We are Maria and Malcolm Beal and have had the joyous experience of living with our beautiful Ragdolls since 1990.  It all began on the sad loss of our beloved semi longhaired cat Gingie of old age, where we had vowed we wanted a very ‘special’ cat indeed!  In 1987 we first read about the Ragdolls in a popular UK cat magazine – seeing the photos of the cats’ beauty and learning about their temperament, made us very aware that some day, we would own one of these beautiful creatures….

In 1990 Sonny (from whence we later founded our prefix of Sonnifacio – from Sonny’s exquisite face and a wonderful place called Bonifacio on the romantic island of Corsica) entered our lives – he was everything and more that the Ragdoll breed had promised….. enchantingly beautiful in appearance with a temperament that was his very own….  we were totally and utterly in love!  Time passed and as the worldwide adage goes – somehow, no-one ever seems to have just one Ragdoll cat – be warned!   So more beautiful Ragdolls joined us in the early 90s,and in 1995, despite me vowing never to breed, Malcolm persuaded me otherwise and we tentatively entered the world of showing and breeding.

We enjoyed showing many of our Ragdolls with much success.  In 1996 Sonny won the coveted award of Top Ragdoll in the UK under the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) rulings.In those days the breed was not recognised at championship level within the GCCF and many of our cats, due to this fact, never gained titles, but by 2001 finally and after much work, the Ragdoll breed was granted full recognition.  We are proud to have bred the very first Mitted Ragdoll Champion and also the first Grand Champion Male Bicolour Adult.

Our beloved Sonny – Adhirlo Sonny Facio – Top Ragdoll of the Year 1996/97 - TBRCC

as we breed predominantly from Ragdolls of the original pedigrees that follow back to the first 12 Ragdolls that entered the UK in 1981 from the Blossom-Time Cattery, California, and we feel that even today, they retain that magical and familiar look and temperament of those early imports and in turn the legendary Raggedy Ann foundation Ragdolls bred by the originator of the Ragdoll breed, Ann Baker in 1963.  Our Traditional Ragdolls are bred soley in the original colours of seal and blue (the chocolate and lilac being very rare and possibly lost from those early days although latterly some breeders have outcrossed to reintroduce these colours to the breed), wishing to help promote and preserve the exquisite ‘faces of the past’ and the wonderful temperaments they are so highly famed for…. Due to our sincere deep love of the breed, we have always diligently maintained a strict

  NO OUTCROSSING policy.

Here at Sonnifacio, we breed in a very small way, considering and observing that each and every kitten will receive full attention and love, and also to ensure that our own beloved cats and neuters are not neglected – the care and nurturing of kittens is a very time consuming and responsible hobby which should not be undertaken lightly.   Sonnifacio kittens are born and raised indoors within clean and caring conditions.  Once weaned and litter tray trained, they have the run of the house, hence they are used to all normal household noises!   Please be aware that a Ragdoll is an ‘INDOOR CAT’ and must never be allowed to run loose at will, as they are not streetwise, having no roadsense and due to their trusting natures – would allow anyone to pick them up!  Our own cats have large secure and attractive outdoor playruns which they reach from the house via a catflap when they wish to enjoy the fresh countryside air and greenery.  Sonnifacio kittens are occasionally available to the most loving, indoor and permanent of homes.

We hope you enjoy our Site where you will meet some of our beloved Ragdoll cats, both past and present…

Maria and Malcolm Beal

(Our sincerest thanks goes to Kirstin and Michael Hinz-Gulba for creating the Sonnifacio website.)