The Ragdoll breed is relatively new, as it was originated in 1963 by Ann Baker of California. Ann Baker was a Persian cat breeder, and had a friend who had about 40 feral cats living on her farm. One of the cats, a white Angora-type cat named Josephine was hit by a car while pregnant. She was nursed back to health, and when kittens were born, Ann noticed that the kittens were different. They were larger in size and had a wonderful docile nature, craving human attention. Their fur did not mat, and they would go limp when held, like a child’s ragdoll, hence earning the name Ragdoll.