Is this cat a Ragdoll?
Or is it a Birman?
Could it be a Himalayan?
Or maybe even a Siamese?
Well, after watching this video, you'll know exactly how to tell these breeds apart!
And yep, this video is very detailed and took a long time to make, so if you enjoy it, don't
forget to smash the like button!
Also, if you like these types of videos, go ahead and subscribe!
And now, let's start!
I'm sure that for a regular cat person, these breeds appear as one and the same.
So we can't help but wonder: do they come from the same place?
Not really!
Birmans come from Myanmar, or Burma, which is right ...here!
They were considered sacred in their homeland and arrived in Europe in the 1900s.
Ragdolls, on the other hand, were born and developed in the United States.
Their history is fascinating, and they might have some Turkish Angora heritage.
Last but not least, the Himalayans are the descendants of Persian Cats, which come from
Iran!
Himalayans also have Siamese heritage, which gives them the colorpoint appearance.
So as you can see, they come from different places in the world!
Even if they look similar, there are visible differences between them.
Let's talk about their coats!
Ragdolls sport a semi-long, silky, and plush coat with a medium undercoat.
Their fur breaks as they move, which is… almost never!
But look at all that fluff, don't you just wanna stuff your hand in it?
I know you'd love to, but let's move on!
Birmans have a medium-long and silky coat.
It's not as dense as a Ragdoll's because it lacks the undercoat.
Himalayans, or Himmies for short, have a long, glossy fur that's full of life.
They have a dense undercoat and, for this reason, a ton of volume!
But even if it's glossy, their fur isn't always silk-like.
So how can we tell them apart, based on their fur?
Well, Himmies have the longest and most dense coats, while Ragdolls have the shortest fur.
Birmans don't have an undercoat, so look at that to identify them.
Additionally, the coats of Birmans and Ragdolls are always silky, while for Himalayans, that's
not always the case.
You can also check their ruff's size, which is medium for Ragdolls, heavy for a Birman,
and immense in the case of Himmies.
Oh, and another thing: Birmans should have slightly curly hair on their stomachs!
Cute!
Just a side note, if you've got yourself a young cat, these clues might not be that obvious.
In general, fluffy cats take a long time to grow their coats.
But what about Siamese Cats?
For some reason, people are also confused about them!
So let's quickly get this out of the way: Siamese cats are shorthaired, people!
If you've got yourself a furry cat, it's definitely not a Siamese!
It might be a Siamese mix, but we won't discuss this topic to not overcomplicate things.
We got ourselves our first clue now, but the "coat" part isn't done!
We need to discuss patterns too!
All three cats are colorpoints - which surely makes telling them apart tricky!
But worry not, as I'm here to help.
A colorpoint cat's extremities are darker than the rest of the body, which is typically
white or cream.
The face mask is usually not interrupted by white.
Ragdolls are the only ones that can sport a modified colorpoint pattern: van, mitted,
or bicolor.
They can also be standard color points.
In the van pattern, only the ears and tails are dark.
Mitted Ragdolls' paws are white, and these cats can have a blaze on their noses or foreheads.
A Bicolor Ragdoll has an inverted and symmetrical V in the mask, while almost its whole back
is colored.
Some display more white, while others have less.
So if your cat isn't a standard colorpoint, meaning that a blaze of any shape is present
on its face, it's not a Birman or a Himalayan!
But the tricky part comes when trying to tell the breed of a standard longhaired colorpoint!
Luckily, we can still do that!
Birman cats have an unusual pattern: even if they're colorpoints, their paws are always
white.
On the other hand, Himmies' paws are dark all over.
But Ragdolls can either have mittens or not!
To be more precise: if a cat doesn't have mittens, it's not a Birman.
However, there's still the question if it's a Ragdoll or a Himalayan.
And for this part, stay tuned for the face chapter.
What about mitted colorpoint cats?
How can we tell if they're Ragdolls or Birmans?
Well, we can guess that cat's breed by looking at the shape of its gloves.
In Ragdolls, the front feet have evenly matched mittens on both feet, preferably extending
to and around the wrist joint.
The back leg's mittens must go up to and around the hocks, extending no higher than mid-thigh.
I know what you're thinking: What on earth is a hock?
It's this particular joint!
Look at this mitted little fellow: his front paws are white while his back paws' mittens
go up all the way to that peculiar named joint!
And here's another fellow that shows off this pattern even better! (good pose, little fellow!)
In the case of Birmans, the gloves of the back legs should extend half to three-fourths
up the hock, finishing with an inverted V.
Lower or higher levels are acceptable, but they must not extend beyond the hocks.
Sorry, little fellow, you're not a purebred Birman!
But you're still gorgeous!
So look at your cat's back feet: if it's a Birman, its mittens should extend at maximum
around the hock; if it's a Ragdoll, the mittens must reach this joint, but they can go even
higher.
Also, the Birman's back gloves must finish in an inverted V, while for Ragdolls, they're
equal.
There's still one more clue regarding the coloration: in mitted Ragdolls, the chin is
always white;
On the other hand, a Birman's mask usually covers a part of the chin and finishes in
a nice gradient.
Who knew there are so many details to take into account!
Let's also discuss their body shape and size!
The Ragdoll is a big fellow, weighing from 10 to 20 pounds.
This cat doesn't need to worry about getting a beer belly, as it can have a moderate stomach
pad!
Birmans are medium-sized cats, ideally weighing from 10 to 12 pounds.
Lower or higher values are also acceptable.
And Himalayans are medium to small cats, weighing from 7 to 12 pounds.
So if your cat is on the larger side, it's most likely a Ragdoll!
Moving on, the Himalayan has a round body, while Ragdolls have rectangular ones.
All of them are pretty solid, but the back of the Himalayan is the shortest of the three.
Great, we covered a lot of ground!
Next, we need to discuss their facial features, as they provide some crucial clues.
We could talk a lot about their eyes, ears, and other particular traits.
If you want to be sure your cat belongs to a specific breed, these traits also need to
be studied.
But the purpose of this video is to learn how to tell these breeds apart.
As such, I'll highlight the main and most obvious differences between them, and I'll
make separate videos for each breed.
So make sure to subscribe if you'd like to see them!
And now, let's talk about the main facial features that set these breeds apart!
By doing so, you'll be able to tell the difference between a Himalayan and a non-mitted Ragdoll.
Firstly, all breeds must have blue eyes.
If it ain't blue, it's not purebred!
What about their muzzles?
For Himalayans, there are two types available!
The peke-faced Himmies basically don't have a nose.
The nose, chin, and forehead should be perfectly aligned.
But there is also the doll-faced Himalayan available: these cats have a visible nose.
This allows Doll-Faced Himmies to breathe easier than their noseless counterparts.
Still, their muzzles are very short in comparison to a regular cat.
Here's a side by side representation:
So a Himalayan should be really easy to spot now!
And this is how you tell a Himmie and a non-mitted Ragdoll apart.
Let's discuss one more important trait: the noses of Ragdolls and Birmans.
Both of them have medium-length ones.
But let's look at a Ragdoll's profile: its nose is pretty straight and is followed by
a concave curve to the brow.
In Birmans, even if the curvature below the brows is present, their noses are slightly
convex, or Roman, as the saying goes.
And this is a fantastic way to tell these breeds apart!
We've talked about coats, colors, patterns, size, body shape, and profiles.
It's a lot, I know, but you can pause anytime you need.
Still, your cat may not be purebred!
If your cat exhibits traits that belong to more than one breed, then she's most likely
a mix!
Or maybe she's just a beautiful cat that doesn't belong to any breed.
But as I previously said, I'll create dedicated videos on each breed, in which I'll dive deep
into their physical traits.
I'll also make a separate video to see how these breeds compare in terms of personality,
price, grooming, so you'll know precisely which one is best for you!
In the meanwhile, you can watch my one-oh-one videos about them!
You'll find them in the description, along with some amazingly useful products and services
for your cat.
Thanks for watching, and see you in my next video!