Oberon

Jenny at floppycats.com asked about ragamuffins and I thought of my boy, Obie.  Ragamuffins were developed from Ragdolls because some people wanted the characteristics, only with a wider range of color.  Ragdolls can only be in the following colors and color combos: blue, chocolate, lilac, red and cream. Point colors may be solid, lynx (including tortie-lynx); and parti-colored (or tortie). All Ragdolls are pointed, but points are partially overlaid with white in the Mitted and Bicolor.  Almost all Ragdolls have blue eyes. Ragamuffins do as well, but other eye colors are allowed.  

I got Oberon in 1997.  My precious Kitty had died (just a regular old domestic short-haired silver tabby).  She had been my constant companion for 13 years and I was devastated. I didn’t plan on getting another cat.  I didn’t want one and I wasn’t ready for one. Anyway, my sister thought I needed one and she brought me this absolutely itty bitty kitty in a plastic jewelry bag.  

He was so tiny, I thought he was a stuffed kitty.  Only he moved. He was an adorable black and white “tuxedo” type cat with huge green eyes. I thought he looked too young to be away from his mum, but my sister said he was 10 weeks.  I now know that he was 4 weeks at best. I didn’t feed him from a bottle, but he was always clingy to me and he had this comfort habit of sucking on my earlobe when he fell asleep at night. I think he was deeply psychologically damaged. This may be why he had some of the behaviors that he had that seem uncharacteristic of the breed.  

Not Oberon.  Just a pic of an Obie like cat from the internet. All photos of him are before I had a phone with a digital camera, so they are analog and in storage.

He grew to be an average of around 24 lbs., so that itty bitty kitty only lasted for a minute.  Physically, he had the large breed characteristics similar to the Ragdoll. He had the shorter nosed, triangular face, long hair, large paws, and sturdy build (long bodied, thick sturdy legs, and long expressive tail).  He had the silky hair that didn’t really mat unless you let it go a very long time. He had a little fatty stomach patch, but he wasn’t ever really what I’d call fat. He was a very large, muscular cat.

Another Obie like cat from interwebs

Just like a ragdoll, he would go limp and I could carry him like a baby.  He also liked to sprawl like my ragdoll and he’d let me carry him around for as long as I could take it!  One thing that was very particular about him, that seems different from my ragdoll and may or may not be breed specific is that he was a very expressive ‘tail talker.’ Gus, my ragdoll, has a very full lovely tail that seems a little short for his size, but he is not expressive with his tail at all.  He generally holds it straight out like a fox. Obie, my ragamuffin, had a long, luxurious tail that he liked to hold vertically, and you could tell his every thought by his tail.  

Both of my cats were and are very subtle about getting your attention. Neither was loud or frequent meowers, but they would get your attention even if they have to talk at you.  Obie would brush you lightly with his whiskers. Gus will cuddle you. Both cats seemed to know when you were upset or sick and comfort you with their bodies.  

The difference in personalities may have been, as I said above, because of Obie’s being separated from his momma way too young.  Oberon was very protective of me. He was wary of others and even though he liked people and would check them out and allow them to pick him up, he wouldn’t seek out other people for his comfort.  Only me. He was also more aggressive than my ragdoll.  

Gus accepts everyone equally no matter your age, sex, or species.  He adored his sister when he got her, he took to the dog, he loves people and is curious about anyone who comes to visit.  Obie was very bossy with any other creatures. I dogsat a colleague's teacup Yorkie for a week, and he was a yappy little monster.  Obie put up with it for a few days. Then the dog took it too far and was yapping at Obie, who outweighed him by 20 pounds. Obie smacked that dog (no claws) and rolled him down the hallway 4 feet.  Then he lifted his tail with a flick and jumped up in the window. The dog had nothing to say after that. 

teacup yorkie from interwebs

I had 2 other cats at the same time as Obie, who came after him.  He tolerated them, but he was never really super friendly with them.  Gus took to his 2 years younger sister almost immediately and they became good friends.  Obie hissed at anyone that he thought was taking me away from him. He hated my sister and my mother and hissed at them. It was weird.  He tolerated my husband. Gus could care less.  

Anyway, that was long and I don’t know if it’s helpful, but that’s my recollection of the differences between the two breeds as I experienced it.