Cats and Kittens

If you are one of those dog lovers who hate cats, you may want to revise that opinion and take a closer look at the Ragdoll breed. While all feline breeds have their individual appeal, it is almost impossible to find a negative characteristic with a Ragdoll. It is said that Ragdolls are the cat that is most like a dog. As the owner of a nearly 3 yr. old male, I can personally verify that all the hype surrounding this breed is completely true.

For those of you interested in breeding information: Ragdolls have an eclectic history with their origin shrouded in a little mystery. It is generally accepted that in the 1960’s, a Riverside, California woman, named Ann Baker, developed this breed of exclusively free-roaming cats. She began with a domestic, long-haired, white female that was found running freely in her neighborhood. This original mother was bred to the other cats she owned or found roaming nearby. The offspring of this female had unique temperament traits Ms. Baker found to be very appealing. She then began the process of seeking other cats with the same temperament and criteria to continue the breeding process. It is believed that with the original white, long-haired female cat, Siamese and Burmese cats were also used in the early breeding process. Ragdolls are an exceptionally handsome cat with pale blue eyes and a moderately long, silky coat.

Ragdolls are a pointed breed which means that the body is lighter in color than the points on their face, legs, tail and ears. The breed comes in three patterns. Two of the patterns are white (mitted and bicolor) and the other pattern with no white called colorpoint. If one is interested in breeding these cats, the more specific breeding characteristics are easily obtained through the Cat Fanciers’ Association at(www.cfainc.org) or The Ragdoll Cat Homepage at(www.ragdolls.com).

If you are a person who just wants to purchase a cat guaranteed to be loving, attentive, playful and extremely laid-back, the Ragdoll breed is the cat for you. They are easily adaptable to all social situations after a normal introduction period. As an example: When our “terrible two” granddaughter decides to throw an age typical, nonsensical tantrum, our Ragdoll cat, “Zorro”, does not run and hide under the bed. Instead, Zorro is right beside me, sniffing the crying child and walking around her as if she were behaving normally, and not screaming her head off. He has rescued us from more than one headache

The Chartreux cat breed originated in France and is registered with seven associations; Canadian Cat Association, Cat Fanciers’ Association, The International Cat Association, Federation International Feline, Australia Cat Federation, American Association of Cat Enthusiasts, American Cat Fanciers association with social standing such as these it makes the Chartreux a very popular cat breed.

This cats breed dates back to the thirteenth century and is believed to be a descendant of a mountain cat and other another legend claims it was bred by monks in the seventieth century. The cat has had a few names over time such as; the blue cat, the Syria cat and now the Chartreux.

Even now in there are only a few dozen breeders in all of North America. With the cat’s social status among the organizations and the lack of breeders this kitty is expensive costing up to a few thousand dollars depending on whether the owner wants it for a pet, show cat or breeding. However if you want one as a pet they can be acquired for $500 to $700.

This adorable cat is rather large in size and with a well toned muscular body. The adult male cat weights between fourteen and twenty pounds and the females weight between eight and twelve pounds. They do look deceivingly smaller with their short legs and slightly round body.

This breed is always a solid color of a blueish-gray; there are no patterns or variations. There eye color gold or dark yellow.

The Chartreux are very quite rarely meowing some are even though to be mute. To get your attention they will head butt your legs or try to climb up your leg.

Due to their believed ancestry of the mountain cat they are great hunters and can be often observed attacked and “killing” their toys.

They are very loveable and laid back; they enjoy a routine, play fetch and much like a dog enjoy riding in the car.

The only known health problems they have are dislocated knee caps, which can happen once or several times often requiring medical attention or surgery.

This breed can be rather clingy following you around the house, wanting to constantly sit in your lap or just be near you including while sleeping. It’s not recommended they be left alone for very long.

They make great family pets, the love children as much as adults and enjoy the company of other cats and dogs.

Sources

www.catbreed.com

www.cfa.com

www.chartreuxbreed.com