Ragamuffin: description of the breed of cats, keeping and breeding

If you are looking for a rather rare breed of cats, pay attention to the handsome ragamuffin. He was bred by crossing a ragdoll cat with other thoroughbred animals. A magnificent appearance, amazing, spectacular and thick coat, all kinds of color variations, a pleasant character, love for a man, a gentle character make these representatives of the cat kingdom a man’s favorites.

Since the demand among cat-keepers is growing steadily, an increase in breed population can be expected in the very near future. Every year there are more and more happy owners of ragamuffins.

The ragamuffin cat breed owes its breeding to a very common American cat - ragdoll. They bred it in the middle of the last century, taking as a basis a cat of uncertain origin. It is possible that the genes of this animal were Persian cats, Angora. After the ragdolls were officially recognized and the characteristic features of their breed were bred, a problem arose with the breeders, as the requirements for standards were too strict and high.

In the early 90s, some breeders wanted to separate and create their own association, which set the task of breeding a new animal with an unusual suit, stronger, with strong immunity.

Ragdolls crossed with a variety of thoroughbred and outbred specimens. Among the breeds used were Himalayans, Persians, long-haired individuals without a breed. Thus, a new type of cat was obtained, but the breeders immediately faced another challenge, because the right to breed ragdolls did not belong to them.

We started to create a new name, in the end, an epithet was chosen, which translates as "ragged". In favor of this name, the fact that among the parents there were purebred cats also spoke. One of the variants of the name of the breed was a “cherubim” (cherubim). Many believe that it was more suited to these beautiful and friendly cats.

Ragamuffin is a rather large cat, the length of the coat is average, but the density is simply amazing. The coat is spectacular, has a variety of shades of colors. The standard exterior is represented by the following parameters:

• the body of the cat is proportional, the chest is of a wide type, the shoulder girdle is developed powerfully, the pelvis is strong;
• a small layer of fat is allowed on the stomach;
• weight ranges from 4.5 to 9 kg, depending on gender;
• puberty and the ability to give birth to offspring comes in about 4 years;
• the coat is not too long, to the touch soft, silk, thick;
• around the neck, muzzle, and on the hind legs the coat is longer;
• suits are the most diverse, snow-white is most valued;
• the head has a wedge-shaped shape, rounded in silhouette;
• smooth forehead, chin, small muzzle, not angular, visually expands due to fluffy and mustache;
• eyes are large, wide apart, look very expressive;
• the color of the eyes may be different, but in the case of sepia and minx coat colors, there are restrictions: greens or yellowness in the first version, sea wave in the second;
• the shape of the ears is very neat, ears with a brush, slightly lean forward;
• limb length medium, paw pads large, front paws shorter than hind legs;
• the tail is rich, with luxurious fluffiness, tapering to an end.

This breed is distinguished extreme friendliness and affection for a person, in it there are no such negative character traits as aggressiveness, anger, revenge. These cats can be safely taken to the house with the children, they patiently allow themselves to stroke, squeeze, wear, pick up. You can not be afraid that the cat will release its claws and scratch you in minutes of caresses.

Ragamuffins love people, do not distinguish one member of the family, becoming attached to each of them. Favorite pastime is on a person’s lap or nearby in an armchair, on a sofa. Another characteristic feature of the cat is moderate laziness.

Ragamuffin gets along well with children, you can not be afraid that the cat will get tired of the small owner, and he will harm him. The patience of a cat knows no bounds; she will allow herself to play with her, like with a doll: swaddle, ride in wheelchairs.

If you want to train a representative of this breed, this will be easy. Cats are incredibly smart, sometimes a simple explanation is enough for them - what needs to be done and what cannot be done, so no training is required. These cats are very obedient and flexible.

However, there are a number of problems that the owner of ragamuffin will have to face.

• This breed feels very bad without people, loneliness is contraindicated to it. It is not necessary to sit with the cat at home, but he simply needs a living creature, even if it is a parrot or a guinea pig. You cannot leave them alone in the house with you, they are very homesick.
• In addition, representatives of this breed do not have the instinct of a hunter, so if you hope that he will catch mice, then it is better to opt for other varieties of cats.
• Ragamuffins have a poorly developed sense of security, they are not afraid of danger, so you need to control that the animal does not get into trouble. The maximum that such a cat is capable of is to hide from the one who offends him. It follows that it is impossible to let them out into the street without supervision.

As we already mentioned, according to the standard, the color is not of fundamental importance. Experts say that the most common colors are tabby, bicolor, color point.

Features of colors:

• color point also called black or Siamese, there are tones of chocolate, brown and black;
• tabby - the most clarified shade as a background on which there are spots or bands of contrasting tones;
• bicolor color can be smooth, evenly distributed over the coat, or a speck, but in any case a two-tone type.

White color is extremely rare, and as for the options for the location of the shades, there are a lot of them. The colors of the noses, eyes, pads on the feet also differ. The eye color is striking in variety; as a rule, they have bright colors.

Cats are generally cleanliness, and ragamuffins are no exception, they spend a lot of time cleaning their body. The owner's duty is to carry out those procedures that are not accessible to the cat, as well as to ensure its protection and healthy development.

Hair care is not a very time-consuming undertaking, despite the fact that this breed has quite a lot of hairs. The silky structure of the hair does not allow the hair to gather in lumps. Nonetheless, combing is a standard and regular procedure necessary not only for the animal, but also for its owner. Indeed, during the molting period, the house will be littered with wool, if you do not take care of combing.

As for water procedures, they should not be too frequent, especially if the cat does not go outside. Do not torment the animal by washing more than once a month. Use not only shampoo for cats, but also conditioner for extra long hair. If the cat goes outside, rinse the paws after returning home.

In addition, the eyes, ears, teeth are cleaned on a regular basis, and the latter are cleaned every day, otherwise oral diseases will not be long in coming. Cut your cat’s claws monthly, especially if the kitten has not been accustomed to the claws since the age of the kitten. Walk only with the cat, you cannot leave him alone on the street, with the exception of the courtyard in a private house, from where he cannot escape. Apartment residents can not walk at all.

The owners of purebred cats are constantly debating about how best to feed their little friends: specialized food or ordinary, home-made food. Ragamuffins are quite picky about food, among them there are real gourmets. It should be borne in mind that they are characterized by the deposition of fat in the abdomen, so nutrition should be balanced and well thought out.

Experts recommend feeding animals special dry or other types of food.otherwise, it will be an order of magnitude more difficult to monitor the calorie content of food, and this is fraught with obesity, especially in animals that have undergone castration.

The use of inexpensive feeds can lead to various malfunctions in the work of internal organs, diseases of the kidneys, urinary tract. If you choose ordinary food, then there is a high risk of a deficiency of vitamins and nutrients, which will also adversely affect the health of the pet. In this case, a categorical ban should be imposed on the following products:

• fatty poultry and meat;
• pasta, flour products;
• spicy spicy dishes;
• fried food;
• sweet;
• fish and bird bones;
• raw river fish.

The optimal diet is two-time, you need to teach a kitten to this from childhood. This mode allows the cat to be in shape and not be afraid of being overweight. Be sure to include vitamins, supplements for wool and bones, which are designed specifically for cats, in the diet.

Older cats need a more thorough approach to nutrition, they definitely need supplements that strengthen the skeleton. It will be great if you introduce a special paste into the diet, thanks to which the body will be cleaned of the hair that gets into it. Remember that the introduction of new products can provoke allergies, so do this as gradually as possible.

Most breeding nurseries are located in the United States. Nevertheless, there are breeders in other countries: Canada, Korea, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Austria, Holland. In Russia and the near abroad there are no such breeders. There are Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian nurseries dealing with ragdolls, and there they can also sell ragamuffins. The cost for one kitten is variable, it affects the pedigree, gender, vaccinations. As a rule, the price of one baby is about $ 1,000.

When choosing a baby, refer only to trusted breeders, otherwise you run the risk of acquiring an animal of the wrong breed or sick. When choosing, pay attention to the following points:

• eye color - it should be bright, deep, juicy, the brighter, the more likely the thoroughbred representative;
• rib cage - it should be distinguished by the width, strength and shape of the rectangle, even in the baby;
• hind limbs - the muscles of a healthy cat are well developed, the legs are strong, powerful, compare the shoulders with a width;
• color absolutely all babies are white, only after reaching 3 or 4 months the color begins to change, it becomes the way it always will be, so wait 16 weeks before buying a kitten;
• history of diseases and vaccinations - Very important information that must be obtained before purchase, and this applies not only to the kitten, but also to its parents.

The immunity of cats is quite strong, because in their pedigree there were outbred street individuals. They made the breed stronger and more resistant to infections. So far, not a single disease related to genetics has been identified. Ragamuffins can get sick:

• allergies
• cardiomyopathy;
• gastrointestinal tract disorders;
• polycystic kidney disease;
• periodontal disease;
• obese.

Most of these predispositions are corrected by proper and balanced nutrition, regular brushing. Attention should be paid to vitamin complexes and supplements, as well as anti-parasitic prophylaxis.

Timely vaccination of the animal will avoid a large number of problems in the future, especially with regard to diseases of the viral spectrum. If you carry out competent care for ragamuffin, feed it correctly, then it will be a true friend for a long time - up to 16 years.

The features of the ragamuffin cat breed are shown in the following video.