Ragdoll cats are affectionate cats who love cuddling, but are they hypoallergenic?
The ragdoll cat is highly affectionate and desires human interaction and companionship. This large, popular cat breed makes some of the best pets for children, cat cafes, and cat owners of all types. They will even follow their owners around the house like a dog like their cousins, ragamuffin cats. But are they hypoallergenic?
What Are Ragdoll Cats?
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Ragdoll cats are one of the cuddliest cat breeds. They love to be handled and are an excellent breed of cat for children. According to FloppyCats.com, "other kitties, depending on the line and how well they are socialized as kittens, may enjoy being handled as well, but not to the extent of a Ragdoll, which literally goes limp when picked up." They can become lonely and suffer from separation anxiety if they do not receive lots of attention or have another cat to play with.
Ragdoll cats have blue eyes (but can occasionally have different eye colors), are usually larger than the average cat (between 15-20 pounds), and live between 9-15 years on average. They are also quiet cats and do not often vocalize with their owners. There are not many health issues associated with the breed, but they are prone to obesity, kidney stones, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and feline infectious peritonitis.
Ragdoll kittens are born white but develop a wide range of colors as they mature. They have long hair, and their colorings are often similar to Siamese cats, and purebred ragdolls can sometimes be mistaken for mixed breeds of other cats. Ragdolls can come in different colors, including blue, chocolate, cream, lilac, flame, and seal. Ragdolls may also come in several patterns, such as bicolor, mitted, lynx, and colorpoint. Their long coats need to be brushed twice per week to prevent hairballs and shedding.
Are Ragdoll Cats Hypoallergenic?
Ragdoll cats are not hypoallergenic; however, this is unsurprising because no cats are completely hypoallergenic. When someone has cat allergies, they are allergic to the protein FEL d 1 — This is typically found in cat saliva and can spread through licking, scratching, or cat dander. Because of these, even hairless cats such as the Sphynx cat are not hypoallergenic.
However, some cats produce less dander (and thus have less of the FEL d 1 protein to secrete). Ragdoll cats fall into this category, as they pose significantly less risk of an allergic reaction due to their coats' nature. Ragdoll cat's fur is long, but they lack a typical cat's undercoat, reducing the number of allergens they spread inside a home. This makes the ragdoll breed as close to a hypoallergenic cat as possible for many cat lovers.
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