The Ragdoll is an absolutely precious cat with its long-hair, blue eyes and floppy, gentle nature. There’s a lot to love about the Ragdoll from their personality to their physical characteristics. This article will focus mainly on the physical characteristics of the Ragdoll, including their weight, coat, color, lifespan and how to identify one.
Size
Ragdolls will weigh anywhere from 8-20lbs and be 9-11 inches tall in adulthood, which is quite the range for a purebred cat! They tend to look larger than they actually are due to their thick, fluffy coat. You might just be surprised at how light they are when you pick them up!
Their fluffy coat can, however, hide excessive weight, so be careful not to overfeed your Ragdoll.
Read more on how much, when, and how often to feed your Ragdoll here.
Coat
One distinguishing aspect of the Ragdoll is its plush, fluffy coat. They’re considered to be a semi-long hair because their fur can be either medium or long in length.
The Ragdoll’s coat is compared a lot to that of a rabbit’s because it’s so soft and silky to the touch! However, their fine hair can easily get tangled and does require some grooming to prevent matting.
Even though they have longer hair than most cats, Ragdoll’s shed quite infrequently compared to most longhairs, making them great pets for people who don’t want to deal with the hassle of constantly cleaning up cat hair.
Also unlike many longhairs, Ragdolls do not have an undercoat, which is what makes them hypoallergenic for a lot of people.
Color
Ragdoll’s have a wide variety of colors and patterns they can have, but what they all have in common is their “pointed” pattern. This means that their “points” such as their face, ears, tail and paws are a darker shade than their body. The most common colors for the Ragdoll include seal, chocolate, lilac, blue and cream. For more information and pictures on Ragdoll colors and patterns, read this article.
Life Expectancy
Ragdoll’s live a fairly long life for a purebred cat, and can live up to 15 years if well taken care of. They do not reach maturity until about four years of age.
Blue Eyes
A true purebred Ragdoll will always have blue eyes, regardless of their body color and pattern. This is a common misconception, and some articles will claim that their eyes can range in color. If your Ragdoll has any eye color other than blue, it’s probably a mix.
Ragdolls are Born Completely White
Ragdoll kittens will be almost completely white at birth! The reason for this is because their colors only darken when exposed to more cool environments, and the environment in their mother’s womb is too warm for them to darken. Once they’re born, their “points” such as their paws, ears, face and tail will darken the most because these extremities are often the coolest.
