Ragamuffin

Other names: Cherub

Ragamuffin is the closest relative of the ragdoll, successfully combining the genes of outbred cats and Persians. The breed is relatively young and has been taking part in exhibitions since 1994.

Characteristics of Ragamuffin

Basic moments

• Ragamuffin is translated from English as “ragamuffin”. It is believed that the animals got this name because of their ancestors – outbred cats, which were crossed with ragdolls.
• The physical development of representatives of this breed ends by 4-4.5 years.
• Ragamuffins, like Maine Coons, are heavyweight cats that can overcome the bar of 9-10 kg.
• The breed is non-confrontational and has fantastic patience with children and pets.
• The main problem with ragamuffins is their tendency to become obese. With an incorrect diet, representatives of this family quickly turn into plus-size cats.
• Ragamuffins are pampered and comfort-dependent creatures. They are alien to such truly feline qualities as arrogance, independence, the ability to stand up for their own interests.
• The breed has an extensive palette of colors, but not all of them are equally common. For example, white ragamuffins are quite rare.
• Kittens and adults are not adapted to prolonged loneliness, so leaving a pet in an empty house is cruel and unsafe for his psyche.
• Due to their unusually soft nature, American breeders call ragamuffins sweetmuffins (from the English sweet – sweet, muffin – cake) and Teddy bears in cat form.
• It is quite difficult to find a purebred ragamuffin in Russia due to the impressive price tag and the difficulties associated with importing animals.

Ragamuffin won’t catch your mouse and cheer you up with standard cat feats. This well-fed good man has a different mission – a permanent contemplation of the surrounding reality, occasionally interrupted by games with a ball or a clockwork rodent. Figuratively speaking, ragamuffin is a sofa hippie, radiating a calm positive, saying goodbye to predatory instincts and thoroughly saturated with love for its owner. Accordingly, if such a cat lives in your house, most likely, you also consider watching a blockbuster with a “fluffy heating pad” at your side as the best relaxation after a busy day.

History of the Ragamuffin Breed

The prerequisite for the appearance of the breed was the scandal between the American breeder Ann Baker and a group of felinologists who did not share the rights to breed ragdoll cats . The essence of the problem was that Mrs. Baker, who declared herself as the creator of a new breed, went too far with total control. Being the first to register the rights to the Ragdoll trademark, the woman set a bunch of restrictions for other breeders. In particular, the owners of fluffy purrs were strictly forbidden to show independence in breeding matters, as well as register their litters in any felinological systems, except for IRCA.

In 1994, a split occurred among the “ragdoll lovers”. A group of breeders, tired of the pressure of the ubiquitous Ann Baker, decided to leave the IRCA. But since in this situation the rebels lost the right to call their pets ragdolls , the cats came up with an alternative name. This is how the unrecognized feline branch appeared – the ragduffin, whose representatives were later renamed ragamuffins. Moreover, the owners of the purr did not stop at changing the name. Within the shortest time, a large-scale work was carried out to update the breed, during which ex-Ragdolls were crossed with Himalayans, Persians and outbred cats. The offspring obtained from such “marriages” became the first true ragamuffins.

Important: the path to recognition for the breed is still ongoing, despite the fact that the UFO, CFA and ACFA considered the ragamuffins worthy of the right to independence and a standard separate from the ragdolls .

Appearance of the ragamuffin

Despite the presence of genes of Persian muroks and street cats, the guise of ragamuffins almost does not differ from ragdolls . In particular, the standard characterizes them as heavy, bony pets with an accentuated tender look and rabbit hair. “Girls” – ragamuffins are always smaller than “boys”, but they are also far from ballerinas. The average weight of an adult cat is 5-7.5 kg, a cat – from 5 to 10 kg. Another feature of the breed is an increased amount of fat in the abdomen, which gives the purr’s body a pleasant softness and roundness.

Ragamuffin Head

Wedge-shaped wide heads of ragamuffins are distinguished by soft, slightly convex contours. The cat’s muzzle is short, oval, with a small but strong chin, which becomes more massive as the animal grows older. The vibrissa pads of representatives of this breed are voluminous, the cheeks are well filled, slightly puffy. The transition from the forehead to the muzzle is accompanied by a noticeable deflection, clearly visible in profile.

Neck

Ragamuffins are cats with short, strong necks that become thicker and more muscular with age. This feature is more pronounced in cats than in cats.

Ears

Representatives of this breed have small, proportional ears, set at a slight forward inclination. The ear cloth itself is moderately pubescent and slightly expanded in the lower part.

Eyes

The large, wide-set eyes of the ragamuffins should have an intense iris color. In this case, eyes of all shades are acceptable, including heterochromia. An exception to the rule are individuals of mink and sepia colors. The iris of such cats should be blue (mink) or vary from yellow to golden and green (sepia). The look is naive, benevolent, open.

Frame

The body of the ragamuffin is compact, of medium size, with a well-palpable fat layer in the lower abdomen. In general, the animal should give the impression of a well-fed creature (no protruding ribs or spine). The chest of the cat should be rounded and wide, the line of the back should be even along the entire length.

limbs

The legs of the ragamuffins are strong, with heavy bones and large rounded paws, between the toes of which tufts of soft wool stick out. The hind legs are usually longer than the front ones, but this does not affect the overall harmony of the appearance.

Ragamuffin Tail

Medium thickness, thinner and more elegant at the tip. In the correct ragamuffin, the tail is covered with light, airy hair, making it look like a plume.

Wool

All ragamuffins have a medium or medium-long coat. Usually the hair around the neck and along the contour of the muzzle is longer, which is why the head of the animal looks larger than it actually is. On the crown, shoulder blades and back, the hair is also quite long; on the sides and stomach – a little shorter. The texture of the coat is dense, but silky and soft (the so-called rabbit hair).

Color

Theoretically, the coat color of the ragamuffin can be any, but, for example, CFA specialists always reject color-pointed individuals, preferring tabbies and bicolor purrs. Otherwise, there are no strict selection criteria for the type of color for representatives of this breed. In particular, cats are allowed to have white spots and medallions on their chest, belly and back, and their size and number do not play a significant role. As for the skin on the paw pads and nose, there are no requirements for it. Pink, two- or three-color – any type of color is acceptable for these areas.

Disqualifying vices

Excessively sickly-looking cats with the following developmental disabilities are not allowed to participate in exhibitions and breeding:

• strabismus;
• polydactyly;
• defective shape and position of the tail;
• short hair;
• color-point color.

Character of ragamuffin

Ragamuffin is a fluffy heavyweight with an unusually light character. Suspicion, the desire for independence, pride bordering on narcissism – all this is completely not about him. A real ragamuffin is an impossibly kind and affectionate creature, whose favorite pastime is to perch on the owner’s arms and hang from them with a limp carcass, simulating an accidental fainting.

In general, the breed can be called decorative: these well-fed cats really appreciate home comfort and get lost in the conditions of the street, often being confused. They will not slap a presumptuous puppy with their paw and will not fend for themselves in a cat showdown, so a lost animal has no chance of survival. The world of a cat is a home where a gentle owner and a bowl of treats await her. Everything that is outside of it is unnecessary excesses, without which the animal can easily do.

Ragamuffins are boundlessly trusting and never compete for spheres of influence with their own kind. These phlegmatic children also agree to suffer, unless, of course, they are going to torture the animal. Good-natured purrs are even ready to act as living dolls, driving around in toy trucks and flaunting with pleasure those things that the baby puts on them.

By the way, despite the fact that ragamuffins have never been hyperactive pets, they are also not considered complete lazy ones. If the fluffy does not have a favorite toy or something similar in sight, he will come up with another entertainment for himself. For example, he will begin to rush around the apartment, fleeing from an imaginary enemy, or enter into a duel with curtains.

Ragamuffin – Video

Education and training

Ragamuffin is a balanced and slightly vulnerable cat. Keep this in mind when you start learning. Otherwise, a special approach to the members of this small clan is not required. Ragdoll’s cousin is extremely intelligent and has a good attitude to study. He can easily arouse interest in simple acrobatic stunts, as well as develop the habit of responding to a nickname. With the operation of the tray, there are no difficulties either. These are not those stubborn people who need to be explained for a month how to use the toilet, and who, out of harm, will try to leave odorous puddles where they like it best.

However, relying on the innate intelligence of the ragamuffins would be too presumptuous. In childhood, these imposing comrades play pranks no worse than the average snow leopard or murzik, except that they move a little slower. Immediately stop the creeps of the crumbs to annoying pranks like scratching the wallpaper, digging in the trash can and swinging on the curtains. Yes, in the performance of a tiny bully, such fun looks funny, but imagine what housing will turn into when, four years later, an eight-kilogram carcass will show the same numbers.

If the cunning bespredelnik began to climb on the shelves of the cabinet or the kitchen table, remove it from the impromptu observation platforms, along the way making the suggestion in a strict tone (do not shout). Please note that the mustachioed fat man jumps and lands extremely clumsily, which leads to injuries. Most effectively, obedience is brought up by standard prohibitive commands (“No!”). If you regularly use a short sharp ban, the animal will have no choice but to learn to listen. An alternative to classical methods can also be a clicker, which Western specialists love to use so much.

Maintenance and care

Despite the reputation of a phlegmatic, if not lazy creature, the curiosity of the ragamuffin does not hold. So if a heavyweight cat has appeared in your apartment, it is wiser to hide away cosmetics, household chemicals and garbage bags that she will try to taste. Be careful with houseplants and store-bought bouquets – most are poisonous to the furry explorer. Of course, no one is calling for a complete abandonment of crop production. Just try to place pots and vases in places where the ragamuffin can’t reach them – this “American” is not particularly jumpy. Purrs and various threads (knitting yarn, floss threads) should not fall into the field of view. It is not yet clear what ragamuffins see in them so attractive, but cats eat textile fibers with great appetite.

When arranging a corner for a pet, do not forget that beds and houses for such corpulent fluffies are selected in the appropriate dimensions. As for toys, the ragamuffin considers the owner to be his favorite. If you are not ready to constantly amuse and carry a seven-kilogram gamer in your arms, buy him a clockwork mouse, a teaser or a couple of balls – let him entertain himself.

Good to know: Ragamuffins reach psychological and physiological maturity by the age of 4, but it is recommended to castrate and sterilize them already at the age of one.

The street for decorative image ragamuffins is full of surprises. Moreover, in extreme situations that arise outside the home, the animal is stewed and is not able to adequately assess the threat directed at it. Of course, a cat can be taken out to breathe, but on a harness and only in quiet places where a stray dog ​​or an uncastrated neighbor’s cat, which is at the peak of marital euphoria, will not be brought.

Ragamuffin Hygiene

It seems that a cat with such a fluffy fur coat is certainly sofas strewn with wool, “dreadlocks” made of tangles and a bunch of additional troubles, including allergies. In fact, everything is not so gloomy. Ragamuffins do not have a full undercoat, and they shed moderately. In addition, their airy “cloak” does not fall off, so that your friend does not lose photogenic, it is enough to comb his hair once a week.

It is better to wash these funny fat men less frequently (every 4-6 months), and the choice of shampoo should be approached with great scrupulousness. Give preference to products with soft, gentle surfactants that will not have a negative effect on the hair and will not provoke overdrying of the skin. Of the other hygiene procedures for ragamuffins, brushing your teeth (once every 7 days), cutting your nails and rubbing your eyes with ophthalmic lotions or chamomile infusion (daily) are mandatory.

Feeding

Ragamuffins are food eaters. Hence the inevitable weight gain and the gradual transformation of a cozy cat into a heavy fat lump. To prevent this from happening, breeders recommend switching to dry food designed for individuals with reduced motor activity and a slow metabolism. By the way, it is more expedient to give preference to grain-free varieties, which do not include wheat, soybeans and corn. The cat should also be provided with a bowl of filtered water, as tap water provokes salt deposits in ragamuffins.

Important: due to perfectionism in matters of cleanliness, ragamuffin often clogs the intestines with hair swallowed during licking its own body. To speed up the exit of hairballs from the body, veterinarians advise feeding a long-haired cleaner with pumpkin porridge or mashed potatoes.

With a natural diet, everything is more complicated, since it must be chosen in such a way that the food does not work as a “fat-fat” food. Yes, ragamuffins absorb the same foods as any domestic mousers, but the portion size is reduced by systematically carrying out control weighing. Some professional breeders (for example, Chester County from Pennsylvania) promote menus based on wet canned food, the calorie content of which, compared to industrial “drying”, is several times lower.

Health and disease of ragamuffins

Ragamuffins are healthy cats with strong immunity. If we talk about genetically determined ailments, then the breed has only two of them: polycystic kidney disease (inherited from the Persians) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In the first case, the process is irreversible, and all that can be done with early diagnosis is to slow down its course. With HCMT, the walls of the ventricles thicken, resulting in heart failure. It is also impossible to completely overcome cardiomyopathy, but with well-designed drug treatment, there are chances to extend the life of a pet.

How to choose a Ragamuffin kitten

• Trust only catteries registered with ACFA and CFA.
• Find out if litters have been tested for hereditary diseases, including FLV (leukemia virus).
• Play hugging with young mustaches. If, instead of going limp in your arms, the kitten breaks out and tries to escape, this is definitely not a ragamuffin.
• Ragamuffin kittens are born white, changing color as they grow up, so if the seller shows snow-white newborn “cupcakes” in the photo, this does not mean that they are going to deceive you.
• The purebred American Ragamuffin has a long tail. A pronounced bobtail is a sign that you have a little impostor in front of you.

Price of ragamuffin

Here, ragamuffins are still exclusive, and one that not everyone knows about. And if the same ragdoll can still be found in the expanses of the post-Soviet space, then its relative will have to be hunted outside the CIS. As for prices, a ragamuffin from the USA will cost an average of 800 to 1200. However, all these are approximate calculations, to which, one way or another, you will have to add the costs of the flight and the reseller’s commission (when a third party is involved in the import of the “goods”).