Cherubim

The Cherubim is a large semi-longhaired cat formally established by TICA as a Championship breed within the Ragdoll Breed Group effective May 1, 2025. It developed from cats previously handled as Ragdoll New Traits, particularly mink, sepia, and non-blue-eyed traditional-colored lines. The name itself has older connections with Ragdoll founder Ann Baker, whose historical registration material used the term Cherubim.

Under the current TICA standard, the Cherubim and Ragdoll share the same fundamental head, body, coat, and temperament type. The ideal Cherubim is substantial, muscular, broad-chested, and slow to mature, with a broad modified-wedge head, large oval eyes, substantial legs and feet, and a long tapering tail. Full physical development may take three to four years.

The distinction from the modern TICA Ragdoll lies primarily in color genetics and eye color. Cherubims are accepted in mink, sepia, and traditional color categories rather than being restricted to the blue-eyed pointed phenotype required of Ragdolls. Their semi-long coat is silky and soft with minimal undercoat, falling smoothly rather than forming a woolly or cottony texture.

Cherubims are generally calm, affectionate, sociable, and easy-going cats that retain a playful side. Many enjoy staying close to family members and participating in household routines without the relentless activity level of more demanding athletic breeds.

Interactive wand play, balls, retrieving games, food puzzles, scratching furniture, and climbing areas provide useful exercise and mental stimulation. Their relaxed appearance should not be mistaken for a lack of need for activity, particularly because regular play helps maintain healthy muscle and body condition in this large breed.

Well-socialized Cherubims commonly have good potential to live with respectful children, compatible cats, and cat-friendly dogs. They tend to value dependable companionship and may be less suited to homes where they would routinely spend very long periods without social contact.

The silky semi-long coat has relatively little undercoat and is usually easier to maintain than a dense woolly long coat. Thorough combing once or twice a week is appropriate for many adults, with additional grooming during seasonal shedding or whenever tangles begin to develop.

Pay particular attention behind the ears, beneath the front legs, along the belly, around the hindquarters, and through the tail furnishings. Routine grooming also provides an opportunity to check the skin, claws, ears, teeth, and body condition while keeping handling familiar and positive.

Cherubims are large, slow-maturing cats, so maintaining appropriate body condition is important. Provide measured portions of a complete life-stage-appropriate diet, daily interactive exercise, sturdy climbing and scratching furniture, dental hygiene, nail care, clean litter facilities, and regular veterinary examinations rather than assuming a very heavy body is automatically normal for the breed.

Cherubim-specific clinical health research is currently limited, and no inherited disorder has yet been established through large studies as uniquely prevalent across the breed. Because the modern Cherubim was developed directly from Ragdoll New Trait lines and remains in the closed Ragdoll Breed Group, health information from Ragdoll ancestry can be relevant, but ancestry alone should not be presented as proof that every Ragdoll-associated disorder has the same frequency in Cherubims.

The Ragdoll-associated MYBPC3 R820W variant is an established genetic risk factor for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Ragdolls. Testing is therefore a reasonable ancestry-based screening consideration for Cherubim breeding lines. A negative result excludes the tested R820W variant but does not rule out every genetic cause of HCM or guarantee that a cat will never develop cardiac disease, so veterinary cardiac assessment and family history remain important.

Prospective owners should ask for documented MYBPC3 R820W results where applicable, information about cardiac examinations used by the breeder, and family records covering HCM, sudden cardiac death, longevity, kidney health, mobility, and causes of death. Until larger Cherubim-specific studies become available, health claims should remain conservative and DNA panels should be treated as targeted tools rather than complete health clearance. This information is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment by a veterinarian.