Traditional, Mink, Sepia and Solid... Oh My! : A Ragdoll Color Guide
- PurrCozi Kitties
- 11 hours ago
- 7 min read
Ragdolls can come in all types of colors and patterns. This can be a bit confusing to families trying to decide on what kind of Ragdoll kitty they are looking to add to their family. In this blog post we are doing a deep dive into all things Ragdoll coloring related.
The Basics..
First let's start off with the different types of Ragdolls. Ragdolls can come in a few different types. Traditional, mink, sepia and solid. As of 2025, mink, sepia and solid Ragdolls have been reclassified as Cherubims. The main difference between all of these Ragdoll cats is the color intensity, birth color and eye color.
Traditonal: A traditonal Ragdoll is a blue eyed pointed cat. This means that they typically have their coloring on their ears, face, tail and feet, while the rest of their body is white. Traditonal Ragdolls are born completely white.
Mink: A Mink Ragdoll (Cherubim) is born with color. As they develop their color darkens. Mink Ragdolls have aqua or green eyes.
Sepia: A Sepia Ragdoll (Cherubim) is born with their color. As they develop their color darkens as well. Sepia is a darker more rich pigmentation of mink. Sepia Ragdolls will typically have green eyes.
Solid: A Solid Ragdoll (Cherubim) is born with their coloring. Solid Ragdolls do not have points. Their whole body is typically one solid color. Solid Ragdolls will normally have green or yellow eyes.
Genetics...
Now that we have gone over the basics of what each of these represent, lets talk about the genetics and reasoning behind the color differences. The genetics play a huge role in determining a Ragdoll cats coloring and pigmentation. Each Ragdoll type consists of their own genetic code, those being cs/cs, cs/cb, cb/cb and C/-. The photo above is an excellent example of how these genetics can result in the pigmentation of the Ragdolls coloring.
Lets dive a bit deeper into what these genetic codes mean.
Traditional (cs/cs): The genetic code cs/cs represents a traditonal color point Ragdoll. This is the result of a double recessive gene for the siamese genotype. This genotype causes temperature sensitive albinism. This gives the classic Ragdoll look resulting in a light colored body with darker pointed features. Traditional Ragdolls also will always have dark blue eyes. Traditional kittens inherit one cs gene from each parent, they will always be born white and develop color slowly over a few weeks.
Mink (cs/cb): The genetic code cs/cb represents the mink pattern in the Ragdoll. This is the result of the kitten inheriting a combination of one siamese point gene (cs) and one burmese sepia gene (cb). This combination produces a softer, more rich coat color than traditional Ragdolls and will usually result in aqua-green eye color. Mink Ragdolls have more body shading than traditional Ragdolls but are lighter than sepia Ragdolls. Mink Ragdolls are also known to have a very soft, velvet like coat. Mink Ragdolls are born with their coloring and it deepens as they age.
Sepia (cb/cb): The genetic code cb/cb represents the sepia pattern in the Ragdoll. This is the result of the kitten inherting two of the burmese sepia gene (cb). This creates a deeper colored, and more rich coat compared to mink and traditional Ragdolls. While they still have pointed patterns the color is much richer and has less contrast that can be seen compared to mink and traditional Ragdolls. Sepia Ragdolls fur is described as more plush and can be compared to cashmere or bunny fur. Sepia Ragdolls usually will have aqua, gold or green eyes. Sepia Ragdolls are born with their coloring and it deepens as they age.
Solid (C/-): The genetic code C/- represents the solid pattern in the Ragdoll. This means that their coloring is dominant or "full color" and they do not have any color point genes unlike traditional, mink and sepia Ragdolls. This will result in the Ragdolls whole body being one color and there will be no contrast at all. Similar to mink and sepia Ragdolls, solid Ragdolls have plush, thick soft coats. Solid Ragdolls usually have gold or green eyes. Solid Ragdolls are born with their solid coloring.
Ragdoll Colors and Patterns...
Every color found in tradtional Ragdolls can be found in each varient of Ragdoll but at a different contrast or deeper "pattern". Lets look at them a little more in depth.
Traditional Ragdoll Colors
Seal: A deep, rich, dark brown that can sometimes almost be black. This color provides the highest contrast against their white bodies.
Blue: A soft, cool toned slate grey. Blue is the dilute of seal.
Chocolate: A warmer light brown that can look similar to milk chocolate. This color normally has a warm/rosy undertone.
Lilac: A very light, frosty grey. This is a rare dilute version of the chocolate coloring.
Flame: Bright orange/red tones. This coloring is normally found in males but can also be found in females on rare occasions.
Cream: A pale, soft apricot or ivory-orange color. This is the dilute color of flame.
Cinnamon: A warm, reddish- brown hue that is much lighter than seal or chocolate coloring.
Fawn: A pale sand or beige coloring with warm undertones. This is the dilute coloring of cinnamon.
Mink Ragdoll Coloring
Seal Mink: Deep brown points with a warm, rich brown body color.
Blue Mink: Soft slate grey points with bluish-white or ivory body color. The dilute of seal mink.
Chocolate Mink: Warm milk chocolate brown points with a light warm brown body. Chocolate mink points can take up to 3 years to fully develop.
Lilac Mink: Frosty pinkish-grey points with a very pale, warm, frosty body coloring. The dilute of chocolate mink.
Flame Mink: Tangerine colored points on a cream colored body.
Cream Mink: Pale apricot or soft ivory points, with a light cream colored body. The dilute of flame mink.
Cinnamon Mink: Warm reddish-brown points with a light ivory/cream colored body.
Fawn Mink: Soft sand colored points with a pale sand colored body. One of the rarest mink colors and the dilute of cinnamon mink.
Sepia Ragdoll Coloring
Seal Sepia: Deep rich mahogany colored points that can appear to almost be black on a deep brown colored body. Much darker and richer than seal mink coloring.
Blue Sepia: Deep slate grey points with a grey body. The dilute of seal sepia.
Chocolate Sepia: Warm, dark milk-chocolate brown points with a lighter brown body.
Lilac Sepia: Soft, frosty-pink grey points with a light grey body. Much deeper than lilac mink. The dilute of chocolate sepia.
Flame Sepia: Deep red points with a creamy orange body color. Much deeper than flame mink.
Cream Sepia: Saturated pale-apricot points with a light cream body color. Deeper coloring than cream mink. The dilute of flame sepia.
Cinnamon Sepia: Warm light red/brown points with a light cream colored body.
Fawn Sepia: Sand colored points with a pale cream colored body. The dilute of Cinnamon Sepia.
Solid Ragdoll Coloring
Solid Black: Black coloring on entire body. The solid version of a seal Ragdoll.
Solid Blue: Deep slate grey coloring on entire body. The dilute of solid black.
Solid Chocolate: Warm, milk chocolate brown on entire body.
Solid Lilac: A pale, frosty grey coloring on entire body. The dilute of solid chocolate.
Solid Flame: Vivid orange coloring on entire body.
Solid Cream: A soft, pale apricot coloring on entire body. The dilute of solid flame.
Solid Cinnamon: Warm reddish-brown coloring on entire body.
Solid Fawn: A warm sand coloring on entire body. The dilute of solid cinnamon.
Ragdoll Patterns...
The following patterns can be found in all the above colors.
Ragdoll Patterns
Colorpoint (aka Pointed): Dark points (face, ears, tail and paws) with no white markings on the body.
Mitted: Dark points but with white "mittens" on the front paws and white "boots" on the back paws, a white chin, and white belly stripe.
Bicolor: An inverterd white "V" on the face, white legs, a white chest/belly and a colored "saddle" on their back.
Van: Color is restricted to only the top of the head, ears and tail with the rest of the body being white.
Ragdoll Pattern OverlaysÂ
Any of the colors and patterns above can also have these specific markings.
Lynx: Tabby-style stripes and distinct "M" marking on their forehead.
Tortie: A mottled mix of color (like seal or blue), with red or cream. Usually only found in females.
Torbie: A rare combination of both Lynx stripes and mottled tortie coloring.
How do I know if my Ragdoll is Mink or Sepia?
While it is easy to determine if your Ragdoll is traditional or solid, it can be a little more difficult to figure out the difference between mink and sepia. The easiest way to determine if your Ragdoll is a mink or sepia is through a DNA panel, where their dna will say if they have the genetic code cs/cb (mink) or cb/cb (sepia). But there are a few other ways to figure out if your Ragdoll is mink or sepia just by looking at them! First, figure out what color your Ragdoll is (seal, blue,ect..), the shade of their coloring can help you determine what they are. If your Ragdoll has deep dark points with a softer body color then they are likely a mink Ragdoll. If your Ragdoll has deep, rich dark points with a almost no contrast to their body color then they are likely a sepia Ragdoll. Another way you can try to determine if your Ragdoll is mink or sepia is their eye color! Mink Ragdolls are best known for their beautiful aqua eyes, they are a distinct blue-green or turquoise shade. Sepia Ragdolls are known for their unique and beautiful gold, green or sometimes amber eyes. Another way you can guage if your Ragdoll is a mink or sepia (while not as reliable) is their fur texture. Mink Ragdolls are known for their dense and silky "mink" textured fur. Sepia Ragdolls are known for their extremely thick and plush coats that resemble bunny-like fur! So while there are some ways you can tell if your Ragdoll is either mink or sepia just by looking at them, it is always best to get a DNA test done just to be positive!
Where do I get a DNA test for my Ragdoll cat you may ask. While there are a few different options out there but we love Wisdom Panel. All of our adult cats have been DNA tested through wisdom panel for various diseases and to learn their coloring!
We hope this blog post was super helpful in explaining the differences between the colors and patterns of the Ragdoll cat! Below you can find a another helpful link to determine coloring and patterns!
Much Love,
The PurrCozi Kitties Crew
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