Ragdolls are a relatively new breed of cat, having only been around since the 1960s. The breed was developed by breeder Ann Baker in California, and is one of the most popular breeds in the United States today.
Ragdoll cats are known for their docile and laid-back personalities, as well as their beautiful blue eyes and long fur. Ragdolls come in a variety of colors and patterns, but are some colors are rarer than others? We surveyed our community of Ragdoll Cat owners to find out which is the rarest Ragdoll color.
What Colors are Ragdoll Cats?
Traditional Ragdolls come in six different colors: seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, flame (red), and cream. And three distinct patterns: pointed (a darker color on the face, ears, legs, and tail), mitted (points plus white paws), or bi-color (white patches on the face and body).
What are the most popular Ragdoll colors?
The two most common colors for Ragdolls are seal and blue point, which make up about 40% and 30% of the breed respectively. Seal Ragdolls have brown fur with dark brown markings, while Blue Ragdolls have gray fur with dark gray markings.
What are the rarest Ragdoll Colors?
Since they are not as commonly seen, Chocolate, lilac, and flame Ragdolls are considered to be rarer. While all Ragdoll colors are gorgeous, these three colors seem to stand out a bit more. Each color is unique and beautiful in its own way.
Chocolate Ragdolls have a creamy brown coat that is simply stunning. Lilac Ragdolls have a delicate gray coat that is very eye-catching. Flame Ragdolls have a coat that is a mix of red and orange, giving them a very fiery look. All of these colors are quite rare and not often seen in Ragdolls.
According to The International Cat Association (TICA), less than 5% of Ragdolls are chocolate point and the same applies for lilac points. Flame point Ragdolls are slightly more popular than chocolate and lilac ragdolls, receiving 7% of the vote from the Ragdoll owners we surveyed.
Cream Ragdolls are the rarest of colors. Only 3% of the ragdoll cat lovers surveyed had a cream-colored ragdoll cat. Cream ragdolls have a white body with ivory points on their face, ears, tail and paws. Because they are so light in color that they are often mistaken as being pure white Ragdolls.
What about other Ragdoll Cat colors?
Some breeders specialize in breeding exotic variants of Ragdolls such as Mink, Sepia and Solid types that are marketed as rare. However, these types do not conform to the traditional breed standard as recognised by governing bodies, such as the Cat Fanciers Association, and therefore as not classed as purebred Ragdolls.
Mink, Sepia, and Solid Color are not new breed or color. They are actually a bloodline that can be traced back to the first Ragdoll cat breed by Ann Baker in the 1960s. Traditional Ragdoll Cat breeders argue that when Ann Baker developed the breed back in the 1960s, she rejected the Mink and solid color kittens in favor of the pointed types that have become the Ragdoll Breed Standard.
Mink Ragdolls have the same pointed coat pattern and colors as the traditional Ragdoll, but their coat is silky and plush like that of a mink and their color is much darker.
The Sepia Ragdoll Cat resembles the Mink, but its color is double the darkness. Another unique difference are the coloring of its eyes. Where as the Mink Ragdoll has aqua eyes, the Sepia Ragdoll’s eye colors can be green, blue, aqua, or gold.
Solid Ragdolls are born without any markings or patterns on their fur. They are one solid color from head to toe. They come in a variety of colors, not seen in traditional Ragdoll cats, including black and cinnamon.
While these types are not recognized as the official Ragdoll Breed Standard by governing bodies such as the Cat Fanciers Association, they are still beautiful cats. As these cats do not conform to breed standard they are not permitted to be shown in competitions.
