Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Ragdoll Cat Colors/Patterns Explained

Someone a while ago asked me what colors and patterns Ragdoll cats can come in, now mind you, I am completely aware of all of the patterns and colors, so  let the true expert on Ragdoll cats guide you to your desirably colors and patterns, shall we begin? 



The PATTERNS: 

Ragdoll cats come in 3 main patterns, and they are Bicolor, Mitted, and Colorpoint. Bicolors can come in  4 varieties; Van, True, Mid High White, and High Mitted.

This is a Van Bicolor. ( Van Bluepoint Bicolor). Van Bicolors are less popular than the True Bicolors, and are not accepted in all of the cat fanciers associations for showing, but are always welcomed to get a pedigree on them and be able to be registered. A Van Bicolor means that the cat has coloring on it's mask (face interrupted by an inverted white "v" on it's muzzle), ears and tail, never are they allowed to have any coloring where there is white and absolutely no white where there is coloring. Confusing? No, once you get the hang of it and become an expert like me.


This is a True Bicolor. (A Bluepoint True Bicolor). Nico (pictured above) was a True Bicolor. True Bicolors are the original Bicolor; hence the name,( "True Bicolor" does not mean a real Bicolor or a show quality one). True Bicolors are accepted in all of the cat fanciers associations, but it wasn't until 2008 that CFA accepted the Bicolor Ragdolls, this is one of the major reasons why I hate CFA and will never support them, to me that is like switching from Florida to Florida State, eww to both. I am with the TICA and will always be. True Bicolors have coloring on their mask (face interrupted by an inverted "v" of white on the mask), ears, tail, and a saddle, a saddle is on every True Bicolor and they may have white spots on their saddle (these spots of white are only accepted on the saddle and never the tail, mask, or ears, nor are the ears, mask, or tail to have any coloring other than their true coloring; you will not understand what I am saying until we get to the colors. If I counted that correctly, Bicolor Ragdolls have fought 36 years to be accepted in CFA (1972-2008). 



I struggled beyond measure to find a photo of a Mid High White Bicolor. I succeeded by only one photo. This is a Mid High White Bicolor, (Bluepoint Mid High White Bicolor). Spelling out "Mid High White Bicolor" is quite a mouth full, so I will say MHWB (Mid High White Bicolor) for they're description, MHWB is not an actual nick name, but how about it. MHWB(s) have coloring on their mask (face interrupted by an inverted "v" of white on their face), ears, tail, and a broken saddle, a broken saddle is a saddle that maybe made up in patches rather than one whole thing, e.g; a True Bicolor has a whole saddle. MHWB(s) saddle is broken up by their main white on their back, or MHWB(s) may have huge white patches on their back, or just in general a small saddle. MHWB(s) may have colored elbows, but this is undesirable in the show ring and is classified as a mismark. All Bicolors should have white elbows; unless it is a High Mitted, I will get to them later. High Mitted Bicolors, Mid High White Bicolors, and Van Bicolors are general not accepted in shows; they leave that to the True Bicolors. ;-)





This is a High Mitted Bicolor. (Sealpoint High Mitted Bicolor). High Mitted Bicolors are more than often referred to a Bicolor (of any variety) that has Mitted parents, so Nico was classified as one, but only genetically! Nico was genetically "High Mitted" but a True Bicolor over all. High Mitted Bicolors do not fit the breed standard and are not accepted in shows. High Mitted Bicolors have coloring on their ears, mask (face interrupted by an inverted "v" of white on the mask, however their mask is larger with a smaller inverted "v", and does not fit the Bicolor standard at all), a colored tail and a saddle on the back, High Mitteds have coloring on their front legs up until mid front leg or they may have coloring on all of their front legs until going to their paws, hence the name; High Mitted. 






This is a Colorpoint. (Sealpoint Colorpoint). Colorpoint Ragdolls have coloring on their mask (face), ears, legs, paws, and tail. No white is allowed anywhere on their coat. Colorpoints have lighter bodies where there are no points. Tadpole was a Colorpoint (Sealpoint Colorpoint, like the one pictured above).




This is a Mitted. (Sealpoint Mitted). Mitted Ragdolls have coloring on their mask (face) with a white chin, colored ears, a colored tail, and colored front legs up until their evenly matched white mittens or "mitts" as some people and breeders call them, Mitted Ragdolls have a white stomach stripe from their white chin up until their crotch, and white boots (hind legs), some Mitted Ragdolls may have the traditional colored mark a crossed their boot ankle ( I call this their boot length lol, but it is actually called a honk), breeders are working hard to breed out this old and traditional mark, judges in the show ring generally find the honks undesirable and are now counting it as a mismark. If I ever get into breeding Ragdolls, I will most definitely work with the honks, some breeders continue with the honks and I'm glad, as I find them very historical and attractive. Anya has one honk and it is perfectly marked, but due to the matter that she only has one is classified as a mismark, Renato has one honk like Anya too, but his goes down way too far and is just a mismark. But I love both my babies for who they are. Mitted Ragdolls may have a blaze on their foreheads, there are 4 types of blazes; Hourglass (my all time favorite, and I will totally own one one day!!) Star, Diamond, and Broken. I will show pictures of each blaze later in this post. 






The COLORS: 

Ragdoll cats come in 6 different colors, 2 of them being incredibly rare. The colors are Flame point (now called Red point) Sealpoint, Bluepoint, Cream point, Chocolate point, and last but certainly not least, Lilac point.

This is a Bluepoint Ragdoll (Bluepoint Colorpoint), and it is mismarked being a Colorpoint with a white chin which is unacceptable. I often get a lot of comments over the internet or in person, asking if Anya is a Lilac point. No, she is not, Anya is a Bluepoint. First, Bluepoint is the most popular color and Lilac point is the rarest lol. Bluepoint is a cold blue-ish-gray tone to a slate color. Bluepoint is striking in the sunlight!! Another word for this color is Blue, so you can say Blue or the true meaning of the color, which is Bluepoint, I prefer saying Bluepoint. Bluepoint is the dilute of Sealpoint.


This is a Sealpoint Ragdoll. (Sealpoint Colorpoint). Another word for Sealpoint is just Seal, I prefer saying Sealpoint. Sealpoint is a dark brown to almost black color, it is super stunning. Sealpoint is the dilute of Bluepoint. 




This is a Chocolate point Ragdoll. (Chocolate point Bicolor). Chocolate is the second rarest color, second only to the Lilac point. Chocolate Point has another name to it too, and that is just saying Chocolate, I (of course) prefer Chocolate point. Chocolate point is beautiful and incredibly rare and very elagent. Chocolate point is the dilute of Bluepoint. 





Behold, the rarest color of them all. This is a Lilac point Ragdoll (Lilac point Colorpoint). Lilac point is a pink-ish beige color, and is the dilute of Chocolate point. There are 2 ways to say "Lilac", Lilac point or Lilac either or, I prefer saying Lilac point. 










This is a Flame point Ragdoll. (Some call it Red point now, but that is incorrect.) (Flame point Bicolor Ragdoll). Flame is the dilute of I-can't-remember, lol. I truly cannot, wish I could, but it is very complicated. 



This is a Cream point Ragdoll. (Cream point Colorpoint? Or Mitted? I cannot tell exactly). You can say Cream point or Cream, I prefer Cream point. Cream point is the dilute of Flame point. 










I will do Ragdoll blazes Friday.







Ragdoll Mommy~



 




25 comments:

  1. Blummin' 'eck that is kind of complicated. Good info and gorgeous pics of beautiful cats!

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  2. What about blue eyed white ragdolls? You missed one and they happen to be somewhat rare and very pretty.

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  3. What about blue eyed white ragdolls? Your missing them and they happen to be very pretty and somewhat rare to find. I'm currently buying a ragdoll and have my deposit down on two a blue eyed white female and a blue mink female. Just can't decide which one to go pick up....

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    1. Chris,

      Thank you for your comment. Life with Ragdolls does not support nor do I advocate the minks/blue eyed whites/sepia/solid 'Ragdolls'. Those breeders breed variant colors, this means that a registering association such as CFA, ACFA, FIFI, etc do NOT accept those colors. You cannot show them in competitions. Every single breed standard in the United States of America for Ragdolls calls for a blue eyed and pointed cat. Minks/sepias/solids/blue eyed whites do not fit that category. The breed standards are not special clauses put in there for people who show, this is what makes the Ragdoll a Ragdoll. Would you in all honestly believe someone who tried to sell you a dalmation dog without spots? Of course not. Spots are a trade mark of dalmations. Blue eyes and a pointed coat are a trade mark of Ragdolls. Anything else would be like me breeding a English Mastiff to a doberman and swearing to you that the puppies are dalmations. See? It doesn't make sense.

      Let me guess....they're registered with TICA.

      "But they have TICA papers" you plead. Yeah but guess what - look up on those papers amd you'll see in huge letters 'Not Eligible for Championship Competition'. That means they do not fit the breed standard for Ragdolls. They're registered with Ragdolls not as Ragdolls. The only reason TICA allows that is because TICA is a genetic registry, that means they will register anything as a Ragdoll and call it a 'Ragdoll' as long as it has a real Ragdoll somewhere in the line.

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    2. You're still welcome to come here to read and for information. New readers are always welcome. If you desire something rare, I recommend you buy a lilac or chocolate Ragdoll. Those are legit colors and all associations in the USA recognize them as Ragdolls. Minks/sepias/solids/blue eyed whites are 'rare' because no good breeder breeds them and they make up lies to tell you that they're from old lines, etc. They're not. Ann Baker never registered anything but blue eyed and pointed cats --- Ragdolls.



      Best of luck!
      😎

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. I found this information very helpful, but I have a question. We have two solid black cats of unknown origin, and whenever they breed we get multiple kittens resembling these Ragdolls. I'm very curious and hoping that identifying them would help me to find them a better home. If I sent you a picture, could you help me?

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    1. Ragdoll is a breed not a color. They're not Ragdolls from two black parents (that is genetically impossible). But sure, my email is on the Contact Me page. Thanks.

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    2. Thank you so much. I've sent you an email.

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  6. Thank you very much, I'll send you the pictures right away.

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  7. I'm curious to know if a Bicolor can have coloring on the legs? Can 2 mitted parents (with uninterrupted masks) produce a Bicolor baby?

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    1. Looks like I missed some comments...

      Yes, bicolors can have coloring on their legs but it is a fault. Mitteds can produce all 3 patterns, IF mated to another mitted. :-)

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  8. Is there such a thing as a Mitted Bicolor?

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    1. No. The bicolor comes in; high mitted bicolor, true bicolor, mid high white, and high white (known as van in America).

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  9. You people need to stop. Ann Baker did register minks and sepia kittens. They are of the original stock. TICA does show mink cats. Genetic registry means things must be proven genetically. There is no way traditional purebred kittens can come from Minks and sepia's if it weren't genetically possible. Minks and sepia's are pointed Ragdolls as well. They look like the foundation cats too. The couple that left Ann Baker came up with the nonsense that you speak of as it pertains to minks not being Ragdolls, even test have proven otherwise. Often time, the mink and sepia are preferred over the traditional colored Ragdoll.

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    1. You're correct, Ann Baker DID register minks. Although she did not register them as Ragdolls, she registered them as "Honey Badgers" or Tu Ragdolls. Which are not the same as Ragdolls we know today. Ann Baker did not register sepias, they were an outcross from the Tonkinese cat breed in the 1980's, and the sepia "Ragdoll" was born. Ann Baker never wanted anything but blue eyed and pointed cats to become of the Ragdoll that we know of today, she wanted the look of Daddy Warbucks (he was blue eyed, pointed with white paws and a white tail tip) this was her idea to make the breed into that. She only wanted mitted cats, not even the bicolors or colorpoints (which explained why they were so much cheaper than the mitteds).

      For your information, Denny and Laura Dayton left Ann Baker so they could breed and show Ragdolls for others since Ann Baker had a very strict breeding contract to anyone that wanted to breed Ragdolls or even call their cats Ragdolls. There was a trade mark that finally expired in 2005 on that.


      You can not and it is GENETICALLY impossible for two pointed blue eyed cats to produce the mink or sepia gene. It has been proven false. Look at the Siamese breed. All blue eyed pointed cats were from them somewhere down the line, Siamese is the gene that produces the blue eyed pointed look. Siamese can not produce any color but blue eyed and pointed, Ragdolls are the same and breed true except when there is an outcross involved.


      " Often time, the mink and sepia are preferred over the traditional Ragdoll".

      Yeah right. They're only some times preferred over the real Ragdolls because some breeders charge crazy prices for them and market them as "rare", and the only reason that they're rare is because no good breeder breeds them.

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  10. Could someone let me know if 900.00 is a good price for a solid white rag doll kitten.Both parents r solid white

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    1. No. There is no such thing as a solid white Ragdoll. You're basically paying $900 for a cross bred. ;-)

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  11. Hi interesting that you say there is no solid colours but I have seen breeders now breeding solid colours including white but what I am wondering about is we apoted a ragdoll girl. I think she is a van colour or high white. She is all white with a patch of light and darker brown with a brown tail and one patch of brown on her one side of her back leg. Would this make her a tortie or a van? Thanks

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  12. Hi I was wondering we have adopted 2 ragdolls. The girl is all white with a light and darker colour patch on her one side of her head over her one ear and a brown patch on the side of her one back leg and also a brown tail. She has blue eys. Would this make her a high white or van colour or a tortie? Thanks

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  13. I believe I lucked out and adopted a very handsome flame point on the very last day of a 3 day pet adoption marathon. He has all of te qualities on one - blue oval eyes, soft hair, beutiful coloring, fetches his "string" and loves everyone - especailly his mom <3

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  14. Love your blog on Ragdoll colors. If the "mittens" don't match, one a little taller than the other, is that a mismarking or disqualifying? Thanks! Mona

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  15. Ohhhh finally explanations I can follow and understand - thank you so much. I have my heart set on a lilac mitted but really any mitted would be just lovely.

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