Juniper
Available- Sex
- Female
- Age
- 14 weeks
- Colour
- Seal bicolour
- Price
- $1,500
Long, plush and happiest stretched out on the cat bed.
Ragdoll colours
Mink Ragdoll Cats and Kittens: What Mink Really Means
A mink Ragdoll is a Ragdoll-type cat with a darker body, softer contrast on the points and aqua or blue-green eyes, rather than the pale body and deep blue eyes of a traditional pointed Ragdoll. The colour comes from the Burmese gene, and mink cats fall outside the traditional Ragdoll standard. Regal Ragdoll Kittens does not breed mink, but because so many families ask, here is what it means and what to check.
Pointed Ragdoll kittens available instead of mink
Regal Ragdoll Kittens does not breed mink Ragdolls, so none of these kittens are mink. They are the Ragdolls we have available this season, in the traditional colours.
Banjo
Available- Sex
- Male
- Age
- 9 weeks
- Colour
- Seal bicolour
- Price
- $1,500
A round, soft boy who purrs as soon as you look at him.
Wren
Available- Sex
- Female
- Age
- 6 weeks
- Colour
- Seal mitted
- Price
- $1,500
Six weeks old, wobbly on her feet and already marching up to meet visitors.
What a mink Ragdoll looks like
Side by side with a pointed Ragdoll, a mink looks like someone turned the contrast down. The body is a shade or two darker, the points are still visible but blend more gently into it, and the coat often has a slightly richer, velvety tone. The giveaway is the eyes: aqua or blue-green rather than deep sapphire blue.
Mink kittens also look different from birth. Pointed Ragdoll kittens are born white and colour up over the first weeks. Mink kittens are born with visible colour on the body, because the Burmese gene lets pigment develop more evenly. If a breeder's newborn kittens already have tinted bodies, they are not pointed.
Mink, sepia and pointed: how the genes work
Three versions of the same colour gene decide how much of a cat's coat is coloured.
| Type | Genes | Body | Eyes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pointed (traditional Ragdoll) | Two colourpoint genes | Pale, strong contrast to the points | Deep blue |
| Mink | One colourpoint, one Burmese gene | Medium, softer contrast | Aqua or blue-green |
| Sepia | Two Burmese genes | Dark, little contrast | Green or gold |
Because a mink carries one Burmese gene, two mink parents can produce pointed, mink and sepia kittens in the same litter. That variation is why a mink breeding programme needs careful, honest labelling of every kitten.
Before you buy a mink Ragdoll kitten
- Ask which registry the papers come from, and whether that registry accepts mink as a Ragdoll colour.
- Look at the eyes in a recent photo. Aqua or green eyes on a kitten sold as a pointed Ragdoll means it is mink or sepia.
- Ask for HCM and PKD DNA results on both parents, exactly as you would for any Ragdoll.
- Check the price. "Rare" colours are often marked up. A mink cat outside the standard should not cost more than a pointed pedigree.
- Ask for videos of the kitten with its mother before paying anything.
Other colours that are often misdescribed are covered in black Ragdoll cats, shorthair Ragdolls and our flame point Ragdoll page.
The pointed colours we breed
Regal Ragdoll Kittens breeds the four traditional pointed colours: seal, blue, chocolate and lilac, in colourpoint, mitted and bicolour patterns. Every kitten has deep blue eyes, goes home desexed and vaccinated at twelve to thirteen weeks, and costs $1,500. If you love the softer look of a mink, a lilac or blue Ragdoll is the closest pointed colour.
Mink Ragdoll questions
What is a mink Ragdoll?
A mink Ragdoll is a Ragdoll-type cat that carries one copy of the colourpoint gene and one copy of the Burmese colour gene. The result is a darker body with less contrast to the points, and aqua or blue-green eyes instead of the deep blue of a pointed Ragdoll. The same gene combination produces the Tonkinese breed's mink colour.
Do mink Ragdolls have blue eyes?
Not usually. Mink cats typically have aqua or blue-green eyes, and sepia cats, which carry two copies of the Burmese gene, have green or gold eyes. Deep blue eyes come with two copies of the colourpoint gene, which is what every traditional pointed Ragdoll has.
Can a mink Ragdoll be registered as a pedigree?
The traditional Ragdoll standard describes a pointed cat with blue eyes, so mink and sepia cats fall outside it. If you are offered a mink Ragdoll with papers, ask which registry issued them and whether that registry lists mink as an accepted Ragdoll colour before you pay a deposit.
Are mink Ragdolls rare?
They are uncommon in Australia, which is why they are sometimes advertised as rare and priced above pointed kittens. Uncommon is not the same as more valuable. A healthy, well-raised mink cat can be a lovely pet, but it should be priced as a pet, not as a rare pedigree.
Prefer a soft, pale Ragdoll?
Tell me which look you like, and I will suggest the pointed kittens closest to it from this season's litters.