From the tip of their nose to the end of their tail, the RagaMuffin embodies the perfect feline
companion. A RagaMuffin is a feast for the eyes but the most important part of the breed is an
experience of the heart. With one look into their large expressive eyes and sweet cherubic face, the
RagaMuffin will steal your heart. Just like the best things in life... One is never enough!
RagaMuffins grow to be one of the largest cats in the cat fancy with an easy-to-care-for medium to
medium-long, full coat that resists matting. It has soft rabbit-like texture. The fur tends to grow
straight out from the body, enabling you to rub against the grain, which they love for you to do.
RagaMuffins can be found in nearly every color of the kitty rainbow both with and without white and
in every conceivable pattern. They view the world through eyes of nearly every color and hue; from
the deepest copper to the awesome aqua of the mink.
They enjoy having their tummies rubbed and will often lay on their backs in invitation. These
huggable, lovable felines have the ability to go limp in your arms. Maturity is reached between four
and five years of age, and the RagaMuffin remains playful throughout their adult life.
Personality: The most captivating aspect of the RagaMuffin is their sweet, lovable personality. That
personality is what makes the RagaMuffin so unique. They have the ability to win over any person
when they turn on their charm. They are endearing animals that seek out love and attention. They
make wonderful therapy cats as well as cherished family pets. They tend to bond with their owners
quickly. Most of them will develop traits associated with puppies such as following their family
members around the house and waiting at the door to greet them. RagaMuffins are very intelligent,
easily taught to walk on a leash and may be taught to do tricks suck as fetching, rolling over, and
sitting up to beg, etc. They get along well with children, dogs, and other cats.
companion. A RagaMuffin is a feast for the eyes but the most important part of the breed is an
experience of the heart. With one look into their large expressive eyes and sweet cherubic face, the
RagaMuffin will steal your heart. Just like the best things in life... One is never enough!
RagaMuffins grow to be one of the largest cats in the cat fancy with an easy-to-care-for medium to
medium-long, full coat that resists matting. It has soft rabbit-like texture. The fur tends to grow
straight out from the body, enabling you to rub against the grain, which they love for you to do.
RagaMuffins can be found in nearly every color of the kitty rainbow both with and without white and
in every conceivable pattern. They view the world through eyes of nearly every color and hue; from
the deepest copper to the awesome aqua of the mink.
They enjoy having their tummies rubbed and will often lay on their backs in invitation. These
huggable, lovable felines have the ability to go limp in your arms. Maturity is reached between four
and five years of age, and the RagaMuffin remains playful throughout their adult life.
Personality: The most captivating aspect of the RagaMuffin is their sweet, lovable personality. That
personality is what makes the RagaMuffin so unique. They have the ability to win over any person
when they turn on their charm. They are endearing animals that seek out love and attention. They
make wonderful therapy cats as well as cherished family pets. They tend to bond with their owners
quickly. Most of them will develop traits associated with puppies such as following their family
members around the house and waiting at the door to greet them. RagaMuffins are very intelligent,
easily taught to walk on a leash and may be taught to do tricks suck as fetching, rolling over, and
sitting up to beg, etc. They get along well with children, dogs, and other cats.
The story of the RagaMuffin begins with an accident. During the 1960's, Ann Baker, A Persian
breeder, developed a friendship with a neighbor who fed and care for a colony of feral cats. A car
struck one of these cats, named Josephine, who had previously given birth to wild kittens. After
Josephine returned to health, she delivered a litter of kittens that impressed people with their
sweetness and sociability. Although any difference in temperament could be explained by natural
variation of having different fathers, a highly unscientific theory, that the accident somehow
accounted for the kittens docile nature persists to this day.
Baker gathered as many of Josephine's kittens as possible and began breeding to preserve the
wonderful personality of these cats that went as limp as a rag doll when cuddles. She gave the cats
the angelic name Cherubim.
The most well-known of Josephine's random-bred offspring were Buckwheat, a black shorthair
female who resembled a Burmese, and Daddy Warbucks, a male with Birman-like points (dark face,
ears, tail, and legs) and mitts (white paws). Many of the Cherubim had points and mitts, but others
came in a rainbow of solid colors and bi-color variations. Baker called these non-pointed and
non-mitted cats Miracle Ragdolls.
Determined to direct the progress of her Cherubim cats, Baker developed strict rules for anyone
wishing to breed them. She alone knew the ancestry of each cat and made all breeding decisions. In
1967, a group split away from Baker's control, taking their cats to mainstream registries to show
and make their own breeding choices. They chose to call their cats Ragdolls and to breed only
pointed cats in three patterns.
Bitter over this defection, Baker tool steps to exert greater control over the development of "her"
breed. She set up her own registry, the International Ragdoll Cat Association, and required all her
breeders to register only with her. Baker patented the name Ragdoll for use only with cats of her
breeding and registry. Catteries were franchised and paid royalties for each kitten sold. For more
than 20 years, Baker's program continued, with Cherubim breeders relatively content to enjoy
raising the kittens while allowing Baker to make marketing and breeding decisions.
Eventually, even her loyal group developed misgivings about Baker, who struggled to keep a healthy
cattery while handling the responsibilities of the registry. Her stories about the breed's origin grew
increasingly strange, linking them to extraterrestrials and human-gene-implantation experiments.
By 1993 a group of breeders including Janet Klarmann, Curt Gehm and Kim Clark persuaded Baker
to retire and planned to take over management of the association. After a few months, however,
Baker refused to relinquish control. Regretfully, the group voted to leave IRCA and seek recognition
with established registries.
Since their cats included all colors and patterns and they signed contracts not to use the Ragdoll
name, the first crisis focused on what to call the cats, in the process of submitting a standard to
American Cat Fanciers' Association. Klarmann credits Curt Gehm of Liebling Cats in Virginia with
the choice of "RagaMuffin" because they came from the endearing little urchin cats of Riverside.
The M is capitalized "because they're big huggable, loveable Muffins," says Klarmann, who operates
Encore Cattery in Florida.
The new name stuck and in May 2001 the cats gained championship recognition. The American
Association of Cat Enthusiasts, United Feline Organization and Cat Fanciers' Federation also
recognize the breed.
breeder, developed a friendship with a neighbor who fed and care for a colony of feral cats. A car
struck one of these cats, named Josephine, who had previously given birth to wild kittens. After
Josephine returned to health, she delivered a litter of kittens that impressed people with their
sweetness and sociability. Although any difference in temperament could be explained by natural
variation of having different fathers, a highly unscientific theory, that the accident somehow
accounted for the kittens docile nature persists to this day.
Baker gathered as many of Josephine's kittens as possible and began breeding to preserve the
wonderful personality of these cats that went as limp as a rag doll when cuddles. She gave the cats
the angelic name Cherubim.
The most well-known of Josephine's random-bred offspring were Buckwheat, a black shorthair
female who resembled a Burmese, and Daddy Warbucks, a male with Birman-like points (dark face,
ears, tail, and legs) and mitts (white paws). Many of the Cherubim had points and mitts, but others
came in a rainbow of solid colors and bi-color variations. Baker called these non-pointed and
non-mitted cats Miracle Ragdolls.
Determined to direct the progress of her Cherubim cats, Baker developed strict rules for anyone
wishing to breed them. She alone knew the ancestry of each cat and made all breeding decisions. In
1967, a group split away from Baker's control, taking their cats to mainstream registries to show
and make their own breeding choices. They chose to call their cats Ragdolls and to breed only
pointed cats in three patterns.
Bitter over this defection, Baker tool steps to exert greater control over the development of "her"
breed. She set up her own registry, the International Ragdoll Cat Association, and required all her
breeders to register only with her. Baker patented the name Ragdoll for use only with cats of her
breeding and registry. Catteries were franchised and paid royalties for each kitten sold. For more
than 20 years, Baker's program continued, with Cherubim breeders relatively content to enjoy
raising the kittens while allowing Baker to make marketing and breeding decisions.
Eventually, even her loyal group developed misgivings about Baker, who struggled to keep a healthy
cattery while handling the responsibilities of the registry. Her stories about the breed's origin grew
increasingly strange, linking them to extraterrestrials and human-gene-implantation experiments.
By 1993 a group of breeders including Janet Klarmann, Curt Gehm and Kim Clark persuaded Baker
to retire and planned to take over management of the association. After a few months, however,
Baker refused to relinquish control. Regretfully, the group voted to leave IRCA and seek recognition
with established registries.
Since their cats included all colors and patterns and they signed contracts not to use the Ragdoll
name, the first crisis focused on what to call the cats, in the process of submitting a standard to
American Cat Fanciers' Association. Klarmann credits Curt Gehm of Liebling Cats in Virginia with
the choice of "RagaMuffin" because they came from the endearing little urchin cats of Riverside.
The M is capitalized "because they're big huggable, loveable Muffins," says Klarmann, who operates
Encore Cattery in Florida.
The new name stuck and in May 2001 the cats gained championship recognition. The American
Association of Cat Enthusiasts, United Feline Organization and Cat Fanciers' Federation also
recognize the breed.
 | Slight cranial doming and rounded skull between the ears (Ragdoll calls for flat plane between | |
| the ears). | ||
| Ears tipped forward as if listening (Ragdoll ears are flared and to the side). | |
| Large walnut shaped eyes (Ragdoll calls for almond shaped eyes) | |
| Recognized in all colors and patterns. (Ragdolls are accepted in 4 colors and 3 patterns). | |
| Concavity to the nose, giving the impression of a scoop (Ragdoll calls for slope). | |
| Coat medium to medium-long. Their coats tend to be a little shorter, thicker, and very plush, | |
| like that of a rabbit. (Ragdoll breeds for moderately long coat, very silky and fine, almost like that of a guinea pig). | ||
| RagaMuffins have an overall balance to their bodies, just as wide in front as in back, but can | |
| have a little wider chest. (Ragdolls call for a wider hind quarters than their front). | ||
| RagaMuffins have chubbier, cherub face where Ragdolls have a longer more sophisticated look | |
| to their faces. RagaMuffins want a round look to their heads where Ragdolls call for a modified wedge with a longer muzzle than the RagaMuffins. |
 |
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| History (taken from Cat Fancy Magazine, written by Carolyn Osier) |
|
From the beginning, RagaMuffin breeders have faced the challenge of gaining acceptance for their
cats as a distinct breed, despite their common origins with Ragdolls. The patterns that form so
important a part of the Ragdoll standard receive little emphasis from RagaMuffin breeders. They
accept every color and pattern, with or without white. But the differences go deeper than that.
The RagaMuffin has a distinct head shape. Rather than having a flat plane between the ears, the
skull has a slight dome. The RagaMuffin has a shorter nose than the Ragdoll, and walnut-shaped
eyes rather than oval. While the Ragdoll profile exhibits a gentle curve with the final segment
straight, the RagaMuffin standard requires an obvious nose dip or scoop. RagaMuffin breeders aim
to produce a rounded, more heavily boned cat and have used Persians, Himalayans, Ragdolls and
unregistered domestic longhairs to broaden the gene pool. Currently only registered cats may be
used, and breeding to Ragdolls will cease as of 2010.
Kim Clark, owner of Ultimate Rags cattery in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., echoes the words of other
breeders when she describes the RagaMuffin's coat as texturally similar to a rabbit's coat, shorter
and thicker than the Ragdoll's medium-long, silky coat.
When asked about the cats' personality, Klarmann, the ACFA and AACE breed committee
chairperson, says, "That's the best part," using words like "wonderful" and "perfect" to describe her
favorite breed. Melody, her first Cherubim, impressed her with an unhesitating sociability though
she was cage-raised.
"Their ideal family would probably include children," says longtime breeder Gehm. "This is the
kind of pet that children will remember for the rest of their lives."
Breed profile editor Carolyn Osier, a Cat Fanciers' Association allbreed judge, has bred cats under
the Wil-o-glen cattery name wince 1970.
cats as a distinct breed, despite their common origins with Ragdolls. The patterns that form so
important a part of the Ragdoll standard receive little emphasis from RagaMuffin breeders. They
accept every color and pattern, with or without white. But the differences go deeper than that.
The RagaMuffin has a distinct head shape. Rather than having a flat plane between the ears, the
skull has a slight dome. The RagaMuffin has a shorter nose than the Ragdoll, and walnut-shaped
eyes rather than oval. While the Ragdoll profile exhibits a gentle curve with the final segment
straight, the RagaMuffin standard requires an obvious nose dip or scoop. RagaMuffin breeders aim
to produce a rounded, more heavily boned cat and have used Persians, Himalayans, Ragdolls and
unregistered domestic longhairs to broaden the gene pool. Currently only registered cats may be
used, and breeding to Ragdolls will cease as of 2010.
Kim Clark, owner of Ultimate Rags cattery in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., echoes the words of other
breeders when she describes the RagaMuffin's coat as texturally similar to a rabbit's coat, shorter
and thicker than the Ragdoll's medium-long, silky coat.
When asked about the cats' personality, Klarmann, the ACFA and AACE breed committee
chairperson, says, "That's the best part," using words like "wonderful" and "perfect" to describe her
favorite breed. Melody, her first Cherubim, impressed her with an unhesitating sociability though
she was cage-raised.
"Their ideal family would probably include children," says longtime breeder Gehm. "This is the
kind of pet that children will remember for the rest of their lives."
Breed profile editor Carolyn Osier, a Cat Fanciers' Association allbreed judge, has bred cats under
the Wil-o-glen cattery name wince 1970.
| ACFA Breed Synopsis |