The Ragdoll
History
The breed has its origins in California in 60 years, the founder of the breed is Ann Baker. The cat where it all began, the white angora-like Josephine. This cat was from Ann Baker's neighbor Mrs. Pennels and was frequently seen in the area. She had many kittens, but they were all wild like Josephine. At some point Josephine was hit by a car. Ann Baker's neighbors found her, injured but alive. They worked at the local university and Josephine took them to work, where she nursed her until she was healed.
Josephine went back home and got another kitten. However, these kittens were different than kittens that were born before the accident: Instead of being wild, they were very playful, sweet and relaxed, and were fond of human attention. Mrs. Pennels, the owner, saw this behavior as unpleasant and longed to get lost of the kittens. At this time, Ann's interest in the kittens grew, she recognized the change in character and this meant that she started keeping some kittens, Buckwheat first.
Around that time Ann had borrowed one of Josephine's older sons to bring a new line into her black Persian breeding program. This son had the appearance of a black / brown Persian and she named him Blackie. It was on one of her visits to borrow him that she saw Blackie's brother. He looked more than impressive and Ann found he had the appearance of a Birman. Since the confidence of the owner was already won, she could borrow this cat to cross with her own cats.
She loved him and named him Raggedy Ann Daddy Warbucks.
According to Ann Blackie and Daddy Warbucks were both sons of Josephine, but with a different father. Blackie's father was a "black cat from the East ", which looked more like a persian than a burmees. The father of Daddy Warbucks is unknown, making it difficult to know the origin of the breed.
Buckwheat was a daughter of Blackie and Josephine, she was a solid black cat. Her appearance was described as that of a Burmees, but she had a thick coat. Besides this daughter of Josephine Ann had also another daughter of her, this time was the father, however was Daddy Warbucks. This cat was named Raggedy Ann Fugianna. Fugianna was in fact a poorly drawn bicolor.
Now that Ann had both Buckwheat and Fugianna in her possession, and she still had the right of coverage of Daddy Warbucks, the foundation for the breed was laid, and it was from these three descendants of Josephine that the Ragdoll breed originated.
Ann Baker realized that the kittens were special, and she called them Ragdolls and in 1975 she asked the patent on the name Ragdoll. Laura and Danny Dayton, who bought their Ragdolls from by Ann Baker in 1969, knew how to get out form under this patent and continued with their breeding program under the cattery Blossom Time. They are of great significance for the further development of the Ragdoll breed as we, know today.