Ragdoll cats were bred in the 1960s by Ann Baker; she was a breeder in Riverside, California. The origins of the Ragdoll cat breed consist almost exclusively of free-roaming cats. Ann Baker bred Josephine, a white long-haired female cat who was found running loose at a neighbor's house, and bred her with other cats she had fostered or found.

Ragdoll cats were bred in the 1960s by Ann Baker; she was a breeder in Riverside, California. The origins of the Ragdoll cat breed consist almost exclusively of free-roaming cats. Ann Baker bred Josephine, a white long-haired female cat who was found running loose at a neighbor's house, and bred her with other cats she had fostered or found. The offspring of this female have unique temperament traits that make them very lovable. She selected some individuals for her breeding program whose appearance, temperament and standards met her requirements, and created the Ragdoll cat breed.

Ragdoll cats have four patterns: two-color, four-color, glove, and accent. The pattern comes in six colors: seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream. The markings can be bobcat, tortoiseshell, bobcat tortoiseshell. If you do the math, you'll probably find that there are a lot of different combinations! CFA accepts bicolor, vanity, glove, and accent to show complete color combinations.

Accent Ragdoll cats have a classic accent pattern with no white anywhere on their appearance. The glove ragdoll cat has white paws on its forelimbs, white boots on its hind legs that extend upward to the hock joints, and a white chin that extends to its white belly. Mitten Ragdoll cats may have flame-, star- or hourglass-shaped white patches on their forehead and nose. Bicolor Ragdoll cats have more white on their bodies; the four paws, lower body, chest, and the inverted "V" mark on the face are all white. They may have a patch or two of white on their back. Only their tails, ears, and the outside of their masks have darker colors. Only the top of the mask, ears and tail, and perhaps some spots on the body, show the darker color in the Van Ragdoll cat.