Ana strongly dislikes referring to cat breeds as “pasmine,” as she believes the term is reserved for dog breeds. Even though Ragdolls possess some dog-like traits, they are still cats and deserve to be referred to as a species, not a breed.
The Ragdoll species could best be described with the phrase: “Better something than nothing.” Now you might wonder: “Why that phrase?” Ragdolls are known as a stunning species. They’ll captivate you with their blue eyes and silky fur, but sometimes surprise you with their lack of resourcefulness. They are very gentle and tame, which makes them perfect for families with children, but also “incapable” of surviving outside the home. So, if they’re not particularly “smart,” at least they’re exceptionally beautiful.
When Ana started explaining Ragdoll genetics to her family, she simplified it like this: There are three main colors—seal, chocolate, and red. She explained that there are also lighter variations (as if you mixed the colors with white), which are blue, lilac, and cream. If a cat has stripes, it’s called lynx. If a female cat has three colors (calico, tortoiseshell), it’s called tortie. The combination of tortie and lynx is referred to as torbie (short for tortie + lynx).
Additionally, there are three patterns in which all these colors can appear: colorpoint, mitted, and bicolor. The colorpoint pattern is easiest to remember by thinking of Siamese cats. The mitted pattern is similar to colorpoint but with white paws, as if the cat dipped its feet in paint. The bicolor pattern is distinctive for its “split” face, resembling an inverted V-shape.