Can cats that are part ragdoll only go outside? Can they handle it?
For those not in the know, the new ragdoll breed is a mix I think of Persian and Burmese. They are very gentle cats, so gentle they can't handle being outdoors.
I prefer indoor/outdoor cats so am trying to hunt down a ragdoll mix at one of the rescue or animal shelters.
Here's a brief description. These cats can get very large:
Characteristics and Temperament
Ragdolls (as their name implies) are extremely "laid-back," docile, non-aggressive cats. They tend to relax when held. They are said to possess a non-fighting instinct, which means that if attacked, they do not defend themselves. They are very "people" oriented and love to be around others, which often finds them greeting guests and/or following their owners around in a fashion similar to a puppy. They are often quite an attraction in a show ring because of their docile dispositions and acceptance of the judge placing them on their backs, holding them like a baby, etc.
My family got a cat after my older sister took it because otherwise it would have been put down, it was a very young kitty.
Dad didn't really approve of it and wanted the cat to stay outside as much as possible, but nowadays the cat go in and out whenever he wants as long as someone are there to open the door.
... and the cat seem to like dad better than my older sister.
My family got a cat after my older sister took it because otherwise it would have been put down, it was a very young kitty.
Dad didn't really approve of it and wanted the cat to stay outside as much as possible, but nowadays the cat go in and out whenever he wants as long as someone are there to open the door.
... and the cat seem to like dad better than my older sister.
I read somewhere that cats always tend to be attracted to people who don't like them because when people look at something they don't really like they narrow their eyes, without realising it. As far as the cat is concerned, the person is smiling at them as cats see narrowed eyes as being friendly! 
Dad has fallen for the cat's charm in the later years.
Neutrino is ragdoll/Siamese, but pretty much the only ragdoll trait he has is the going-limp-when-you-pet-him thing. He does fine when he goes outside(although he has gotten in a few fights)
Chloe is gentle, but she was gently biting (gently pressing one or more teeth against skin of finger) and scratching me (gently extending front claws into finger) last night, instead of simply meowing to tell me "fill my food dish"
I wish Chloe was more verbal and less aggressive.
I also wish she would take antibiotics to fight her sneezing (she would realize what the liquid is for)
The cat always follows me around and sits at my feet or next to me on a couch or bed.
Chloe also sleeps with my best friend when he visits (on the couch)
My family got a cat after my older sister took it because otherwise it would have been put down, it was a very young kitty.
Dad didn't really approve of it and wanted the cat to stay outside as much as possible, but nowadays the cat go in and out whenever he wants as long as someone are there to open the door.
... and the cat seem to like dad better than my older sister.
If your sister doesn't like her dad, but the cat does, maybe your father should ask himself what went wrong.
There are treatments also for cases like this
To actually answer Ellen's question, although I have never owned a ragdoll or ragdoll mix and can't have a cat due to allergies
I have read a fair bit and known people who have had such cats.
From what I can gather, they seem to be cats that are better off indoors unless you can enclose your garden so they cannot escape. They lack the streetwise instinct of non pedigree cats so are extremely vulnerable to attacks from other cats, dogs, traffic etc. Here in the UK pedigree cats are very expensive, around £400 and are in danger of getting stolen. Pet poisoning is also on the increase (psychos who dislike cats or dogs so deliberately poison neighbourhood pets)
Having said that, one of my neighbours has what looks to be a Birman cat and she lets it out, it seems to stay very close to home. I guess it depends on the area you live and the breed of the cat.
Good Luck, they are beautiful cats.
that's really interesting Marcia!
I've come across documentation in a couple places saying that ragdolls' "defensive-ness-less" is a myth. sure they're gentle, sure they're sweet, but they're CATS. And cats are nature's most efficient predators, so I doubt that the predatory drive could be completely bred out of the animal. think of dogs: just because a labrador's sweet, floppy, and loves people, it still hunts and protects itself.
I haven't gotten one because most breeders require you to sign a contract saying you won't let them out, and I really think cats need to go outside. If I could find a breeder who didn't make me sign the contract, I'd get one today!