Ragdoll cats, also called 'floppycats' have an interesting story behind them which many discount, others do not. It goes like this:
A woman in Southern California had a pregnant cat, Josephene, who was injured in a car accident and when the kittens were born they all exhibited this incredibly relaxed condition. This story is often told but what is not often mentioned, and is, we think, the most salient point; when the accident happened, natural morphines were created in Josephine’s brain and released into her body to assuage her pain. This happens all the time under these conditions. This is what the body does to deal with trauma. And, of course, those morphines entered into her blood stream and into the bodies of the yet unborn kittens. They were all born in a pacified, relaxed, easy going state, (‘high’,you might say), as a consequence of these natural pain inhibitors which had entered their bodies and modified their makeup. The gene modification took and this gave us floppycats. Or so the story goes, along with a half dozen elaborations of the original story all the way to a secret government experiment being behind the Ragdoll.
Floppy cat kittens, it is said, were then bred with Persians and Burmese, thus their appearance(s) and the trait of their relaxedness continues on. It is often said that the Floppycat is immune to pain but this is not the case. They are simply, organically and naturally relaxed, especially when picked up – an event in a cat’s life which is potentially stressful. They may not show pain as readily as other breeds but they do feel it and require as much consideration as any other cat breed.
The Ragdoll has what is called ‘point coloration’ meaning that it is lighter in the body with seal, chocolate, lilac or blue at the extremities. Generally, the Ragdoll is a large, heavy, muscular cat with a strong bone structure and with medium-long, very soft and silky fur. They do not achieve full size until about four years of age.
Besides the soft prettiness of the Ragdoll, their other major appeal is their sweet, docile personality for which they are famous. They are congenial, friendly, playful (but not demanding) and get along with everybody including children and other pets. They are also highly adaptable and will accept and make the most of the environment in which they find thenmselves. (But give them a loving one – they deserve it). Known for their enthusiasm for food they are yet gentle about asking for or responding to it. You might even say they are ‘polite’ at table.
(Information for this article was taken from Desmond Morris’s “Cat World”, Barron’s “Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds” and from personal anecdote and experience.)
So what fountain designs are best for a floppycat?
This easy going, long haired cat might drink from anywhere but should have a fountain that will keep her fur dry and clean. We, of ThirstyCats, create such fountains, for floppycats and other long haired cats. Best are those with a raised drinking area, either with our without a stream. This would include the no-spout Piazza, or if your cat has shown an attraction to the fountain, a Piazza with one or two streams is ideal.
Floppycats Cat Drinking Fountains
All the cat water fountains shown on this page, as well as many others not shown, are designed for Floppycats and other longhair breeds. They can drink from the streams or raised basins or both and keep their beautiful fur dry, which helps keep their fur clean.
