Maine Coon/Ragdoll mix?

[tobykitten]

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• tobykitten
• Jun 20, 2013

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• tobykitten
• Jun 20, 2013

This is Toby, at about 10 weeks.

He's a Craigslist find -- advertised as a "Maine Coon/Ragdoll mix".  Obviously since no papers or proven pedigree, he's a "Domestic Medium Hair" officially.   The vet agrees that he's probably got some Maine Coon/Ragdoll mix in him though.

I live in Maine, too - I know Maine Coons are said to have started here, but I have no idea of their prevalence in the state.

Thoughts welcome!  He's very sweet and cuddly, and has extra digits (polydactyl) on all 4 paws, and is expected to be a "big boy" according to the vet.

 

[StefanZ]

Why Ragdoll?? I can understand we do talk about Maine Coon, either back in the near parentage, or most probably, him being a nice example of the foundation stock from which they took these individuals used in the Maine Coon breeding programme...

But why mention ragdoll, so even the vet did agree?  Does he accept to lay in peculiar poses alike a trash dock??  Because I dont see no point on him. Or should I renew my glasses?

Pretty boy!

Good luck to your awesome Craigslist  find!

 

[tobykitten]

Wow!

Ragdoll was only what he was listed as being, so when the vet asked if we knew anything about his heritage, I just mentioned what he had been listed as.

Yes, he does the limp-thing when held, and is very docile, perhaps why the vet was inclined to agree. 

I realize he is probably NOT an actual pure bred cross.  He does not have point coloring, either - he's shaggy, tabby and white.

 

[franksmom]

He is very cute but as a ragdoll owner I do not see any in him. The going limp thing is sort of a mythology about Ragdolls created by the very eccentric person who developed the breed. Though my ragdoll is very docile and goes limp but many Ragdolls don't. It is more of a trait of gamma personalities which a lot of long hair cats are.

 

[StefanZ]

Said all this,  IF there happened to be an OOPS mating between an MCO and Ragdoll, the result could be like Toby here.  A longhaired cat, as both parents are longhaired. Rather big too,  and almost surely no point!

  Because both parents most be points, or at least, point carriers, for the kitten to become point.

And point gene seems to be rare among MCO and MCO-alikes.

My orignal question was from the other end:  Selling  a random cat, somewhat look alike a MCO, why call it for a ragdoll mix, as there are no sure traces of ragdoll.

Usually it is random points who are either called for siames mix, or ragdoll mix or such.

 

[tobster]

Ah okay, I understand....

Honestly, these folks from Craigslist were just random people from the town next door -- a little old lady and man -- they advertised the kitten as: "8 weeks old, eating wet and dry food, litter box trained. Extra toes.  Dad was a Maine Coon, Mom was a Ragdoll" with a picture of the kitten.

I have no other information about the people or the litter, except that Toby had a sister who was also up for adoption.  I really have no idea if they were the result of an "oops" litter, or the result of a backyard breeder, or if they were found by the people, or if they took in a pregnant cat.  I wasn't looking for this breed specifically but was looking for a kitten and came upon the ad and he reminded me so much of my past cat.

The story is a bit crazy.  They responded to my e-mail from a restricted number.  I spoke to a little old lady who agreed to meet us in a parking lot.  then when we went to pick up the kitten in the lot, the man came up to our car in a hoodie with his head covered and sunglasses on so we couldn't see his face, and he pulled the kitten from his hoodie pocket and handed him to me.

   The man was very reluctant to give any information.  (I asked "Did your cats have kittens?" and he just kind of looked askance and said quietly, "Yep...")  To be honest, it sort of felt really sketchy and we laughed later about it feeling like a "drug deal".    I became paranoid when my boyfriend wondered if the kittens were "stolen and sold on the black market".

 

Many people with cats of an unknown breed just guess like this because it's their way of understanding/portraying what the cat "looks like" or possible lineage "could be", and I think that's probably what happened here - just a person's guess.  I've read that backyard breeders sometimes falsely advertise cats like this to increase their market.  He wasn't very expensive ($20).  My best guess (most likely story) is they have 2 unfixed cats who mated, or they had an unfixed female (maybe resembles a Ragdoll?) who got out one day and got pregnant by the resident tomcat and had a litter.  It was clear these people didn't want to be bothered and wanted to just get rid of the kittens, like it was a mistake.

 

[StefanZ]

Honestly, these folks from Craigslist were just random people from the town next door -- a little old lady and man -- they advertised the kitten as: "8 weeks old, eating wet and dry food, litter box trained. Extra toes.  Dad was a Maine Coon, Mom was a Ragdoll" with a picture of the kitten.

I have no other information about the people or the litter, except that Toby had a sister who was also up for adoption.  I really have no idea if they were the result of an "oops" litter, or the result of a backyard breeder,.... and he reminded me so much of my past cat.

The story is a bit crazy.  They responded to my e-mail from a restricted number.  I spoke to a little old lady who agreed to meet us in a parking lot.  then when we went to pick up the kitten in the lot, the man came up to our car in a hoodie with his head covered and sunglasses on so we couldn't see his face, and he pulled the kitten from his hoodie pocket and handed him to me.

   The man was very reluctant to give any information.  (I asked "Did your cats have kittens?" and he just kind of looked askance and said quietly, "Yep...")  To be honest, it sort of felt really sketchy and we laughed later about it feeling like a "drug deal".    I became paranoid when my boyfriend wondered if the kittens were "stolen and sold on the black market".

 

Interesting!   All this hush hush & and double secrecy layers makes me believe it WAS some sort of OOPS, them having a small breeding cattery for real, with pedigreed cats. Quite probably, a not entirely serious cattery but still wanting to be counted as serious. So they may be better than a common BYB.  (A Byb wouldnt bother much, just sell the unlucky result, and take some extra hinting them are mixes for real.)

And thus, an OOPs mating almost a catastrophe for their reputation.  Being too decent to drown them kittens, they did brough them up healthy, found a decent buyer with a chance of a good home for real, and sold with these all double and triple safety precautions.

20 bucks being our recommended minimum price for a honest selling of a moggie.

If you want, look around if there in this town or nearby, if there is a small Ragdoll and or Maine Coon cattery...

And he reminds you of your past cat, eh?  See it then as a gift from above. Lady Fortune smiling to you again.  When did you lost this your old friend?

Good luck!

 

[maewkaew]

 Tobster,    Like Stefan said, I can imagine that an "oops" mating of those 2 breeds could produce a kitten like Toby .... but I think your guess is probable that  mom was a pointed domestic longhair who looked a bit like a Ragdoll  ,  dad was  a DLH who looked kinda Maine Coon-ish  ( or  else the mom just went and and mated with some unknown cat that was either a longhair or carried the longhair gene,  the people saw the kittens and decided the dad "must be a Maine Coon",  and thought it would help sell the kittens if they advertise them as being a cross of 2 breeds.  

(The  contraband-feel of the encounter seems a bit weird.  If it was a situation like  a broker for a kitten mill I would think they would be trying to charge a higher price than 20 bucks.    But it could be something like they were selling someone else's kittens without the knowledge of the owner   -- like a relative or a neighbor.    Or maybe the guy is just a paranoid eccentric and Toby was actually 7 weeks and the man thought the law would be after him for selling a kitten under 8 weeks!    Or  if you live somewhere with some   strict spay/ neuter laws,  it could be they are scared they will get in trouble for not having their cats fixed. In that case Toby is lucky he wasn't dumped at the pound or in some remote area or even drowned.   ) 

Anyway he is a beautiful Brown Mackerel Tabby kitten  and what IS true is what Stefan said ,  that Toby would look like some of the foundation Maine Coons.  Polydactyl and all! 

 I usually would not go by what a vet thinks about breed, since most of them really are not experts in cat breeds unless they themselves are a breeder who shows ,  or a repro specialist who has a lot of pedigreed cat breeder clients.  

 Some of them make some wild breed guesses really based on no more knowledge than most pet owners.    And I think they often just agree with the clients to make them happy. So if someone thinks their cat is a breed or  a cross of 2 breeds,  a vet doesn't want to dispute the point and possibly make the person value the cat less,  or even lose a client over it.  I was asking our vet a question about the health of the other Siamese she sees.  and she said  most the cats they have listed as Siamese she doesn't think really are Siamese,  they are pointed moggies that the people think are Siamese .   but I guess she feels like why argue?   

 

[tobster]

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• tobster
• Jun 21, 2013

 Whatever the reason, it was clear these people didn't want to be identified or bothered with any questions.

 

[claire swazey]

He's absolutely adorable. I think, too, that as time goes on, his appearance may change. 3 years ago, I got a Ragdoll/Maine Coon mix kitten. She looked very Ragdoll though she did not "flop". Cream colored w/ Siamese looking points, blue eyes, gentle, clumsy, absolutely terrible at jumping and climbing. Now that Didi is 3, her coat's darkened a lot and she looks more Maine Coon than she used to. Still has the points, but has the M on her forehead that some Maine Coons have. So over time, they will change a bit.

 

[maewkaew]

Hi Claire.  Welcome to TCS!     would love to see pics of your pointed beauty.   I'm a great fan of pointed kitties.  

 The M   on some cats' heads is   part of tabby markings and seen in tabby patterned cats all over the world.   Some Maine Coons have it because they are tabbies;   some don't because they're not tabbies. ( or have white covering the tabby markings on their head) .  But it's nothing to do with their breed and having an "M" is not a sign a cat has any ancestry of any particular breed.     Unfortunately Cats 101   put  that mistake in their show on Maine Coons and ended up spreading a lot of confusion.  

It 's  normal that pointed cats change their coloring over time.  It's related to temperature.  They are born all white because they're coming from the heat inside their mother.  Then they gradually start getting color first on the  points , then on the body.    and some of them do get quite dark.   

 

[loki 123]

 my ragdollxmaine coon with his white brother who takes after maine coon dad, and i have seen the parents, there were 4 kittens and none had ragdoll markings, but all were cute

 

[2cats4me]

 

[hannahs mom]

He is beautiful. I got a (advertised as full blooded but not papered Maine Coon female) off of Craigs list last December, first vet visit "your cat has testicles", long hair fell out, our beautiful Hannah (who does have a banana) is the love of out life. He purrs non stop, goes floppy whenever we pick him up, I want to recontact the woman we got him from and try for another but have lost the contact info. Did yours come from Arkansas? Please let me know, love Hannah and would love another kate

 

[StefanZ]

 
He is beautiful. I got a (advertised as full blooded but not papered Maine Coon female) off of Craigs list last December, first vet visit "your cat has testicles", long hair fell out, our beautiful Hannah (who does have a banana) is the love of out life. He purrs non stop, goes floppy whenever we pick him up, I want to recontact the woman we got him from and try for another but have lost the contact info. Did yours come from Arkansas? Please let me know, love Hannah and would love another kate

Its an old tread. If its important for you to connect with the othes, you can cite them as I did with your post.  So they will get noticed.  

There are other ways too...

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Its an old tread. If its important for you to connect with the othes, you can cite them as I did with your post.  So they will get noticed.  

There are other ways too...

H hannahs mom This is an old thread and the original poster has not been back to post., If you have further questions, you can start a thread of your own with a picture of your cat.

 

[crystal libby]

is the white cat for selling

 

[StefanZ]

 
is the white cat for selling

Its an old thread.  If you want to contact the poster, its best to 1. PM her  2. mention her alike this @Crystal Libby    or quote their post as I did with you.