such as the South East of England. But even wide open, big skied America, has increased urbanisation.
There is also a gentle trend towards keeping cats indoors in part too because of environmental reasons. There are countless articles on the internet about cat predation on native species of rare birds. The environment damage of domestic cats is probably exaggerated but all responsible cat owners don’t want an ongoing war with ornithologists. We need a solution and the Ragdoll might provide it.
If the breeder from whom you are purchasing strongly recommends that you keep your cat inside for the cat’s benefit it removes any guilt you might have about doing this! And Brits would have this guilt. Many Americans are more in tune with the concept of full-time indoor cats.
Even the breed standard for the Ragdoll refers to the cat’s character: “GENERAL: the Ragdoll is a very laid back cat…” This cat is said to be too laid back to be suited to defending herself; hence the indoor cat label.
I enquired about adopting a Ragdoll and the breeder said to keep the cat inside. I have an ideal setup: a garden enclosure providing safe outside space. It would be perfect for a Raggie.
If you are one of those people who find it unthinkable to keep cats inside but are concerned about safety, consider a Ragdoll. There is only one downside to Ragdolls, which I find unfortunate and that is like most cat breeds there are some inherited disease concerns but no more than normal. You can read about one of these on this page . I am not earning commission from Ragdoll breeders by the way 🙂
I just wanted to supplement a statement you made about more people keeping cats indoors. It’s now a growing trend for those of us that made that decision to work toward providing safe outdoor enclosures for those pampered pets. The ideas for safe and very economical catios is a growing business. DYI projects are out there for under a few hundred dollars.