Unlike most cat breeds that have very strict and rigid color standards, Ragdolls come in a wide variety of colors and patterns! There are about 20 of these accepted color patterns, all with their own subtle differences.
Despite their wide variation in body color, all Ragdolls have blue eyes!
Ragdoll Colors and Patterns
All Ragdolls have the “point” pattern, which means the color on their body darkens at the “points”, i.e. their paws, face and tip of their tails. Their point colors can then be further divided into solid, lynx, and tortie colors. Solid point is exactly what you’d expect; the Ragdoll is mainly one solid color all over. Their points are simply a darker shade of the color that’s on their body. The lynx pattern is when the Ragdoll also has some tabby stripes. And finally, the Tortie pattern is when the Ragdoll has splotches of other colors on them.
And as if that weren’t enough information, there are two more types of patterning that can be on top of all of that: Mitted and Bicolor.
- Mitted is when the Ragdoll has white patches on the paws and tummy. Oftentimes the paws are completely white, making them look like they’re wearing little white mittens!
- Bicolor is when the Ragdoll has both the Bitted pattern AND a V-shaped patch of white on the face.
The 6 Ragdoll Point Colors
Regardless of the patterning, there are six main colors that a Ragdoll can be:
Seal
This classic Ragdoll color looks very much like that of a Siamese cat; the body of the cat is cream colored and the points are a dark brown.
Blue
In the cat world, “blue” coloration is really more of a grey. Bluepoints have a cold grayish color that gradually fades to white toward the stomach.
Chocolate
These are a lighter brown color than the Seal, and the color difference between the body and point is not as great.
Lilac
The points of the Lilac are a frosty grey and pink color. The body is often very light.
Red (Flame)
The points can range from an apricot color to deep red. The body is very white.
Cream
This color Ragdoll looks almost entirely white, except there is a slight cream color to the points.
For a more detailed look at the different Ragdoll color types, visit this site.
Coloring Over Time
Ragdoll colors aren’t consistent throughout their life, they are often much lighter as a kitten than as an adult. For example, chocolate and lilac patterns take about 3-4 weeks to become evident in a kitten as they’re born almost completely white. Seal and blue colors are usually apparent from birth but they will darken quite a bit with age. The seal color is the most drastic overtime; as a fully matured adult the seal Ragdoll will have dark brown points.
The reason for the change in darkness is because cooler temperatures cause the Ragdoll’s colors to darken. When the kittens are still inside the womb, the temperature is far to high for their color to change, so they’re born almost completely white. Because their paws, tail and face (their extremities) are the coolest, they will darken the most, causing the point pattern.
