Ragdoll Cat Coloring – An Intro to Ragdoll Colors & Markings

The Ragdoll is one of the most popular breeds in the world. The combination of the famous Ragdoll personality alongside a gorgeous coat ensure that breeder waiting lists are long. Since the fluffy coat has such an appeal, it’s interesting to note that the Ragdoll cat coloring can be hugely varied… and this may well add to desirability.

In this article I’m going to discuss Ragdoll colors as well as coat patterning. The coloring and patterning found in the breed mean that Ragdoll coats are hugely varied… perhaps this too adds to their popularity!

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An Introduction to Ragdoll Cat Coloring

Before delving into Ragdoll cat coloring it’s interesting to note that Ragdoll kittens are born a creamy white color. A strange fact, but I’ll explain why.

Ragdolls have point coloration. This is to say they have a coat that’s more pale in the body than it is in the extremities (face, legs, paws and tail).

Point coloration is typically found in cat breeds like Siamese and Birman: two of the breeds from which Ragdolls were originally likely bred (among others). Hence, Ragdolls have inherited this trait.

Ragdolls (and other pointed cats) have many different varieties of coloring and patterning. However these combinations  don’t tend to come out in their entirety until they reach around 2 to 3 years of age. This is because of a genetic mutation that affects an enzyme involved in the production of melanin, which colors fur.

In pointed cat breeds, the enzyme that affects melanin triggers at cooler temperatures. This means that kittens come out of the womb “colorless” since they’ve been surrounded by the warmth of their mothers.

When Ragdoll kittens are born, their bodies are exposed to ambient temperatures and their extremities (face, ears, legs, paws, tails) become cooler than the main area of their body. As kittens age, the cooler areas become darker while the warmer parts remain a cream or white color.

When the pointed colors do come out, there are six different varieties:

• Blue
• Chocolate
• Cream
• Lilac
• Red
• Seal

Ragdoll coats can also be patterned:

• Bi-Colored
• Colorpoint
• Lynx
• Mitted
• Tortie
• Van

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Bi-Colored Ragdolls

Bi-colored Ragdolls are point colored with solid white spots with another color and / or pattern. The ears, face and tail is dark with the face also having a white inverted “V” pattern. Additionally, they have a dark “saddle” across their back, with the throat, legs, paws, chest and underbelly will be white.

Bi-colored Ragdolls have pink noses and deep blue eyes.

Colorpoint Ragdolls

The colorpoint pattern is perhaps the look that most people imagine when they think of Ragdolls.

Colorpoint Ragdolls have what’s considered the classic markings of darkened face, ears, tail and paws with a different and more pale color through the rest of their coat.

Interestingly, their nose and paw pads also have the same color as the points.

Lynx Ragdolls

Lynx patterning is a combination of the Ragdoll point coloring with a tabby-like striping on the darkened areas of the head, tail and legs.

The tabby markings on the face have a “W” shape, and as with all Ragdolls the eyes are blue.

Mitted Ragdolls

Mitted Ragdolls have similar patterns to colorpoints, though in place of darkened paws they have bright, white “mittens”… hence the name!

On the front legs, the mittens only cover the paws, but on the hind legs the white mittens extend up the legs to the hocks. The points are dark and contrast the body color and the chin will be white running down through the belly.

On the face, there may be a white blaze (a star or diamond like shape) between the eyes or a broken white blaze between the eyes and nose.

The nose and paws have the same color as the points.

Tortie Ragdolls

The tortie (tortoiseshell) pattern equates to markings with red and cream patches on the point areas, which will be largely seal or chocolate colored. The Tortie pattern will be unique to each cat.

As a point of interest, Tortie Ragdoll cats are always female!

Van Ragdolls

The Van pattern results in dark points only on the ears, face and tail, which is clearly defined from the remaining white fur. That said, there may be minor spotting on the coats.

Van Ragdolls have pink noses and paw pads.

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Ragdoll Cat Coloring & Patterning

Having outlined Ragdoll cat coloring and patterning separately, I’ll now combine them to describe the specific combinations.

Blue Point Ragdolls

Blue point Ragdolls have a blue-white body that gradually fades into white moving towards the chest and stomach. The points are a deep blue, and the nose and paw pads a slate color.

Chocolate Point Ragdolls

Chocolate point Ragdolls have an ivory-colored body that fades into a lighter tone heading towards the chest and stomach.The points are a warm, milk-chocolate color and the nose and paw pads an orangey pink.

Cream Point Ragdolls

Cream point Ragdolls have a white body that may have shading in the same tone as the points. The points will be a pale brown cream to a light pink cream, and the nose and paw pads a pink to flesh color.

Lilac Point Ragdolls

Lilac point Ragdolls have a pure white body and light gray points with a hint of pink. The nose and paw pads are colored lavender pink.

Red Point Ragdolls

Red point Ragdolls have a white body that may have shading in the same tone as the points. The points will be a bright orange to a deep red, and the nose and paw pads a pink to flesh color.

Seal Point Ragdolls

Seal point Ragdolls have a pale fawn to cream body color, that fades into a lighter color moving towards the chest and stomach. The points, nose and paw pads are a deep seal brown.

Blue Lynx Point Ragdolls

Blue lynx point Ragdolls have a cool blue-white to silver-grey body fading into a lighter color towards the chest and stomach, with shading on the body being ghost stripes or tick shapes.

The points will have dark blue-gray bar shapes with a lighter background while the ears will have a pale thumbprint at the center. The nose will be slate colored or pink edged in slate while the paw pads will be fully slate.

Chocolate Lynx Point Ragdolls

Chocolate lynx point Ragdolls have an ivory body shaded with ghost stripes or tick shapes. The points have milk chocolate colored bars set against a lighter background, while the ears are milk chocolate with a pale thumbprint at the center.

The nose will be cinnamon colored or pink edged in cinnamon, while the paw pads will be fully cinnamon colored.

Cream Lynx Point Ragdolls

Cream lynx point Ragdolls have a white body shaded with ghost stripes or tick shapes. The points have bar shapes colored a pale creamy brown to a creamy pink on a lighter background.

The ears are a pale creamy brown to light pink, with a pale thumbprint at the center. The paw pads and nose are a pink to flesh color.

Lilac Lynx Point Ragdolls

Lilac lynx point Ragdolls have a white body with ghost stripes or tick shapes. The points are a light gray with salmon tinged bar stripes on a lighter background.

The ears are colored light gray with a pink tone and a pale thumbprint at the center. The nose is a lilac pink or pinked with a lilac-pink edge while the paw pads are a lilac pink.

Red Lynx Point Ragdolls

Red lynx point Ragdolls have a white body with ghost stripes or tick shapes. The points have dark red bar stripes on a lighter background.

The ears too are a dark red with a pale thumbprint at the center. The paw pads and nose are a pink to flesh color.

Seal Lynx Point Ragdolls

Seal lynx point Ragdolls have a cream or pale fawn body with lighter coloring on the chest and stomach. There are ghost stripes or tick shapes on the body while the points have seal brown bars on a laughter background.

The ears will be a seal brown color too with a pale thumbprint at the center. The nose may be seal brown or edged in pink, while the paw pads are fully seal brown.

Chocolate-Tortie Point Ragdolls

Chocolate-tortie point Ragdolls have an ivory body that may be mottled. The points are a warm milk-chocolate and mottled with red, cream or a mixture of both colors.

The nose and paw pads will be cinnamon with flesh colored or pink mottling.

Seal-Tortie Point Ragdolls

Seal-tortie point Ragdolls have a cream to pale fawn body with a lighter color on the chest and stomach. The body may be mottled with cream, while the points will be a seal brown mottled with red, cream or a mixture of both colors.

The nose and paw pads will be seal brown with a flesh colored or pink mottling

Blue-Cream Point Ragdolls

Blue-cream point Ragdolls have a blue-white to silver-gray body with possible mottling, fading to a lighter color on the chest and stomach.

The points will be a dark blue-gray with possible cream mottling, and the nose and paw pads will be slate gray with pink or flesh colored mottling.

Lilac-Cream Point Ragdolls

Lilac-cream point Ragdolls have a cold-white body and possibly a light-gray mottling. The points too will be light-gray but with a pink tinge and possibly mottled with pale cream.

The nose and paw pads are a lilac-pink, possibly with pink or flesh colored mottling.

Blue-Cream Lynx Point Ragdolls

Blue-cream lynx point Ragdolls have a blue-white to silver-gray body with a lighter color on the chest and stomach. There may be ghost stripes, tick shapes and / or cream mottling on the body, while the points will have dark blue-gray bars on a lighter background, possibly with cream mottling.

The ears will be a dark blue-gray with a pale thumbprint to the center, while the nose will be fully slate-gray or edged with pink and possibly pink or flesh colored mottling. The paw pads too will be slate-gray and possibly mottled with pink or flesh colors.

Chocolate-Tortie Lynx Point Ragdolls

Chocolate-tortie lynx point Ragdolls have an ivory body with ghost stripes, tick shapes and / or cream mottling. The points have milk-chocolate colored bar shapes on a lighter background with red or red and cream mottling overlaying the markings.

The ears have a milk-chocolate coloring with a pale thumbprint to the center, while the nose may be fully cinnamon or edged in pink with possible pink or flesh colored mottling. The paw pads can be cinnamon or cinnamon with pink or flesh colored mottling.

Lilac-Cream Lynx Point Ragdolls

Lilac-cream lynx point Ragdolls have a white body with ghost stripes, tick shapes and / or cream mottling. The points are a cool gray with salmon-tinged bar stripes on a lighter background, with cream mottling overlays.

The ears too are a cool gray with a hint of salmon and a pale thumbprint to the center. The nose is a lilac-pink color or pink edged in lilac-pink and in each case there may be pink or flesh colored mottling. The paw pads are fully lilac-pink with possible pink or flesh colored mottling.

Seal-Tortie Lynx Point Ragdolls

Seal-tortie lynx point Ragdolls have a pale fawn or cream body fading to a lighter color on the chest and stomach. There may be ghost stripes, tick shapes and /or cream mottling. The points have seal brown bar stripes on a lighter background, and red or red and cream mottling overlaying the stripes.

Additionally, the ears are a pale brown color with a lighter thumbprint to the center. The nose will be fully seal brown or edged with pink with possible pink or flesh colored mottling. The paw pads will be seal brown, with or without pink or flesh colored mottling.

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Summary – Ragdoll Cat Coloring

Hopefully this introduction to Ragdoll cat coloring has shown you the enormous variety of coat colors and markings this gorgeous breed can present. Truly, no two Ragdolls look the same!

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Do you have a Ragdoll? Perhaps you have further insight into Ragdoll cat coloring and coat patterns? Please leave a question or comment in the section at the bottom of this page.

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