Talk:Ragdoll/Archive 1
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Is this a weapon or a cat? Bensaccount 04:22, 15 May 2004 (UTC)
I removed the sentence
- The Ragdoll is the largest fully domestic breed of cat.
because it does not appear to be true, unless 'fully domestic' means something of which I'm unaware (if so, it needs to be defined). Male Maine Coons, for instance, regularly top 25 pounds and have much greater dimensions. I have seen numerous (and not overweight) British Shorthairs that reach 20 pounds also. If 'fully domestic' is being used to exclude these breeds, then it's a very misleading definition. āMorven 17:54, 18 May 2004 (UTC)
H-m-m. Interesting -- and a great photo. Didn't know about this breed. Tell me. This phenomenon of them going limp when picked up -- is that being truly relaxed or an instinctual defensive response left over, perhaps, from its wild progenitors, similar to the way opposums play "possum" in the hope that a potential preditor will lose interest and leave them be? Or, is some weird form of (reverse) myotonia, such as can be found in fainting goats -- the result of a recessive genetic trait made, perhaps, more dominant in ragdolls by inbreeding?deeceevoice 15:09, 29 Mar 2005 (UTC)
I've got a Ragdoll, and in his case at least it's a state of being truly relaxed. It might be that they simply don't "tense" as other animals normally do when being handled, because they don't have a very good sense of danger in general. They do not play "opossum" or "faint". If I had to comment on the genetic reasons behind this, I would guess they possess a mutation that negatively impacts their intelligence, perhaps quite similar to Down's Syndrome. I've never met a Ragdoll who would be capable of surviving in the wild; they place their full trust in everything and everyone and simply will not recognize danger. Cats are solitary hunters in the wild and thus will not respond to training as dogs do; the corollary would be that it'd be much harder for a human to distinguish the difference between a smart cat and a not-so-smart cat.
- Then again, my ragdoll is the opposite. He seems quite distressed whenever he's picked up (by anyone but his favorite person anyway) and doesn't relax or purr.. but has a scared look on his face. Nonetheless, he goes completely limp and doesn't resist even the most outright abuse on his feline person.
I, too, have a Ragdoll which I took in as a stray in '98 [albeit pregnant, unbeknownst to me at the time] and find her to be fully as described in the article. She's non-confrontational [more on that in a moment], and loves for you to pick her up and flop her on her back, cradled in your left arm. I previously hadn't heard of the breed prior to her coming into my life and simply assumed she was a Persian for about 3 years. Mine is the most unusual in typical cat behavior that I've seen; whereas most cats are stand-offish and prefer to sit in your lap instead of being held, she never sits in my lap but I could hold her for most of the day I believe. Purring is mostly silent but can be felt when holding her. Meows are rare unless she is craving some blades of grass from outside. She doesn't associate with my other cats but is highly possessive of my bed, where she sleeps with me, as she quickly dispatches anyone that tries to encroach on her turf which is anywhere on top of the covers. Otherwise she's non-confrontational with the others. In her fearlessness [blissful ignorance?] she has escaped outside from time to time, trotting between three dogs [the neighbor's enormous Boxer Bulldog and another similarly-sized dog of theirs, along with my outdoor Border Collie] as if they're not even there, on her way to quickly eat some grass. Were these animals not tame, she would have been consumed immediately and on many occasions as her self-awareness seems to be switched off at most times. Additionally, nobody that enters the house is a stranger and most guests are expected, by her, to commence petting her upon their arrival as she runs to greet them. I rarely comb her unless it's one of the two times a year she's shedding [it's otherwise not necessary], and this is about the only time she becomes aggressive towards me. She tolerates it for about 5 strokes and then lets me have it, with a scream and a usually harmless smack on my hand, followed by a severe pummelling to the unfortunate cat that happens to be closest to her at that time. Eccentric, but loveable. I think the "pain tolerance" issue can be put to rest. Never having owned a pure breed cat before, instead giving a home to the unfortunate tabby kitten or two, I will seek out this breed in the future. I do not recommend this breed for anything except indoor life; their insatiable curiousity and fearlessness will quickly be their demise outdoors. Click my username to see a pic of her. ~ Gtimandan 05:37, 17 October 2005 (UTC)
- "Kitty Puss" is beautiful. But I have a concern that you don't brush her more often. As she ages, she very well could develop hairballs. Have you tried using the "brush mits" -- gloves that help remove excess hair? Also, if you're not currently using a hairball remedy/preventative, I'd strongly recommend it. If you come across any info about their habit of going limp, please let me know. Curious -- isn't it? deeceevoice 20:58, 29 November 2005 (UTC)