RagaMuffin
Updated July 19, 2026
The RagaMuffin is a large, slow-maturing American longhair with substantial bone, a soft rabbit-like coat, expressive walnut eyes, a broad sweet face, abundant colors, and an exceptionally affectionate, easygoing disposition.
Cuddly, Gentle, People-oriented, Patient, Playfully relaxed
10-20 pounds
12-16 years
At a Glance
Maintenance Level
Affection Level
Energy Level
Good with Kids
Vocalization Level
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About RagaMuffin
The RagaMuffin is a large, slow-maturing American longhair with substantial bone, a soft rabbit-like coat, expressive walnut eyes, a broad sweet face, abundant colors, and an exceptionally affectionate, easygoing disposition.
Coat Length
Long Hair
Breed Group
Longhair
Weight
10-20 pounds
Great For
What Makes RagaMuffins Special
A broad rounded modified wedge, puffy whisker pads, short rounded muzzle, scoop profile, and large walnut eyes create the required sweet expression without a flat face.
The rectangular, broad-chested body is heavy and muscular with substantial bone and a long plume, reaching full maturity at roughly four years rather than becoming deliberately overweight.
RagaMuffin History & Origin
In the early 1990s, breeders left Ann Baker's organization and continued with cats related to her Ragdoll program while using selected domestic longhairs to widen the gene pool and establish a distinct type and color range. The group adopted the name RagaMuffin in 1994, deliberately echoing its Ragdoll and street-cat roots.
The breed preserved a large affectionate longhair goal while developing a rounder expression and many non-pointed colors.
CFA accepted RagaMuffins for registration in 2003.
CFA championship recognition followed in 2011; TICA currently retains RagaMuffin in Category VI registration-only status rather than championship.
RagaMuffin Characteristics
Individual Variation
Cats are individuals and not all cats, even those of the same breed, will exhibit all the same qualities.
Care Requirements
Exercise Needs
Grooming Needs
Shedding Level
RagaMuffin Appearance
A medium-to-large, slow-maturing, powerful longhair with a broad rectangular torso, heavy bone, rounded contours, expressive face, and overall balance preferred over maximum size.
The soft medium-long coat grows longer around the neck and face, down the belly, and over the hind legs, while remaining silky enough to separate rather than form a cottony mass.
Physical Features
Ears
Medium, set as much to the side as top, tilted slightly forward, rounded at the tips, and furnished proportionately.
Eyes
Large, expressive, moderately wide-set, and walnut-shaped, with a rounded top and slightly angled lower line contributing strongly to the sweet expression.
Nose
Medium-short with a gentle scoop in profile and no abrupt break or extreme flattening.
Coat & Build
Tail
Long and fully furnished like a plume, proportionate to the body, medium at the base, and gently tapered.
RagaMuffin Temperament
A broad rounded modified wedge, puffy whisker pads, short rounded muzzle, scoop profile, and large walnut eyes create the required sweet expression without a flat face.
The rectangular, broad-chested body is heavy and muscular with substantial bone and a long plume, reaching full maturity at roughly four years rather than becoming deliberately overweight.
Temperament Traits
Good With
Health
RagaMuffins have a broadened domestic-longhair foundation but still carry testable risks from ancestral populations. The conventional PKD1 variant has been documented in the breed, as has the Ragdoll-associated MYBPC3 R820W variant. Testing has reduced PKD1 frequency in monitored populations, demonstrating why records matter rather than proving the risk has disappeared.
Common Health Issues
Preventive Care
Request DNA results for PKD1 and MYBPC3 R820W from identified parents, plus serial echocardiography by a veterinary cardiologist and family cause-of-death records. A negative R820W result does not exclude all HCM, and kidney values may remain normal early in PKD. Maintain lean condition, dental care, hydration, and regular grooming, and monitor heart, kidneys, urine, blood pressure, and thyroid with age.
Caring for Your RagaMuffin
Grooming Requirements
The medium-to-long coat is soft, dense, and silky with a neck ruff and hind-leg furnishings. It often resists matting better than a woolly Persian coat but still tangles behind ears, under legs, on the belly, and around the trousers.
Brushing
Comb thoroughly two or three times weekly and daily during seasonal shedding, reaching the skin with a wide-tooth comb before checking vulnerable areas with a finer comb.
Bathing
Bathe when oily or dirty with a mild cat-safe shampoo, rinse the dense coat completely, towel-blot, and dry in warmth while combing gently.
Eye Care
Wipe minor discharge with a separate soft damp cloth for each eye; persistent redness, pain, cloudiness, or colored discharge needs veterinary examination.
Nail Care
Every 2-3 weeks.
Essential Grooming Tools
Exercise & Play
RagaMuffins are playful and capable despite a calm teddy-bear image. Large adults need regular movement to protect muscle and joints, while youngsters may remain kittenish for years.
Daily Requirements
Provide about 35-50 minutes of interactive play in several sessions, plus weight-rated climbing, broad steps, long scratching surfaces, and food-search activity.
Mental Stimulation
Rotate puzzles and prey-style toys, teach recall and carrier entry, provide window views and family interaction, and use part of the measured ration for slow foraging rather than unlimited treats.
Recommended Activities
Nutrition & Feeding
Feed a complete-and-balanced life-stage diet and assess the ribs, waist, and muscle by touch. The breed is naturally substantial and has a lower abdominal fat pad, but neither feature justifies excess body fat.
Daily Amount
Use the manufacturer's feeding guide as an initial estimate, measure the whole daily ration including rewards, divide it among two or more meals and enrichment, and adjust with a veterinarian using body and muscle condition, growth, age, and activity.
Special Considerations
Allow slow-growing kittens to develop on a controlled growth diet without pushing size. Provide fresh water and an appropriate wet-food component; kidney or heart disease requires individualized veterinary nutrition, not preventive restriction without diagnosis.
Living Environment
Space Requirements
Suitable for apartments or houses with broad weight-rated perches, large litter boxes, stable scratching posts, safe floor space, and warm quiet retreats sized for a substantial adult.
Climate Preferences
The coat supplies insulation but can trap heat. Maintain an indoor controlled environment with cool surfaces, shade, airflow, and water in heat and dry warm beds in cold conditions.
Ideal Lifestyle Match
Best with affectionate people who want a close companion and will not leave a very social cat routinely isolated. Often adaptable to calm family life and compatible pets after gradual introductions.
Colors & Patterns
RagaMuffins occur in virtually every genetically possible color and pattern, with or without white. CFA exhibition excludes pointed and pointed-with-white cats even though they may be registered for breeding.
Solid Colors
Patterns
Eye Colors
All colors, including green, gold, copper, aqua, blue, and odd eyes, with intensity and harmony valued
Fun Facts About RagaMuffin
The separate breed name was adopted in 1994 after breeders left Ann Baker's organization.
Selected domestic longhairs helped broaden the early gene pool.
Full maturity may take approximately four years.
The standard calls for walnut-shaped rather than oval or fully round eyes.
The PKD1 variant is documented in RagaMuffins and can be DNA tested.
The Ragdoll-associated MYBPC3 R820W HCM variant has also been detected in the breed.
CFA accepted the breed for registration in 2003.
CFA championship status followed in 2011.
Training Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a RagaMuffin and a Ragdoll?
They share historical roots but now have separate standards. RagaMuffins have a broader color range, rounded modified-wedge head and walnut-shaped eyes; CFA Ragdolls are blue-eyed pointed cats with their own head and body details.
Do RagaMuffins go limp when held?
Some relaxed individuals may soften in trusted arms, but this is not a safety feature or test of breed identity. Always support the chest and hindquarters and respect a cat that wants to be put down.
Are pointed RagaMuffins recognized?
CFA can register pointed and pointed-with-white RagaMuffins for breeding, but they are not currently eligible for exhibition. Other registries may classify colors differently.
Specialized Care Guides
Kitten Care
Verify parental PKD1 and MYBPC3 R820W results plus recent cardiac screening, continue complete growth nutrition without overfeeding, and begin combing, toothbrushing, nail care, carrier skills, gentle handling, and broad positive socialization early.
Senior Care
Arrange veterinary checks every 6-12 months as advised for heart, kidneys, urine, blood pressure, thyroid, teeth, weight, muscle, coat, and joints. Add broad ramps or steps, low-entry large litter boxes, warm beds, and more frequent grooming.
First-Time Owner Tips
A strong first-cat option for someone who wants a highly affectionate companion and can manage several weekly combing sessions, a large adult and equipment, measured feeding, dental care, and meaningful DNA plus cardiac records.
Looking for a RagaMuffin?
Connect with responsible breeders, rescue organizations, and pet adoption services in your area.