A guide for families in Miami
Ragdoll, British Longhair, or a long-haired Scottish? All three are soft, round-faced, and gentle, and they are easy to confuse in photos. Here is how they differ, and how to tell which one you are looking at.
01
A large, gentle breed developed in California in the 1960s, famous for relaxing in your arms like a rag doll. The breed standard calls for blue eyes and a pointed pattern: a lighter body with darker ears, face, legs, and tail. Kittens are born almost white and their points darken over the first months. Ragdolls grow slowly and can take several years to reach full size and color.
02
The long-coated version of the British Shorthair: a round face, full cheeks, a sturdy body, and a dense, plush, semi-long coat. Often described as calm and easygoing. Popular colors include silver and golden chinchilla.
03
Scottish Fold and Scottish Straight kittens can have long, soft coats; a long-haired Scottish Fold is also known as a Scottish Fold Longhair or Highland Fold. They share the round face and round eyes of the Scottish breed, and a long-haired Scottish Fold also has folded ears. Often described as sweet and people-oriented.
Coat length alone will not tell you the breed. Look at the eyes, the pattern, and the ears.
| Trait | Ragdoll | British Longhair | Long-haired Scottish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eyes | Blue (breed standard). | Round; copper, gold, or green depending on color. | Round; color depends on coat color. |
| Pattern | Pointed: darker ears, face, legs, and tail. | Many colors; solid colors and chinchilla are popular. | Many colors and patterns. |
| Ears | Upright. | Small and upright. | Folded (Fold) or upright (Straight). |
| Size | Large, long body. | Medium to large, very sturdy. | Medium, rounded. |
Breed background: TICA Ragdoll, TICA British Longhair, and TICA Scottish Fold overviews.
Curious about Ragdoll markings? See Ragdoll colors and patterns and British Longhair vs Ragdoll.
Many kittens look like a Ragdoll or a British Longhair in photos. Only registration papers from TICA or CFA confirm a pedigreed breed. If a seller calls a kitten a purebred Ragdoll or British Longhair, ask to see the papers of the kitten and its parents.
Thinking about cost? See our kitten prices in Miami guide.
We raise Scottish Fold and Scottish Straight kittens at home in Miami. The dad of our current litter is a long-haired British-type cat, so some of these kittens are long-haired and very fluffy.
Not necessarily. Ragdolls have blue eyes, but they also have a pointed pattern with darker ears, face, legs, and tail as they grow. Many white long-haired kittens of other breeds have blue or blue-looking eyes too.
Not registered ones. Our kittens' mom is Sonya, a folded-ear Scottish Fold-type cat, and their dad differs from litter to litter. The dad of our current litter is a long-haired British-type cat, so some of these kittens are long-haired and very fluffy. Our kittens come without registration papers, so we can't call them purebred Ragdolls or British Longhairs.
All three are often described as gentle companions. Ragdolls are large and very relaxed, British Longhairs are calm and a little more independent, and long-haired Scottish cats are sweet and like to stay close to their people. Every kitten is an individual, so ask to see the kitten on video and hear about its personality.
More guides: Scottish Straight vs British Shorthair and Scottish Fold vs Scottish Straight.