Its in the Eyes...

When my boyfriend and I first adopted our cat and we told people about her it became clear pretty quickly that a lot of people hadn’t heard of Ragdolls or that there were purebred cats in general. Gypsy is such a major part of my life and will often be included in my blog posts. This being the case I think that I should properly introduce her and provide a little info about her breed.

I am a major supporter of adopting from shelters and spaying and neutering it saves lives. I have never paid for a pet, besides hamsters and fish that is! And our Ragdoll cat is no exception. I have the upmost respect for her previous owner and we are friends on facebook and she frequently likes and comments on posts I make about Gypsy.

So how did this cat come to be my baby? Well one day on the way back from class I get a text from my mother accompanying the text “Should I get this cat?” Was a beautiful fluffy kitty asleep on an ottoman. It was love at first sight!

It turns out that Gypsy belonged to the sister of a lady that my mom worked with. She had two pets, Gypsy who was 2 at the time and a senior dog. She had recently moved and her dog did not take the move well. He started harassing Gypsy. She recognized that this was an unhealthy situation and unfair to both of the pets she loved. She knew that it would be unfair to rehome the dog that she had had since he was a pup and it is harder to rehome older pets. She had apparently been discussing this with her sister, who my mother worked with and my mom’s coworker said ‘I know an animal lover who might take her.” Well that’s how I found out about Gypsy.

What are the breed Stereotypes?

- Floppy. Hence the nickname floppy cats. When they are picked up they have the tendency to go limp.

- They are smart.

- Very docile to the point where it has the potential to put the cat in danger. This personality trait lead to the myth that they don’t feel pain. They do trust me, I’ve shocked my baby too many times via static electricity to think other wise.

- Relaxed

- Lap cat

- “puppy cat” meaning they display many of the traits one would expect to find in a dog.

- They are one of the largest cat breeds. Females can weigh up to 15 lbs and males up to 20 lbs.

- Ragdolls need company so it is best to have 2.

Appearance

Traditional Ragdolls are color pointed cats and this gene is what is responsible for the blue eyes. Mink colored Ragdolls are not color pointed and these cats tend to have “Aqua” eyes that range from blue green to gray but they can have blue eyes. These are long haired cats. Their fur is fantastically soft and silky. They don’t have under coats this is supposed to help with matting and shedding. Well I’ve never had issues with matting but my girl does shed especially if I have neglected brushing her for a couple of weeks. She doesn’t like to be brushed and she only tolerates it as long as she does because she knows she gets a treat.

There are also myths about these cats being ‘hypo allergenic’. Both my boyfriend and I have a history of allergenic reactions (sneezing, itchy watery eyes and itchy bumps where scratched) around certain cats, but neither of us have sneezed a sneeze that we could attribute to her. There are two things what people are usually allergic to when it comes to cats. A. Dander and B. Saliva. Since Ragdolls lack the undercoat, which is what dander allergies are attributed, many people with dander allergies only may be okay. As for saliva you may have a reaction when bitten but don’t forget how cats clean themselves so take that for what its worth. Kittens are typically born white and their color begins to develop over time even for as long as 3 years and that’s about the age they also stop growing.

If you are interested in checking out the many color patterns for these cats check out floppycats.com . I am in no way affiliated with her but her site has the best information about these cats.

How Does Gypsy Compare to the Breed Stereotypes?

- She’s too smart for her own damn good. She IS the sharpest tool in the shed. Her problem solving skills are amazing. She likes my hair ties, which are a major no-no and bad for kitties. But I will sometimes drop one or leave it somewhere where she can see it. She will wait until I’m not paying attention to grab it. And when I get it away from her she watches me to see where I put it and then she goes back late and tires to get it!

- She is pretty docile she wouldn’t fight back when the dog would chase her.

- She’s not really a lap cat. It was only very recently she decided that she wanted to sit on my thigh as I like to sit side saddlesish on the couch. She has never tried to sit on my boyfriends lap. But she wants us always in her sight. She will sit on the back of the couch or on an unoccupied cushion when my boyfriend and I are both on the couch. She also likes to sit on the arm of the couch but only next to him. She does love to sleep with us.

- She is most definitely a “puppy cat” she follows me around. She is very playful. She plays fetch and its adorable!

- She is on the smaller side of average about 13lbs.

- Her fur is not as long as the breed grand champions.

- Her daddy (sire) was a mink Ragdoll and her eyes are not the stereotypical blue. They are gray and they match her coat.

- She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. I’ve know cats to be angry and spiteful when their people come home from a trip, with her shes just happy were home. To prove her gentleness, one evening she trotted proudly into the living room I could tell she had something in her mouth. And I watched as she lowered her mouth to the floor and out fell a daddy long legs completely uninjured. She backed up a couple steps laid her fluffy curious head on the floor and ever so gently booped him. I rescued him and set him free, I was just so surprised by her tenderness.

- Does she need another cat for a companion? I don’t think she does. There is no doubt that she misses us when were gone but she has never displayed signs that she is in major distress while where gone. And besides she is so stinking spoiled I think she would be broken hearted and very jealous if we brought home a kitty sibling.

Want to know more about Ragdolls? Feel free to comment and ask! Want to know more about my baby girl? I'd love to talk your leg off about her. Just ask! Oh and be sure to follow Gypsy on Instagram at Gypsy_the_Ragdoll

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