not to be confused with the very closely related ragdoll cats the ragamuffin o ften spelled ragamuffin is a breed all its own these large clingy and affectio nate cats love people and have a personality as outsized as their big fluffy fra mes originwhile the details are foggy its generally agreed that ragamuffi ns were created by ragdoll owners who crossed the breed with other longhaired ca ts including turkish angoras himalayans persians and longhaired domestic cats in doing so they increased the breeds size and expanded the colors and patterns a ssociated with these large fur balls the origin of the ragamuffin goes back to a cat named josephine and josephine wasnt even a ragamuffin she was in fact a ragdoll but given the mystery that surrounds the early days of the ragdoll bre ed its not surprising that ragamuffin origins are also intriguing controversy as it turns out there was once a rift in the world of ragdoll aficionados th at led to a lot of tension between factions and even some good ole fashion litig ation the founder of ragdoll cats and owner of josephine ann baker held stringen t control over the breed and its classifications this didnt sit well with some admirers and caused a group of ragdoll breeders to depart from baker and her str ict rules after some hostile years the group ended up with the ragamuffin breed it all sounds very stressful but perhaps worth it when the end result is such a wonderful kitty companion physical attributes of a ragamuffin cat ragamuff in with yellow eyes resting in a sinkattributesits not just their unique origin story that makes ragamuffins special they have some defining features b oth physically and personality wise that distinguish this impressive breed som e of the most distinctive attributes include loveable purrsonalities raga muffins are docile friendly and have a sweet temperament owners of this particul ar breed might even think theyve grown a second shadow because ragamuffins love to provide their humans with some serious companionship their pleasant demeanor makes them excellent pets for homes with children and other animals physical features these large lap cats tend toward the larger side of catdom female ra gamuffins can weigh between and pounds while their male counterparts can t ip the scales at more than pounds these big boned kitties have medium length coats that come in a variety of colors and patterns behaviors given their n ame it should be no surprise that ragamuffins have the tendency to stretch out a nd go limp in their owners arms like well a rag often called puppy like thes e large fur balls are attention seekers who enjoy playtime walks on a leash and can even learn a trick or two grooming and careragamuffins have incredib ly soft fur but luckily for enthusiasts of r coat is tangle resis tant one weekly brushing with a stainless steel comb should suffice for these ki tties this will remove debris and dead hair while helping keep these loveable fe lines looking as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside when it comes to ragamuff tant to brush your kittys teeth once a week to guard against periodontal disease a common occurrence in cats t rim their nails every few weeks check the corners of their eyes and use a damp cloth to wipe away any dirt or discharge clean dirty ears with a cotto ater and apple cider or white vinegar no cotton swabs common health problems for ragamuffin cats ragamuffin cat with green eyes looking upcommon health issuesa hearty breed ragamuffins are generally hea lthy but can be predisposed to the following heredi common form of heart disease in cats is caused by a thickening of the heart muscle polycystic kidney disease pkd this condition made its way to ragamuffins from their persian cat ancestors and can cause renal failurean a lready large breed ragamuffin es them m ore susceptible to obesity owners of these king sized companions should monitor their food intake just to be safe and to make sure kitty isnt going back for se conds or thirds check with your veterinarian for information on proper portion sizes an vider try our vet finder an aspca pet health insurance plan can help pet parents cover the cost of rou tine and unexpected visits to the veterinarian get a quote on coverage now fun factsthe breed had such a crazy beginning that its no wonder ragamuffins here are some fun facts about th ese cuddle crazed kitties ragamuffin kittens are actually born white and de velop a color pattern as they mature these gentle giants are one of the larges t cat breeds ragamuffins are the rd most on known as heterochromia meaning they have two different color ed eyes ragamuffins can live to the ripe old age of it can take four year s for these full sized felines to reach complete physical maturity originally called the liebling wh d to pay homage to the ragdoll breed