Ragdoll Cat Colour Change

As one floppycat reader pointed out perfectly the essential element of color change in ragdolls is based on temperature.

Ragdoll cat colour change. So much so that they are walking meowing moods rings for temperature. As wikipedia states point coloration refers to animal coat coloration with a pale body and relatively darker extremities i e. The face ears feet tail and in males scrotum. Any other change in colour suggests they are not a full ragdoll.

Hofve told me that in ragdoll cats their coats change color depending on skin temperature. Ragdoll cats are color pointed cats much like birmans siamese and more. They have a very pale colour wash over their back of their point colour. This leads to the following questions.

Ragdoll kittens will not open their eyes until their second week of life. There is not much insulating tissue. Red red or flame ragdolls have a fiery orange colour to their coats. They are born with blue eyes and they will remain blue if they are a true purebred ragdoll.

Seal dark brown points on a lighter body colour and blue steely grey colour with a lighter body colouring the standard ragdoll catcolours are seal and blue only. Allowance should be made for darker color in older cats as ragdolls generally darken with age but there must be definite contrast between body color and points. It is most common to see ragdolls with a red mitted coat. The blue eye colour will continue to get darker until the age of 3 years.

Why does this happen. The tica ragdoll breed standard for the ragdoll cat allows the following colors. The ragdoll has a bunny soft semi longhair coat which does not require extensive grooming. Eyes are always blue color.

Then as the kitten gets older the darker areas grow alongside it to develop its pattern. E g ears are thin tail and legs don t have much between skin and bone. They have more white than a blue. Regardless of the color and the type of point of a ragdoll cat its color progression will be different over time.

While it is a kitten it will go from full white to white with some dark colored areas in the extremities. Ragdoll cats will continue to color with age the older the less blood will flow through the veins the darker the cat will become and they will also continue to vary with season. Like a mood ring will change color every time it is exposed to a different temperature so will a ragdoll cat. Full color development may not be evident until 2 3 years of age.

That s why they have dark points where there the skin is coolest.