New York City’s historic Algonquin Hotel has had a cat-in-residence since the 1930s, and one of the most famous of all was a Ragdoll named Matilda III. Matilda was rescued from the North Shore Animal League in nearby Long Island and came to live at the Algonquin in 2010. The prrrfect cat ambassador at the Algonquin, Matilda III worked at the front desk greeting all the humans, chilled out on a chaise lounge in the lobby, and posed for pictures with guests. The staff loved her so much they named her DirecFURR of Guest Relations and made her business cards! She even dined on crab cakes prepared for her by the hotel chef! Matilda III was so beloved and famous that she inspired a children’s book – Matilda, The Algonquin Cat – which is written from Matilda’s perspective.

I am a pretty new breed, but my short history is pawsitively fascinating! My ancestors were first bred in 1963 by a human named Ann Baker in Riverside, California. She found a beautiful domestic longhaired white cat named Josephine in her neighborhood and bred her with several other male cats she either found or owned. That’s right, most of my earliest ancestors were rescues! Ann Baker wasn’t looking for a specific pedigree – she bred us for our good looks and sweet-natured temperament. Some of my early ancestors included Persian, Birman, and Burmese cats. She named us Ragdolls because of our tendency to flop into our humans’ arms. Josephine’s fur son, Daddy Warbucks, was the first Ragdoll to be registered with the National Cat Fanciers Association in 1966. Ann Baker was very protective of us and she wanted to make sure that our breed standard met her expectations. She created the International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA) in 1971 in order to manage the number of breeders. She even trademarked our breed name in 1975! There were other passionate Ragdoll breeders in the early days, including husband and wife Denny and Laura Dayton. With a desire to take Ragdoll breeding in a new direction, the Daytons (and other Ragdoll-loving humans) broke away from Anne Baker’s IRCA shortly after she trademarked our name. They formed the Ragdoll Fanciers Club International (RFCI) in order to standardize the breed and be officially recognized by more cat registries. They succeeded, and most of today’s Ragdolls are actually descended from the Daytons’ litters! The Cat Fanciers Association started to register Ragdolls in 1993 and they were fully recognized in 2000. Today we are recognized by most registries, including the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) and The International Cat Association (TICA). Even though we haven’t been around for long, our winning personalities and gorgeous looks helped us become the most popular breed in no time!