It Isn't As Hard As You Might Think!

Our Ragdolls (Click picture for larger view)

"There are many intelligent species in the universe. They are all owned by cats." ~ Anonymous

I dimly remember someone asking about the Ragdoll cats; how many live here and how can you tell the difference. We have three purebred Ragdoll cats along with four Siamese; yes, we are not sane. From the upper left corner and moving clockwise we have Magnolia Blossom of Brevard (Maggie), a blue-mitted variety; Sir Nicholas Alexander of Brevard (Nicky or Nickerdoodle), a rare blue-mitted lynx variety; Maggie at five months of age and before she developed her permanent angry expression; and Lady Wilhelmina Abigail of Brevard (Willow or Willowbean), another blue mitted variety.

Maggie (upper left and bottom right) belongs to my parents and is a year and a half older than mine. They were all born in Brevard, North Carolina but only Willow and Nicky are siblings. Maggie had a different mother and father.

How do we tell the difference? Nicky is easy. He is a lynx and therefore has a distinct striping above his eyes and most obvious, he has a thick white eyeliner look around almond shaped eyes. Willow's mask area is a more uniform blue-gray and in the center of her forehead is a tiny white star. Maggie does not have this star. And even though they are the same breed and same variety, they have completely different faces. Maggie's face is flatter, more like a Persian and her cheeks are puffy giving her a chipmunk look. Willow's face is thinner and her nose more pointed; she also doesn't ALWAYS have that "mad at the world" look, as does Maggie.

The biggest difference is in their personalities. Nicky is a "scaredy" cat, laid back, hides, loves to be on his back; in general he is very close to the typical Ragdoll personality. Willow is smarter than any cat I've ever known. The wheels are always turning in her head. She is the queen of her universe, sticks her nose in everyone's business and stands up to the Siamese. I've seen her stand toe to toe with one of the Siamese and counter box with the best of them. She doesn't roll over and go limp for anyone, yet is docile in the bath and easy to groom. Maggie is spoiled, contrary, and angry; the person who clips her nails must wear two pair of pants, two shirts and a thick jacket, and long oven mitts that cover to the elbow. You must also have her muzzle, a thick towel, and at least two extra pair of hands to do the actual clipping. We don't bathe Maggie.... she goes to the vet, or at least she will until they refuse to provide the service.

So there you have it... how to differentiate between our three Ragdolls! Any more questions? We are late getting to Cats on Tuesday this week; better late than never. Caylynn has been the host while Gatinna has been on vacation.
The Ragdolls will also board Friday's Ark, although a bit late this week. They will also do a turn at the Carnival of the Cats that will be hosted by Leslie's Omnibus on Sunday.

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