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BRIEF HISTORY OF THE RAGDOLL
The Ragdoll story all began in 1963 in the USA in California. Here lived a lady called Ann Baker, along with the foundation female a white Angora like cat called Josephine.(owned by a Mrs Pennel's who also owned a black Persian looking cat out of Josephine called Blackie.)
Josephine unfortunately was involved in a Road accident, but was nursed back to full health with no apparent injuries apart from loosing an eye.
Following her full recovery Josephine again had kittens but while Josephine's earlier litters had been half wild like there mother, the litters born after the accident were very relaxed, docile and social.
A stand in for Josephine and one of her litters
Mrs Pennel's also had another male from Josephine but by a different father from Blackie. This male was patterned a bit like a Birman with white socks but had a little white strip on his nose and a white tip to his tail. Ann managed to borrow this cat too and called him Raggedy Ann Daddy Warbucks.
Raggedy Ann Daddy Warbucks
Not only did Ann manage to borrow Daddy Warbucks but also acquired a black daughter of Blackie and Josephine, Buckwheat.
Buckwheat with kittens Kyoto and Tiki
And another of Josephine daughters this time sired by Daddy Warbucks. This cat was a bi-coloured cat called Raggedy Ann Fugianna.
Ann Baker and Fugianna.
There was to be no more founding cats since Josephine and her next litter were destroyed by their owner. And so with Daddy Warbucks, Buckwheat and Fugianna a new breed was started which would be given the name Ragdoll.
Ann split the kittens into two groups, those from Fungianna she called the light side and from Buckwheat, the dark side.
Daddy Warbucks and Buckwheat were mated together and produced four kittens. Two of theses were colour points called Raggedy Ann Kyoto and Raggedy Ann Tiki. These were the first kittens to be registered as RAGDOLLS. (1965)
Ann Baker with Kyoto and Kookie Tu
These Two cats (Kyoto and Tiki) formed the foundation of the dark side and were mated back to each other , and subsequent off-springs to each other and there parents, but not as yet to any of Fugiannas offspring.
The light side breeding also followed a similar pattern and after several generations were put together with the dark side to produce the variety of Ragdoll patterns and colours we know today.
Some rare footage of Ann Baker
In 1969 Laura and Denny Dayton responded to a newspaper ad and visited Ann Bakers cattery were they fell in love with the cats and came away with Raggedy Ann Buddy a seal colour point boy and Raggedy Ann Rosie a seal mitted girl. BLOSSOM TIME cattery was formed.
Denny and Laura Dayton with Phil and Lovable
Unfortunately when the Dayton's informed Ann of the birth of their kittens there relationship turned sour as Ann attempted to operate a franchise agreement and demanded more money. After a long battle the Dayton's managed to sort this out and acquire more Ragdolls to come an international renowned cattery in California.
It's is now here were things get excited for the Ragdoll in the UK. In Spring 1981 flight TWA 009 landed in Heathrow with a special cargo of 4 Ragdoll kittens from the Dayton's at Blossom time cattery.
Two named Lad and Lass for Lulu Rowley of Petil-lu cattery
Lulu Rowley holding Blossom Time Lad
And two named Prim and Proper for Lulus friend Pat Brownsell of Patriarca cattery.
Blossom Time Proper and Blossom Time Prim
Pat Brownsell
Six months in Quarantine must have seemed a long time to have to wait but on the 28th of July 1981 Lulu got a phone call from the Quarantine to say Lass had given birth to 3 girl kittens (the first Ragdoll kittens born in the UK)
The two ladies had the foresight to broaden the base of their foundation stock by importing a further eight Ragdolls and within a year Blossom-Time Romeo, Juliet, Pistil, Camellia, Bananas, Myrtie, Spring and Summer joined the earlier quartet. With a variety of Ragdolls between them, Lulu and Pat had the potential to produce the 3 patterns of Colour pointed, Mitted and Bicolour in the colours of seal, blue, chocolate and lilac.
Blossom Time Camellia, Pistil, Romeo, Myrtie, Bananas and Juliet
Two further points of interest for the ragdoll in the UK are
In March 1990 recognition was finally achieved and Ragdolls were eligible to be shown in the Assessment classes at Championship Shows around the country. And From 1 June 2001 all three patterns of Ragdolls were eligible to be shown at Championship status.
And the last interesting point is
An application for the recognition of the Tabby & Red series Ragdolls within the GCCF was approved in October 2002, and we have been able to see their stunning presence at shows in competition alongside their traditional counterparts since the start of the new Show Year on 1 June 2003.
Champion Spirtdancers Patchwork is a nice example of the Red series.