History

It is generally accepted that the man made breed of cat, known as "Ragdoll", was founded in Riverside, California,
in the 1960's, by a woman named Ann Baker, and the foundation cat was her neighbour's non-pedigree,
white, longhaired female cat named Josephine. It is believed Josephine carried the MINK gene.

At one time Josephine was mated to a self coloured black tom called Blackie and a self coloured black
female was born who Ann Baker called Buckwheat. It is believed Buckwheat carried the Sepia gene.
The MINK Ragdoll is from the original cats used by Ann Baker to establish the Ragdoll cat.

A genetic colour variation present in many Ragdolls throughout the World from the original cats,
Josephine and Blackie, creates the Sepias and MINK Ragdolls. This gene alters the basic colour of pointed
Ragdolls. In a Sepia the body colour of the cat is rich in colour, a slightly lighter colour than the points
and in a MINK the body coat colour has a lighter shade than the points but not as light as in a normal
pointed Ragdoll of the same basic colour.  This gene affects all of the colours available in Ragdolls.
MINK Ragdolls are available in all of the same colours and patterns as the pointed Ragdolls.

The MINK Ragdolls are born with full body colour and blue eyes but their eye colour begins
to change at around 7 weeks of age and continues to develop to greenish-blue, aqua, as they
mature. Their body colour will progressively get somewhat darker as they mature. MINK
Ragdolls have smooth, incredibly soft fur which feels much like a Ladies' Mink Stole,
or a Cashmere Rabbit's fur, hence the name MINK Ragdoll.

For some years the pointed Ragdolls were the favoured ones and the self coloureds and MINK
Ragdolls were ignored. Ann Baker did not bother with them either but by 1971, when she had
formed her own registry, IRCA, Ann had a wide assortment of Ragdolls, including the MINK.

Since IRCA, Ann Baker's own cat registry, was not a recognised body the pedigrees of many early
Ragdoll cats, including MINK Ragdolls and self coloureds registered with this registry were never
recognised and tend to be 'controversial' even to this day. They are often seen listed on pedigrees
from other registries as "Foundation".  MINK Ragdolls are now more widely accepted. 

A MINK parent with a pointed parent will produce a mixed litter of pointed and MINK kittens
because the MINK Ragdolls carry the pointing gene, whereas two pointed parents will only
produce pointeds. If a MINK Ragdoll is bred to another MINK Ragdoll a sepia can be produced.
Ragdolls with two copies of the sepia gene are sepia in colour whilst Ragdolls with a single copy
of the sepia gene paired with a single copy of the sepia pointing gene are MINK Ragdolls. 

Self coloured Ragdolls may also carry a single copy of the sepia gene coupled with
the dominant gene for self colour.  Thus they could produce self coloured and
MINK pointed kittens when mated to a normal colour pointed Ragdoll. 

Our Seal Tortie Bi-Colour/High Mitted Mink Ragdoll Queen
JANAE - AURORAPETZ Janae-Eve-M