Ragdoll
The Birth of the Ragdoll Breed
All the story started at the early 1960’s, exactly in 1965, with a Persian cat breeder lady, whose name was Ann Baker. She had been in the habit of borrowing a male cat, named Blackie from her neighbour, Mrs. Pennels, to use it to her own breeding programme. At the same time, she began to use a stray, Persian-like female cat as a breeder, she found in the streets. She named her Josephine. This Josephine was then mated with Mrs. Pennel’s stud, Blackie.
It happened not soon after namely, that Josephine was run down by a car, and she was suffering at the side of the street. However, Ann picked it up, and took it to the local Veterinary University where it was healed, though, it lost one of its eyesight. After its recovery, it returned to Mrs. Pennels, and it was used for breeding purposes further on. However, its character had changed. Now it was relaxed and seemed ‘impervious’ to pain. Ann Baker became more interested.
Out of the male offspring from Blackie and Josephine, Ann continued her breeding programme, though the female mate was a birman cat this time. The offsprings of these two cats can be considered as the ancestors of the ragdoll breed. Ann bred kittens in solid and pointed version as well. The early pedigrees prove that ragdolls were formed in many different colours, even in those early years of the breed. There were black, white, tortie, blue, lynx and silver ragdolls, just to mention a couple of colour variety. She was completely convinced that the breeding of solid ragdolls is unavoidably necessary, in order to prevent the needed big size. Nevertheless, she was in the opinion, that transmitting of the solid genes contribute to the appearance of the vivid blue eyes in an emphasized way.
Here is an old pedigree where you can find Ann’s cattery name too:
Mrs. Pennels had another male son of Josephine, but by a different father than Blackie’s. This male was unusually patterned, looking something like the cat we know as birmans, with white socks on the feet, and boots on the hind legs. He also had little white strips on his nose and a white chin with the white extending down on his belly. Ann managed to borrow this cat from Mrs. Pennels too, and named it Raggedy Ann Daddy’s Warbucks. Ann also acquired the black daughter of Blackie and Josephine, Buckhweat, who was then mated with Daddy Warbucks. Then came Buckweat’s mating with Fugianna, and the seeds of a new breed were planted. Ann Baker was about to reap the harvest.
It was already 1969, when the Dayton couple’s eyes were captured by an ad with some ragdolls’ photo. This advertisement led them to the home of Ann Baker. There they were immediately amazed by the wonderful blue eyes and the huge size of the ragdolls. After having looked at the kittens, they agreed on the purchase of one male and one female. Raggedy Ann Buddy and Raggedy Ann Rosie became the Daytons’’ first ragdoll pair. They chose a cattery name after their kittens’ name, thus, the Blossom Time Ragdoll Cattery was founded. While doing this, they were consequent in naming their kittens after the names of different plants, but rather flowers or blossoms.
The Dayton couple have never written any contract with Ann considering their purchase, they trusted Ann. It was an inconvenient surprise for both of them, when they came across with Ann again, demanding more money, and forcing them to sign a franchise contract. During this struggle their relationship with Ann went totally wrong, and finally, they ended up at the Court. However, Ann was unable to turn any law against them.
In the meantime, the ragdoll breeder community were taken aback by the behaviour of Ann, and they even stopped their breeding programme in their despair. But there Leightons were not like this; they even managed to acquire more cats. The Blossom Time Cattery began to develop, and they even had to change their home because there was not enough place for the expanding ragdoll family any more. However, by 1980 the Leighton family became exhausted of the cats, and they sold their whole cattery.
Pat Brownsell had been interested in the ragdoll breed for a long time. She was enthusiastically talking about her favourite with her friend Lulu Rawly (Petil Lu Cattery) in a café. Lulu showed her friend a magazine which was happened to describe the ragdolls in that very review. In the café Lulu and Pat determined to purchase this kind of cat for themselves. Their first attempts proved to be unsuccessful, until they came across with the Leightons. When they visited them, Laura and Danny supplied with all the needed information. They even obtained a comprehensive chart, including the genetic lines of the ragdolls. They also got a book, entitled the ‘Lovable Ragdoll’ , which was written by Laura herself, about her experiences. Lulu and Pat undertook their breeding program very enthusiastically.
One year later, in 1981, favoured by Pat Brownsell, the ragdolls arrived at Europe.