Ragamaffin: a description of the breed of cats, keeping and breeding

If you are looking for a rather rare breed of cats, pay attention to the handsome ragamaffin. He was bred by crossing a Ragdoll cat with other purebred animals. Gorgeous appearance, amazing, spectacular and thick wool, all sorts of color variations, pleasant character, love for a man, a non-evil disposition make these representatives of the cat kingdom the favorites of a man.

As the demand among the cat owners is steadily growing, one can expect an increase in the population of the breed in the near future. Every year there are more and more happy owners of ragaffin.

The breed of ragamapin cats owes its breeding to a very common American cat, the ragdoll. Brought it back in the middle of the last century, based on a cat of indeterminate origin. It is possible that the genes of this animal were Persian cats, Angoras. After the ragdolls were officially recognized, and the characteristic signs of their breed were bred, a problem arose with the breeders, as the standards were too strict and high.

In the early 90s, part of the breeders wanted to separate and create their own association, which set the task of breeding a new animal with an unusual suit, stronger, with a strong immunity.

Ragdoll crossing began with a variety of pedigree and purebred specimens. Among the breeds used were Himalayans, Persians, long-haired individuals without breed. Thus, a new type of cats was obtained, but the breeders immediately encountered further difficulties, because the right to breed ragdolls did not belong to them.

They started to create a new name, in the end, the epithet was chosen, translated as "ragged". In favor of this name spoke the fact that among the parents were mongrel cats. One of the names of the breed name was “cherubim” (cherubim). Many believe that it is more suited to these beautiful and friendly cats.

Ragamaffin is a rather large cat, the length of the fur is average, but the density is simply amazing. Wool spectacular, has a variety of shades of colors. Standard exterior is represented by the following parameters:

• the body of the cat is proportional, the chest is of a wide type, the shoulder girdle is developed powerfully, the pelvis is strong;
• a small layer of fat is allowed on the stomach;
• weight ranges from 4.5 to 9 kg depending on the floor;
• puberty and the ability to give birth to offspring comes at about 4 years;
• coat not too long, soft to the touch, silky, thick;
• around the neck, muzzle, and on the hind legs the fur is longer;
• The suits are the most diverse, the snow-white is most appreciated;
• the head has a wedge shape, rounded silhouette;
• smooth forehead, chin, muzzle of small size, not angular, visually expands due to the fluffiness and mustache;
• the eyes are large, set wide, the look is very expressive;
• eye color may be different, but in the case of coat colors sepia and minx, there are limitations: greens or yellowness in the first version, sea wave in the second;
• the shape of the ears is very neat, the ears with a brush, lean slightly forward;
• the length of the limbs is average, the paw pads are large, the front legs are shorter than the hind ones;
• the tail is rich, with luxurious fluffiness, tapering towards the end.

This breed distinguishes extraordinary friendliness and disposition towards a person, there are no such negative character traits as aggression, anger, revenge. These cats can be safely taken into the house with the children, they patiently allow themselves to be stroked, squeezed, worn, picked up. You can not be afraid that the cat will release claws and scratch you in the moment of caress.

Ragamaffins love people, do not single out one family member, becoming attached to each of them. Favorite pastime - on the knees of a person or nearby in a chair, on the couch. Another characteristic feature of a cat is moderate laziness.

With children, ragamaffin gets along perfectly, you can not be afraid that the little owner will get tired of the cat, and he will harm him. Patience of the cat knows no bounds, it will allow to play with it like with a doll: swaddle, roll in wheelchairs.

If you want to train a representative of this breed, it will be easy to do. Cats are incredibly smart, sometimes they have a simple explanation - what to do and what not, so training is not required. These cats are very obedient and docile.

However, there are a number of problems that the owner of ragamaffin will have to face.

• This breed feels very bad without people, loneliness is contraindicated. It is not necessary to sit with a cat at home, but he simply needs a living creature, even if it is a parrot or a guinea pig. Leaving them in the house alone with them is impossible, they very much yearn.
• In addition, representatives of this breed have no hunter instinct, so if you hope that he will catch mice, it is better to make a choice in favor of other species of cats.
• Ragamaffins have a poorly developed sense of security, they are not afraid of danger, so it is necessary to control that the animal does not get into trouble. The maximum that a cat is capable of is to hide from the one who offends him. From this it follows that it is impossible to let them out on the street without supervision.

As we already mentioned, according to the standard color does not matter. Experts say that the most common suits are Tabby, Bicolor, Color Point.

Features of colors:

• color point Also called black or Siamese, there are tones of chocolate, brown and black;
• tabby - the most clarified shade as a background on which there are spots or bands of contrasting tones;
• bicolor color can be smooth, evenly spread on the wool, or in a speck, but in any case of the two-color type.

White color is extremely rare, and as for the options for the location of shades, there are a lot of them. The colors of the noses, eyes, and pads on the legs are also different. Eye color is striking variety, as a rule, they have bright colors.

Cats as a whole are notable for their cleanliness, and ragamaffins are not an exception, they spend a lot of time cleaning their body. The duty of the owner is to carry out those procedures that are inaccessible to the cat, as well as ensure its protection and healthy development.

Hair care is not too time-consuming event, despite the fact that this breed has quite a lot of hairs. The silky structure of the hair does not allow wool to clump up. However, combing is a standard and regular procedure that is necessary not only for the animal, but also for its owner. Indeed, during the period of molting the house will be overwhelmed with wool, if you do not take care of combing.

As for the water procedures, they should not be too frequent, especially if the cat does not go outside. You should not torment an animal with washing more often once a month. At the same time use not only shampoo for cats, but also conditioner for elongated wool. If the cat goes outside, wash the paws after returning home.

In addition, the eyes, ears, and teeth are cleaned on a regular basis, and the latter are cleaned every day, otherwise the diseases of the oral cavity will not keep you waiting. Trim the cat's claws every month, especially if, from the age of the kitten, he is not accustomed to the claw. Walk only with the cat, you cannot leave him alone on the street, except for the courtyard in a private house, from where he cannot escape. Apartment residents can not walk at all.

The owners of purebred cats constantly debate about how best to feed their young friends: specialized food or regular, homemade food. Ragamaffins are quite fastidious in food, among them there are real gourmets. It is necessary to take into account the fact that they tend to lay off fat in the abdomen, so the food should be balanced and well thought out.

Experts recommend feeding animals with special dry or other feed.otherwise it will be much more difficult to keep track of the calorie content of food, and this is fraught with obesity, especially in animals that have undergone castration.

The use of inexpensive feed can lead to various failures in the internal organs, kidney diseases, urinary tract. If you choose a regular meal, there is a high risk of deficiency of vitamins, nutrients, which also adversely affect the health of the pet. In this case, it is necessary to impose a categorical ban on the following products:

• poultry and fatty meat;
• pasta, flour products;
• spicy spicy dishes;
• fried food;
• sweet;
• fish and bird bones;
• raw river fish.

The optimal diet is two meals a day, this kitten must be taught from childhood. This mode will allow the cat to be in shape and not be afraid of excess weight. Be sure to include in the diet vitamins, supplements for wool and bones, which are designed specifically for cats.

Older cats need a more careful approach to nutrition, they definitely need supplements that strengthen the skeleton. It will be great if you enter into the diet a special paste, thanks to which the body will be cleansed of wool falling into it. Remember that the introduction of new products can cause allergies, so do it as gradually as possible.

Most breeding nurseries are located in the United States. Nevertheless, there are breeders in other countries: Canada, Korea, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Austria, Holland. There are no such breeders in Russia and the near abroad. There are Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian nurseries engaged in ragdolls, and there they can sell ragaffin. The cost for one kitten is variable, it affects the pedigree, gender, vaccinations. As a rule, the price of one baby is about 1000 dollars.

Choosing a baby, contact only trusted breeders, otherwise you risk to buy an animal of the wrong breed or sick. When choosing, pay attention to the following points:

• eye color - it should be bright, deep, juicy, the brighter, the more likely a thoroughbred representative;
• rib cage - it should be distinguished by the width, strength and shape of a rectangle, even in a baby;
• hind limbs - the musculature in a healthy cat is well developed, its paws are strong, powerful, and their shoulders are wide;
• color Absolutely all babies are white, only after reaching 3 or 4 months the suit begins to change, it becomes what it always will be, so wait 16 weeks before buying a kitten;
• history of diseases and vaccinations - very important information that must be obtained before the purchase, and this applies not only to the kitten, but also to his parents.

Immunity of cats is quite strong, because in their pedigree were purebred street individuals. They made the breed stronger and more resistant to infections. No disease related to genetics has yet been identified. Ragamaffins can be sick:

• allergies;
• cardiomyopathy;
• gastrointestinal disorders;
• polycystic kidney disease;
• periodontal disease;
• obesity.

Most of these predispositions are adjusted by correct and balanced nutrition, regular teeth brushing. Attention should be paid to vitamin complexes and supplements, as well as antiparasitic prophylaxis.

Timely vaccination of the animal will avoid a large number of problems in the future, especially with regard to diseases of the viral spectrum. If you carry out competent care for ragaiffin, to feed him correctly, he will be a faithful friend for quite a long time - up to 16 years.

Features breed ragaffin cats are shown in the following video.