RagaMuffin breed guide

Agreeable enough for families with small children, RagaMuffins are unlikely to mind a tea party or doll clothes, per CFA. They also do well with people who live alone, giving plenty of devotion and emotional support.

Trusting with dogs and other cats, they are rarely aggressive, so introductions need care to keep other pets from dominating them.

CFA says RagaMuffins are known for sweetness more than high intelligence, though they respond readily to their owners' wishes. Many wear harnesses and walk on a leash and some learn to fetch, but most are happiest as lap cats that snuggle with a favorite person for hours.

Their conversation is friendly and not excessive.

The fur resists tangles and mats, so daily grooming is not needed: combing with a long-toothed comb once or twice a week removes anything caught in the coat. Most RagaMuffins need no regular bathing.

A diverse background makes RagaMuffins sturdy, with no breed-specific genetic issues. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and polycystic kidney disease may occur in all cats and genetic testing of breeding animals usually lets breeders manage them.

Breeders formerly associated with Ragdoll founder Ann Baker broke from her registry in the early 1990s and worked with carefully chosen domestic longhairs to continue the breed's development and add fresh genes for health. They kept a large, longhaired cat with an extremely mellow nature but chose a somewhat different type and a dramatically different color scheme.

The name RagaMuffin links the breed to its ancestral street cats. CFA granted registration in 2003 and championship status in 2011.