Ragdoll Coat Colors And Patterns Explained
A Guide to Ragdoll Coats and Point Breeds
Ragdoll Coat Colors
In the Ragdoll world many use terms like "traditional colors" and "non-traditional colors".
A Ragdoll being one of the "traditional colors" does not mean it is from traditional lines.
A Ragdoll that is not from traditional lines can come in "traditional colors".
All traditional line Ragdolls can only come in some of the "traditional colors".
Below are a series of 5 pictures showing Blue Point Mitted Ragdolls. The first 3 are from traditional lines. The last 2 are not because their mother is a Tortie (Red Gene). They are accepted, can be shown and titled but they can never be considered traditional line because of having Tortie in their pedigree.
*This is why checking pedigrees is so important.*
Traditional Lines
Traditional Lines
Traditional Lines
Not Traditional
Not Traditional
Accepted Ragdoll Breed Standard Colors
Seal Point, Blue Point, Chocolate Point and Lilac Point Ragdolls.
Blue is the dilute of Seal. Lilac is the dilute of Chocolate.
Red Point, Cream Point and Tortie Point Ragdolls.
Cream is the dilute of Red. Both colors as well as Tortie come from the Red gene.
What Colors Can Traditional Line Ragdolls Be?
Seal Point, Blue Point, Chocolate Point and Lilac Point Ragdolls.
Additional TICA Recognized Colors
Cinnamon and Fawn are recognized by TICA but not by CFA. They are unable to be shown or receive titles. Most Ragdoll breeders do not have them in their cattery because they were first made by a breeder cross-breeding with Somali cats which are very different in type, build, traits, etc. than a Ragdoll. Somali are long, slender, athletic and a lot more independent than Ragdolls are.
"Fluff"
Blue Point Mitted
"Green-Bean"
Blue Point Bicolor
"Takumi"
Seal Colorpoint
"Frosty"
Blue Point Mitted
"Icicle"
Blue Point Bicolor
The Red Gene or "O" Gene in Ragdolls
The red gene is what gives red point, cream point and tortie point Ragdolls their colorations. It is a sex linked gene located on the X chromosome.
Male chromosomes are traditionally XY so red and cream coloration happens from their singular X chromosome having the red gene (O).
Fun Fact: It is extremely rare for a male to be a tortie because it requires his chromosomes to be XXY. He will almost always be sterile/incapable of reproducing.
Female chromosomes are XX. When one of their X chromosomes has the red gene (O), that makes a Tortie. When both of their X chromosomes have the red gene, that makes red or cream. A red or cream female requires a male that has the red gene to breed with a female that carries the red gene.
Fun Fact: 2 Blue Tortie Point Bicolors are pictured below, Plum and Elsa. Plum is Elsa's mom!
"Plum"
Blue Tortie Point Bicolor
"Elsa"
Blue Tortie Point Bicolor
"Elsa"
Blue Tortie Point Bicolor
Understanding Ragdoll Patterns
Ragdolls are a point breed which means they only have blue eyes. Not aqua, teal, green or any other shade or color. Being a point breed affects every part of their coloration. The point gene (cs) is recessive so it requires both parents to be cs/cs or carry the gene. Ragdolls are cs/cs.
How Point Breeds Work
Being a point breed means Ragdolls are born white. A Ragdoll's coat colors and pattern reach full development around 2-3 years of age. The points or ends of the cat are darker than the rest of them (face, ears, legs, feet and tail). It is a genetic mutation that involves temperature-sensitive pigment production. Warmer areas have reduced pigment production making the cooler extremities darker.
Fun Fact: The pigmentation being temperature sensitive is why Ragdolls are born white. Their entire bodies are kept warm while their dam (mom) is pregnant with them causing lack of pigment.
Ragdolls are born white
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Their color develops slowly
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Color takes 2-3 years to develop
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Fun Fact: The 3 pictures above show SnootBoop Blueberry (Purple collar) as he grows up so you can see how a Ragdoll's color develops. He is a blue point mitted Ragdoll.
(Pictured at 2 days old, 12 weeks old and almost 2 years old)
Ragdolls Come in 3 Main Patterns
The 3 main Ragdoll patterns are Mitted, Colorpoint and Bicolor. Even torties, lynx and torbies will still always be 1 of the 3 patterns.
Fun fact: Pairing 2 mitted together is how you can get all 3 patterns in 1 litter.
Bicolor comes in variations: True bicolor, high-mitted, mid high-white and high-white/van. True bicolor and high-mitted are visually identical.
Fun Fact: High-mitted are what we most commonly see here in the U.S. because they happen from pairing 2 mitted Ragdolls together.
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Ragdoll Coat Pattern Overlays
Lynx point Ragdolls (tabby stripes) or Torbie point Ragdolls (both Lynx and Tortie together) are the two ways that pattern overlays happen due to the way the Lynx gene works over the point gene.
The pattern overlays can come in any of the colors listed in the Ragdoll colors section. The Tortie half of Torbies come from the red gene so one of their colors will always be red or cream (dilute).
*Having tortie, lynx or torbie in their pedigree means they are not from traditional lines.*
Lynx stripes follow the rules of whatever pattern they come in (bicolor, colorpoint and mitted). Torbies follow no rules with their mix of colors being allowed anywhere even if it "breaks" pattern.
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