Red (Flame Point) Ragdoll Cats: Colors, Care, and CFA Standards

Originally published February 19, 2010

Red Ragdolls are red or orange in color. They are also known as flame point Ragdolls. “Flame” is the term CFA (Cat’s Fancier’s Association) uses to identify reds. Ragdoll Fanciers Worldwide provides a good example of the different patterns and colors, but Floppycats.com has included some here in as well. Please check out the Ragdoll Fanciers Worldwide Website as well (link below). According to the data provided by the CFA, here is what the red point Ragdoll patterns look like:

The Red Point Ragdoll Cat

For this pattern, the body of the Ragdoll cat is clear white in color with any shading present in the same tone as the points. The points appear bright apricot to deep red in color. Please note that deeper shades are preferred to the lighter ones, with lack of barring desirable. The eye color of the Red Point Ragdoll is blue. The nose leather and the paw pads for the Red Point Ragdoll appear to be flesh or coral pink in color.

The Red Lynx Point Ragdoll Cat

The body of the Red Lynx Point Ragdoll is white in color. Please note that body shading is allowed and that it may take the form of ghost stripping or ticking. The points for this pattern appear as deep red bars, distinct and separated by a background color which is lighter in tone. The ears of the Red Lynx Point Ragdoll Cat are deep red in color, with a paler thumbprint in the center. The specific eye color for this pattern is blue. As for the nose leather and paw pads, these are typically flesh or coral pink.

Flame Point Ragdoll Cat Photos

Flame Lynx Point Bicolor Ragdoll Photos

Pacificats Obelix as a Kitten (above) and at 7-months old (below). Obelix is a Red Lynx Point Bicolor Ragdoll

Red or Flame Bicolors

Flame Lynx Mitted Ragdoll

Flame Mitted Ragdoll

Flame Lynx Colorpoint Ragdoll

Flame Bicolor Torbie Ragdoll

Ragdoll Fanciers WorldWide: Red Colors If you are really interested in showing your Ragdoll cat, there is a terrific website that shows what the cat must look like – Ideal Markings in Mitted and Bicolor Please contact Floppycats.com if you have a Ragdoll kitty who has this color type and you’d like for he or she to be featured on this page or leave a comment below! Would you like to see more Ragdoll cat pics? Click on any of the color patterns below to see more:

• Blue
• Chocolate
• Cream
• Lilac
• Mink
• Red Ragdolls or Flame Ragdolls
• Seal
• Solid
• Tortie

Red Point Ragdoll Cats – FAQ

Are red point Ragdoll cats rare?

Yes, red point Ragdolls or flame point Ragdolls are among the rarest Ragdoll cats out there. While blue Ragdolls are the most popular and the most common, red ones are not so easy to come across. So, if you are looking for a cat of this color, then you may have to consult several catteries before you find one.

What is the difference between red point Ragdoll cats and flame point Ragdoll cats?

“Red point” Ragdoll is the same as a “flame point” Ragdoll. This difference is only in terms. The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) prefers the term “flame” to refer to red point Ragdoll cats, but both of them are correct and they are synonymous.

Do red point Ragdolls come in lipstick red?

No, they do not. While the name might make us think of a lipstick red shade, keep in mind that “red” is a professional term in this case. It does not refer to the typical shade of red that we usually think about, but to a very light shade of red with orange tones. Take a look at the pictures above to see some of the shades of red that are specific to this color pattern.

Can Ragdolls be orange?

Yes, they can. Red point Ragdoll cats do come in tones of reddish orange. In fact, orange is actually closer to the color of flame point Ragdoll cats than red. In the pictures above, you can see lots of examples of the shades of orange covered in this coloration pattern.

Are red point Ragdolls born red?

No, they are not. All Ragdoll cats except Mink Ragdolls are born white in color. The cat will develop the red tones in its fur over the course of its development during the first couple of months of life, but you can’t spot a red point Ragdoll in a litter.

How can you recognize a red point Ragdoll?

The defining characteristic for red point Ragdolls is the presence of the red fur. Their bodies are clear white and the points can be anything from bright apricot to deep red. This is one of the rarest colorations in Ragdoll cats.

Can red point Ragdolls change color?

Like all Ragdolls cats, red points can also change color and this depends on body temperature. How? It’s all in their genetic code. This cat breed has a mutation that affects a specific enzyme that plays a key role in pigment production for their coats. When the temperature is lower, pigment production is possible, and their fur appears darker, but when the temperature increases, the pigment is produced less and less and their fur appears to be lighter. Find out more about this in our article about Ragdoll color progression and development.

How does a red point Ragdoll change color when its temperature is high?

Like it happens with all Ragdolls, when its body temperature is high, a red point Ragdoll’s fur becomes lighter in color. These changes are visible on the cat’s chest, its back, and on its head. Since red point Ragdolls are already lighter in color than other Ragdoll cats, it will be more difficult to notice the difference in color. It might take a larger increase in body temperature to trigger a significant change in color. However, if you do notice that your cat’s fur is lighter in color all of a sudden, then you should check its temperature. If the cat has a fever, then you should take it to the vet immediately.

How does a red point Ragdoll change color when its temperature is low?

When a Ragdoll’s body temperature is low, its color becomes darker in shade. This is also caused by the genetic mutation that affects pigment production in this cat breed. When their body temperature drops, pigment is produced at a higher rate. More pigment means a darker color, which is visible particularly in the areas of the body where the temperature is already lower – the extremities, meaning the cat’s paws, mouth, tail, and ears. In red point Ragdolls, such a change would be quite simple to spot because it is easily noticeable when the cat’s fur becomes a darker shade of red. If you do notice this in your cat, you have to find out why it is happening. Start by taking the cat’s temperature and if it is alarmingly low, then take the cat to the vet. Please note that if the change in color and temperature happens suddenly, there might be an acute issue causing it. However, if this happens over time, then there are other possible causes for the change, which can be physiological.

Are red point Ragdolls darker in color if they are fat?

Yes, they are. When red point Ragdoll cats are fatter, they are also darker in color and it is all because of their body temperature. When cats get fat, they deposit the fatty tissue on their abdomens, their chests, their backs, and then, progressively, all over their bodies. As they deposit more fatty tissue, their body temperature drops because fatty tissue has very low thermal conductivity. The temp will drop particularly in the areas where there is a lot of it. This translates into the darkening of the cat’s fur in the areas with the most fat, as well as their extremities. Please note that this process is reversible. If the cat loses weight, there will be less fatty tissue, which will trigger a local temperature increase, and, finally, a lighter color in the cat’s fur.

Will red point Ragdoll cats change color over the course of their lives?

Yes, they absolutely will. To start off, red point Ragdolls are born entirely white. It takes a couple of months before their color is properly visible. Then, their color will vary according to age and body weight. Young cats have a faster metabolism and better circulation, which means a higher body temperature, which, in Ragdoll cats, translates to a lighter body color. For red points, this means that the red areas will be lighter in shade. Then, as the cat gets older, their metabolism slows down and their circulation becomes slower, especially in their extremities. This means that their red areas will become darker in tone.

What do old red point Ragdolls look like?

Old Ragdoll cats usually have darker colored extremities because of the slower circulation in that area. However, there is also a general drop in temperature because their metabolism also slows down as the cats age. This translates into the darkening of the colored areas all over the cat’s body, but particularly in the extremities. Aside from that, senior cats also get white hair. In red point Ragdolls, this might be more difficult to spot because their bodies are already white in color. This will be mostly visible on the cat’s head, as the temperature drop is likely to make the cat’s fur become a darker red, but in these areas, there will also be several noticeable white hairs.

Do all red point Ragdolls have blue eyes?

The vast majority of red point Ragdoll cats have blue eyes. While other eye colors could still appear in some cases, it is very likely that a red point Ragdoll will have blue eyes, rather than another color. Take a look at the pictures above to spot the proportion of blue-eyed red points.

Are red point Ragdolls more active than other Ragdoll cats?

No, they are not. Even though their color is different, red point Ragdolls have the same personality as all the other Ragdoll cats. But aside from breed characteristics, a cat’s personality depends entirely on the individual, its living conditions, the relationship it has with its owners and other animals it might be living with, and many more other factors. There is no way to know for sure what a cat’s personality will be like.

Can red point Ragdolls also be lynx?

Yes, they can. While red points have full white bodies with no shading, red point lynxes have white bodies with shading, which may take the form of ghost stripping or ticking. As for the points, in lynxes, these look like deep red bars, which are distinct and separated by the cat’s background color, which is lighter in tone. What do you think about red point Ragdolls? Do you have a flame point Raggie? Did you like the red Raggies in our pictures? Tell us all about it in the comments section below.

More Ragdoll Colors and Patterns

• Rusty – Ragdoll of the Week
• Anandi Sabeena – Ragdoll of the Week
• Ragdoll Cats and the facts for Genetics, Colors, & Patterns 
• Quincy – Ragdoll Kitten of the Month

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