If you’ve ever petted a rabbit then you will notice a distinct similarity when you stroke the fur of a Ragamuffin cat. Medium to long luxurious fur that is thick and plush, and comes in a variety of colors makes the Ragamuffin a favourite breed among cat lovers. Large expressive eyes will draw you to this lovely breed that thrives on human companionship.
Adult males will average about 7 kg (15 pounds), but can reach up to 9 kg (20 pounds). Life expectancy is also somewhat high for cats, with many known to have lived beyond 18 years.
Ragamuffin Cat Personality
Ragamuffins are extremely affectionate and thrive on the company of pets and people. Humans coming home from work will often find their Ragamuffin curled up at the door in anticipation of their arrival, sometimes waiting for hours. Occasionally vocal the Ragamuffin is rarely known to be aggressive. Pets and children will always be able to get along with your Ragamuffin due to their playful and tolerant nature.
Most Ragamuffins will do their best to remain as close to their human companions as possible. You can also expect them to hang on to their playful kitten nature for much longer than usual as they take their time in reaching maturity – usually in four to five years.
Did You Know?
The Ragamuffin is a fairly new breed of cat, having first appeared in 1994. However, there are conflicting stories about how exactly this breed came to be. It is generally accepted that breeding began with the Ragdoll cat, started by Ann Baker in the 1960’s.
Ann had strict requirements due to the Ragdoll being a beautiful, calm and affectionate cat. But these requirements inspired a group to break off from her organisation and start breeding the Ragdoll with Persian and Himalayan cats. The Cat Fancier’s Association finally brought official recognition to the breed in 2003.
Caring for Your Ragamuffin Cat
The Ragamuffin cat is a hardy breed and does not require any specific exercise regimes. Supervision should be maintained at all times when outdoors as their fearless and trusting nature can put them in harm’s way.
They do not require any more exercise than most other cats. That is to say there should be plenty of sleeping in between long bouts of playing, with some running and jumping mixed in.
Despite their dense soft fur the Ragamuffin does not require excessive amounts of grooming as it does not clump or mat easily – once a week should be plenty. To minimise shedding it may helpful to increase this frequency to a daily groom.
