The Ragamuffin is a breed of domestic cat which first made its appearance in 1994. Ragamuffins are notable for their sweet, friendly personalities and plush, rabbit-like fur.

Ragamuffin Cat Origin

As the RagaMuffin has the same early origins as the Ragdoll cat there is a huge connection with that breed and one expects a great similarity in these two breeds of cat.

Baker, in an unusual move, spurned traditional cat breeding associations. She trademarked the name "Ragdoll", set up her own registry - International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA) - and enforced stringent standards on anyone who wanted to breed or sell cats under that name. The Ragdolls were also not allowed to be registered in other breed associations. In 1975, a group broke rank with IRCA with the aim of gaining mainstream recognition for the Ragdoll. This group eventually developed the Ragdoll standard currently accepted by major cat registries.

Eventually, even her loyal group developed misgivings about Baker, who struggled to keep a healthy cattery while handling the responsibilities of the registry. Her stories about the breed's origin grew increasingly strange, linking them to extraterrestrials and human-gene-implantation experiments.

In 1994, a second group of around 30 breeders decided to leave the IRCA and form their own group due to increasingly strict breeding restrictions. The foundational breeders of the new group were Patricia F. (first president of RAG), Janet K.(Encore Cats) (current breed chair and president of the breed until 2008 ), Kim C.(Ultimate Rags) (current breed vice president), Judy M.(Rivendell Rags), and Curt G.(Leibling Cats), and around 25 other breeders who are no longer active.

Their first act was to simply rename their stock of Ragdolls as Ragamuffins. Klarmann credits Curt Gehm of Liebling Cats in Virginia with the choice of "RagaMuffin" because they came from the endearing little urchin cats of Riverside. The M is capitalized "because they're big huggable, loveable Muffins," says Klarmann, who operates Encore Cattery in Florida.

One of the first concerns of the group was the genetic health of their stock, which was already in its fifth generation of inbreeding. So in the spirit of bettering the breed's genetic health and personality, they out crossed to Persians, Himalayans, and domestic long haired cats, which increased the distinctiveness of the Ragamuffin from their Ragdoll ancestors. They did allow some Ragdoll inbreeding as well (which will end in 2010 for ACFA recognized Ragamuffins). The goal of the breeding has always been to keep their distinctively affectionate personality and health rather than any particular look other than their distinctive scooped nose and other minor traits that set them apart.

The first cat association to accept the breed at full show champion status was United Feline Organization (UFO), and while some major cat associations still refuse to accept the Ragamuffin as a recognizable breed, due primarily to their close association with the Ragdoll, they were accepted into the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA), and finally Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) as a provisional breed in the miscellaneous class in 2003.

While Ragdolls were first registered and accepted as the breed ancestors to the Ragamuffin, the current allowance of Ragdoll out crosses, and the fact that the first Ragamuffins were actually Ragdolls renamed, makes the Ragamuffin the larger category of the original breed with the current Ragdolls as one of its sub-categories (modern Ragdoll breeders do not allow anything but pointed pattern). Since several generations have passed, no current [Ragdoll] would be considered a Ragamuffin. Their appearance is very different and distinctive while the Ragamuffins still have a wide range of colors and patterns. Only cats with at least one Ragamuffin parent and an ACFA accepted outcross currently qualifies to be called a Ragamuffin.

Ragamuffin Cat Appearence

RagaMuffins are large, muscular, heavy cats that do not reach full maturity until approximately 4 years old. Females can be substantially smaller than males. The look of the body is rectangular, with broad chest and powerful shoulders supporting a short neck. This muscular and fit cat often has a fatty pad in the lower abdomen. The head is a broad modified wedge with a rounded forehead and obvious nose dip. Large, walnut shaped eyes give a sweet appearance. Their eyes can be any solid color, including odd-eyed (ie, each eye has a different color).

Ragamuffin Cat Colors and Coats

Ragamuffin cats have a dense and silky coat, like that of a heavily furred rabbit, and the hair grows longer around the neck and face (a ruff), increases in length toward the stomach and gives a wispy frill on the hind legs. Although the coat is thick and plush, it does not readily mat or clump and is easy to care for.

Ragamuffins come in all patterns and colors although colorpoints are not allowed under CFA standards.

The Ragamuffin Temperament

The RagaMuffin is strictly an indoor pet. Their docile nature makes them especially vulnerable to outside dangers, they tend to think everyone should be their friend!

Mellow and laid-back, they love to be stroked, can be carried around the house by children and adults alike and never even raise their voice in protest. The Ragamuffin loves people and is very cuddly and affectionate, with a tendency to go limp when held. While not terribly athletic, they love playing and climbing scratching posts and some will even fetch toys.

Dog-like in personality, they will meet you at the door after a hard day of work, and then stay close to your heels as you go about your routine. The Ragamuffin easily accepts walking on a leash, and will even play fetch.

RagaMuffins remain underfoot and want involvement in what their people do.