The RagaMuffin cat

What happens when a devoted group of serious cat breeders decides to improve upon an already “perfect” cat breed?

You get the RagaMuffin.

The RagaMuffin is sweetness incarnate. A RagaMuffin is a lover who adores all the living things your household: you, the dogs, the kids, and all the other cats in the family, too. And there is no happier place in the world for a RagaMuffin than ensconced on your lap. 

The RagaMuffin is a beauty, too: all fluff, but the softest, silkiest fluff you can imagine, with a plume of a tail. A RagaMuffin’s gentle, doe-eyed expression is captivating, too.

The only problem with the RagaMuffin is that it’s a relatively new breed of cat, and consequently fairly rare.[1] At least one of the major cat registries doesn’t even recognize the RagaMuffin as a separate breed. Both of these issues may make it hard to find reputable RagaMuffin breeder in your area.

It can be too easy to allow your eagerness to have a RagaMuffin in your life lead you to buy a kitten from an unethical breeder.

What is the history of the RagaMuffin cat?

The story of the RagaMuffin begins with the story of the Ragdoll cat.

I’m going to encourage you to read about the Ragdoll cat here, because it’s a fascinating story involving space aliens, secret DNA experiments, and stolen kittens.

Well, not really. But the founder of the Ragdoll, Ann Baker, really did attribute the existence of the Ragdoll cat to aliens and secret experiments, and she really did steal her neighbor’s kittens.

This, believe it or not, is important to know this if you want to understand how the RagaMuffin came to be.

Serious Ragdoll breeders had to break away

Ann Baker’s crazy conspiracy theories and unscientific views on genetics might not have been a problem if that’s where the kookiness ended.

But her paranoia and science denialism began to affect her ability to manage the breed she founded.

For one, she was distrustful of established cat breed registries. So, she established her own, just for Ragdolls, called the International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA).

Then, she trademarked the name “Ragdoll” and wouldn’t allow any Ragdoll breeders who also registered their cats with the other, established registries to call their cats Ragdolls.

Why was the IRCA a problem for Ragdoll breeders?

This presented a major problem for serious breeders of Ragdoll cats, because well-established registries, like The International Cat Association (TICA), Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA), and The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), serve an important purpose in the business of identifying and preserving cat breeds.

Traditional registries maintain official records of cat pedigrees. They uphold breed standards, and keep track of the catteries that meet their standards. They certify ownership of pedigreed cats, and conduct cat shows to evaluate cats against breed standards.[2]

Serious cat breeders want to register their cats with established registries, not just because it allows them to publicly exhibit their hard work, but because it validates their ethical and responsible breeding practices, which separate them from fly-by-night backyard breeders.

The IRCA was not an established registry.

Baker and her breeding restrictions

Baker also instituted rules for Ragdoll breeding that defied known best practices and and showed a lack of understanding of cat genetics.

Baker held that Ragdolls were only “purebred” if they were bred exclusively to other Ragdolls. But that kind of thinking usually applies to an established breed with sufficient genetic diversity.

Ragdolls, on the other hand, were still a new breed, founded by a single cat whose baby daddy had been backbred to his own kittens.

With such a small genetic pool, Baker’s breeding requirements would have assured poor health for future generations of Ragdoll cats.

Some Ragdoll breeders form the RagaMuffin breed

A concerned group of dedicated Ragdoll breeders had had enough. They broke away from Ann Baker and the IRCA. They wanted to introduce fresh genes into the Ragdoll lines to ensure better health for their cats.

Their goal was to focus on preserving many of the positive Ragdoll characteristics, including their size, beautiful long fur, and mellow nature, while having the flexibility develop new qualities, colors and coat patterns.

Where did the name “RagaMuffin” come from?

The breakaway breeders had Ragdoll cats, but they couldn’t use the trademarked name “Ragdoll.” They had to come up with a different name for their breeding stock.

Former Ragdoll breeder Curt Gehm came up with a temporary name he was thought was cute. It wasn’t supposed to be the final name for the new breed.

The “muffin” part of the RagaMuffin name was a reference to the “Baker” in Ann’s name, as well as an allusion to the Ragdoll founding cat, Josephine, who was feral. RagaMuffin was supposed to conjure up the image of street urchin.

The capital “M” in “Muffin” was an attempt to emphasize the “muffin-iness” of RagaMuffin cats: their squishy, fluffy warmth.

The name stuck.

How was the new RagaMuffin breed developed?

The goal of the first RagaMuffin breeders was to create a large, affectionate, healthy cat in a wide range of colors and coat patterns.

They achieved this by outcrossing their Ragdolls with other cat breeds. Outcrossing involves mating two cats who have no common ancestors for a certain number of generations. The goal of outcrossing is to introduce genetic diversity, which can prevent the health problems caused by inbreeding.

Outcrossing can also add new characteristics to a breed, such as a different body or head shape, or coat color or pattern.

RagaMuffins were outcrossed with Domestic Longhair cats, Persians, Siberians, and Himalayans.[3] The CFA registry currently permits outcrossing with the Selkirk Rex.[4]

What does a RagaMuffin look like?

The Ragamuffin is sometimes called “teddy bear of the cat world.”[5] They’re just cat-shaped cuddly fluff balls.

The Ragamuffin is a substantial cat, with a broad chest, broad shoulders, a “rectangular” body, and a heavily muscled hind end.

The head is broad, too, with a rounded forehead and rounded ears. The short-to-medium-sized muzzle ends in very prominent whisker pads that are sometimes described as puffy.

A RagaMuffin is supposed to have a primordial pouch,[6] which is basically sagging skin on the belly. You can read about primordial pouches in cats in this post.

A RagaMuffin has a plush coat that feels soft, dense, and silky, like a rabbit’s fur. It’s a little longer around neck and edges of the face.

RagaMuffins come in any color and pattern you can think of: solid colors, tabby, spots, or patches of white, black, gray, orange, cream, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, brown, or a mix. Kittens usually start out white and develop their colors as they grow.

The eyes can be any color, or even two different colors.

Males may weigh as much as 20 pounds, while females are typically closer to 15 pounds. It can take up to four years for a RagaMuffin to reach full-size.[7]

What is the personality of a RagaMuffin cat?

I’m going to quote the CFA about the RagaMuffin breed here: “RagaMuffins are known for sweetness rather than high intelligence.”[8]

OK. There. It was said.

You don’t need your cat to be doing calculus to be lovely, though. A RagaMuffin is playful, but mostly a lap cat. She’ll be eager to please and responsive to you, and agreeable. What more could you ask for?

RagaMuffins are for everyone. They’re good for families with respectful children who have been taught proper behavior around cats. They're equally good for people who live alone and enjoy the devotion of a cat.

RagaMuffins get along in the company of other cats and dogs and are rarely aggressive.

They will engage in conversation but are not unduly vocal.

And they may not be Mensa candidates, but some can learn to fetch and walk on a leash.

What is the difference between a Ragdoll and a RagaMuffin?

Color

The most noticeable difference between a Ragdoll and a Ragamuffin is the color of the coat and eyes.

A Ragdoll always has pointed coloration, meaning a lighter body with darker “tips” around the edges, and blue eyes.

A RagaMuffin can come in any color or pattern, and have any eye color.

Fur length and type

Ragdolls have a semi-long, silky coat with a minimal undercoat.

RagaMuffins have a shorter, thicker, plusher coat.

Body shape

RagaMuffin bodies are more rectangular, with a flat top line, while a Ragdoll’s top line angles upward to raised hindquarters.

Facial features

RagaMuffins have facial features that are more rounded than a Ragdoll’s. A RagaMuffin’s nose is kind of scooped, and there is a roundness between the ears.

A Ragdoll’s nose is straight and the face encompasses more straight lines and flat planes.

Is the RagaMuffin a healthy breed?

Thanks to their wider gene pool, the RagaMuffin is a healthy cat who can be expected to live up to 17 years.

Like all cats, however, a RagaMuffin is susceptible to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a disease in which the heart walls thicken, making them less efficient at pumping blood.[9]

Do RagaMuffins require a lot of grooming?

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All the fluff should have me saying otherwise, but a RagaMuffin is surprisingly easy to care for.

Their plush fur tends to withstand tangles and mats.

Just run a long-toothed comb, like this one from Andis, through the coat twice a week and your RagaMuffin should be good to go!

Dawn LaFontaine

Dawn LaFontaine is a lifelong animal lover who always seems to have a little pet hair in her keyboard. Her blog, Kitty Contemplations, helps cat guardians better understand and care for the special beings they share their lives and homes with. Her cat-products business, Cat in the Box, sells beautiful, well-made, and award-winning products that she designed to meet the biological needs of cats.