Unisex Ragamuffin Cat Names

The Ragamuffin almost ended up named Liebling. In 1994, a group of breeders split from Ann Baker's strict International Ragdoll Cat Association to develop their own line, and the working name they chose was the German word for 'darling.' One of the founders, Curt Gehm, suggested Ragamuffin instead — a deliberate nod to the breed's mixed-cat ancestry — and the name stuck.

The split was structural, not ornamental. Baker's IRCA controlled the Ragdoll name and breeding rules; the breakaway group wanted to introduce domestic longhair genetics for a wider gene pool while keeping the frame and the calm temperament. CFA registered the new breed in 2003 and advanced it to Championship in 2011. The UK GCCF followed on 17 June 2015 — late by registry standards, partly because the breed had to establish independent identity rather than ride on the Ragdoll name.

A Ragamuffin matures slowly. Full size lands at around four years, with males reaching 20 lb and females around 15 lb. The walnut-shaped eyes, broad modified-wedge head, and the puffy whisker pads give the breed its sweet expression — and CFA's standard is unusually frank about temperament, describing the breed as bred specifically to cuddle. They greet visitors at the door, learn harness walking, and are tolerant with children and dogs.

The naming side splits comfortably into three. The founding-name wink: Liebling (the rejected first name), Muffin, Curt. Cuddle-coded names that match the breed's deliberate-lap-cat selection: Plush, Pillow, Snuggle, Velvet, Mochi. And walnut-eye-grounded names that nod to the eye shape: Hazel, Walnut, Chestnut.

Anyone weighing the Ragamuffin against its parent line should also browse our Ragdoll cat names — Ann Baker's 1960s breed, same calm temperament and large frame, just with a stricter colourpoint-only standard.