JACAROUGE RED PROGRAM

Jacarouge Jupiter & Jacarouge Olympus Owned Faye And David Brackenbury

As most of you know, David and I have an approved outcross program with WARATAH STATE CAT ALLIANCE to introduce the colour red to the Ragdolls and most importantly, expand the constricted genepool.

We are delighted to introduce Amanda Williams from Amendara Ragdoll Cattery in Victoria who has kindly offered to take over one of the lines. Amanda has been breeding for many years and her experience as a breeder and veterinary nurse is of great value and coupled with her commitment and love of animals in general, makes this parternership warmly welcomed.

Click here to visit Amanda's site: http://www.ansonic.com.au/amendara/index.htm

  And her email address is: raggyd@ansonic.com.au

This is a really demanding and time consuming program requiring many years of tireless effort and we thank Amanda and her family for committing to this project.

 We are up to 3rd generation and have now selected down to two lines. We are only breeding from pointed prodigy and no longer have any solid kittens available. My heartfelt thanks goes out to all those people, who generously gave homes to the outcross babies that DID NOT look like Ragdolls and may those babies be the best, most loving and loyal cats you have ever owned providing you will many years of love and companionship.

Here is the latest news about our program.

Ragajac Ragdoll Cattery

Owned and managed by David and Jacqui Richardson

 The Jacarouge Story ( Ragdoll outcross program) 

 Introduction and History.

 In 1996, we decided to commit ourselves to a Ragdoll outcross program with the aim of introducing the colour red and expanding the gene pool.Consequently we submitted our proposal to Waratah State Cat Alliance in 1997 ( attached) and the program was approved.

 Our proposal states that we will develop four separate lines which we have done with one of the lines now in the hands of Amanda Williams from Amendara Ragdoll Cattery.

 Our proposal also states that we will actively encourage genuine breeders to participate in the program. The rationale for this incentive is based on the view that creating a large gene pool on the base line is a desirable outcome in any breeding program.

  It has proved to be a difficult task to carry four lines and we are well aware that even four lines is not enough to  provide the genetic diversity we are seeking. Amanda's involvement is warmly welcomed.

 During this time, two other Ragdoll breeders have applied and gained approval for outcross programs to introduce the 'O' gene and we are now working as a co-operative in order to gain National approval.

 What happens to the kittens not kept?

 All kittens are desexed, microchipped and vaccinated twice before being placed into pet homes at 12 weeks of age. To date we have not had any trouble homing these gorgeous kittens. 

The Lines known as Jacarouge.

 We wanted to clearly identify the outcross cats and decided to apply for our red prefix, Jacarouge. This enables everybody to know that these cats are a result of an outcross program and allows people to exercise their right to choose between a ragdoll that is from traditional lines and a Ragdoll that  is the result of an outcross. Our Ragajac prefix remains our prefix for traditional ragdolls. 

We have established four separate outcross lines. These are known as the Birman line ( now in Amanda Williams care) and three domestic lines affectionately known as the "Witch Line", the "M Line" and the "Aussie Red Line".

 We start with the Birman line.

 Jade is a red point Birman and was mated to Casper a seal mitted Ragdoll carrying dilute. Jade had a difficult delivery and  produced three huge kittens. The first was a male breach who was dead upon delivery due to a severed umbilical cord. The second was breach, a female alive. Labor stopped. A ceasarean was performed and a female was delivered, Bronte.

 Bronte was raised by a surrogate mum and two weeks later her sister joined her as Jade had better things to do!

 Bronte is first generation Ragdoll and is now in the care of Amanda Williams.

 The Witch Line. ( named after friendly witches) 

The witch line begins with Sabrina, a semi longhair  domestic tortie registered as a foundation Queen. Sabrina was mated to Casper ( as above) and birthed six kittens without incident. We lost one kitten at 3 days of age,  autopsy result: bowel atresia( narrowing of the bowel).

 We kept Tabitha, registered as Ragdoll Generation 1 a solid mitted tortie who was mated to Skylea, a blue point Ragdoll. Tabitha gave birth without incident to five kittens. We have kept a solid blue cream tortie called Samantha registered as Ragdoll Generation 2. 

 The "M Line" ( named after the letter "M")

 Morticia is a semi longhair domestic cream, ( amazing, I found a domestic with the O gene on both x's!). Morticia was mated to Skylea ( as above) and produced three kittens without incident. 1 cream male, 2 blue cream torties, all solid. We kept Maddison, the best tortie ( Ragdoll Gen 1). Maddison was mated to Casper ( as above) and produced three kittens without incident. Cute babies but not any we could keep. Mating repeated. Six kittens produced without incident. 4 points, two solids( eat your heart out Mendel!) Points all Eumelanin! Not a tortie point in sight! Girl kept solid tortie mitted, Mary, ( Ragdoll Generation 2). 

 The Aussie Red line ( named after famous Australian red things)

 Red Bobby was a male domestic red tabby and was mated to Princess, a blue mitted Ragdoll. Princess produced six kittens without incident. A blue cream solid tortie was kept called Poppy ( after the Australian red lipstick). Poppy was mated to Skylea ( as above) and produced seven kittens without incident. We kept a cream point male called Jaffa ( Ragdoll Generation 2). Jaffa is now 12 months old and will be mated to a female Ragdoll when he is ready.

 This brings us up to date.

 Future goals.

 We will continue to work with the three remaining lines here at Ragajac. To date we are very pleased with the results, in particular with the temperaments which will always remain of utmost importance. We have achieved temperament, however at second generation we still have work to do with type. Of particular note, head type and poor eye colour we feel are the weak points in the program thus far. Strong points are temperament, body type, health and size.

 We are committed to working with other approved breeders

 We will continue to work for National approval in a co-operative manner with Waratah State Cat Alliance and approved breeders.

 Health Issues

 As approved breeders have used different cats in their outcross programs we take the view that they are responsible for undergoing health checks as they see appropriate. It would not be desirable to make policy about this except to say that the breeders involved in this cooperative will do whatever health checks are deemed necessary by either their own cat control or veterinary surgeons. For example, our group feels it necessary to PKD test any Himalayans/ Persian type cats used as an outcross and this has been abided by. It would not be seen useful to unilaterally insist that all outcross cats were tested for PKD via policy. Blood testing for  FeLV, Corona virus and FIV are all considered to be a prudent course of action with all outcross cats. Blood typing may be important with various breeds, once again, we feel this needs to be an issue for the individual breeder and their veterinary consultant.

 The individual breeders in this co-operative have availed themselves of not only the services of their local vets but seeked the expertise of  University specialists for various testing. In Sydney,  PKD testing has been carried out at Sydney University as has occurred in Western Australia.

 10.11.99

David and Jacqui Richardson. Ragajac Ragdoll Cattery.    

 February 23, 2000. UPDATE.

Jaffa is a dad and we have two litters of generation three!

 Jacqui Richardson. February 2000

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Jacarouge Jaffa. 2nd Generation Cream Point Ragdoll

Photos by Webber Photographics, Sydney, Australia. 02 46553246.