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Breed Characteristics
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Russian Blue
| Origin And History | The most commonly held theory regarding this breed's origin is that Russian Blues were brought to Great Britain in 1860 by British sailors from the White Sea port town of Archangel (Arkhangelsk) in northern Russia. Whether this story is true, and if true, whether the cats really originated in that area, is anyone's guess. Their thick coats give credence to the theory that they developed in a cold climate, and, according to accounts, blue shorthairs still exist in Russia. The Russian Blue is not known to be related to the other three short haired solid blue breeds: Thailand's Korat, France's Chartreux, and Britain's British Blue (now called the British Shorthair). The four breeds have distinct differences in coat, type, and personality, although the Korat, Chartreux, and Russian Blue share a similar silver-blue sheen. Since all four of these breeds have been around for so long that their ancestries are shrouded in legend and conjecture, a common origin is certainly possible. In 1871 a Russian Blue was shown at the first cat show at the Crystal Palace in London, under the name Archangel Cat. At this point, Russian Blues were short haired, solid blue felines with foreign body types. From photos and published sources of the time the original coat was thick, dense, glossy, and colored a light silver-blue. Russian Blues competed in the same class with all other short haired blues, despite obvious differences in type. Since the round-headed, cobby British Blues were favored in the show halls, the svelte Russian Blues rarely won. Finally, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy acknowledged the breed and in 1912 the Russian Blue was granted a class of its own. The breed then made progress until World War II when it almost became extinct, as did many other breeds. During the 1940s and 1950s two independent groups of breeders worked to resurrect the Russian Blue by crossbreeding the few hardy survivors with other breeds. In Britain, breeders crossed the Russian Blue with bluepoint Siamese and British Blues. Because of the Siamese influence, the British Russian Blue's moderate foreign body style became more extreme. At the same time, Scandinavian breeders attempted to 'recreate' the breed by crossing blue cats from Finland with Siamese cats that carried color factors that would enhance the solid blue coloration. These cats were larger and had larger heads and shorter, denser coats than British Russian Blues. In 1965 a group of British breeders, not pleased with all the changes, began efforts to restore the Russian Blue to his original condition. In 1966 the show standard was again changed, now stating that the Siamese type was undesirable. By breeding the Scandinavian cats, with their good head type and vivid green eye color, with the British Russian Blues, with their silver-blue coat color and graceful body style, the breeders finally achieved consistency. The Russian Blue arrived in America in the early 1900s, but it was not until 1947 that serious attempts at breeding and promoting in the United States began. Because of the inconsistency in the breeding stock, and because three other blue breeds existed upon which fanciers could focus their esteem, the Russian Blue didn't get as much attention as it might otherwise have received. However, imports from Britain gradually improved the bloodlines, and the Russian Blue gained much needed stability. Hard work by dedicated breeders has improved the Russian Blue bloodline to the point that American Russian Blues have even been exported to Europe to improve their bloodlines. |
| Personality | The Russian Blue is a gentle cat with a somewhat shy nature around strangers. They are devoted to and affectionate with their loved ones. Sensitive to their owner’s moods, the Russian Blue will greet you at the door, find a quiet seat next to you, or fetch a toy at playtime. In fact, “fetching” is a favorite pastime for Russians and their owners! Pull out the vacuum cleaner, and the Russian will find a safer and quieter location. Relatively quiet-voiced (except perhaps at mealtime), the Russian Blue appreciates a pat on the head, a window from which to watch the birds, and, of course, the comforts of home. The Russian Blue is an intelligent, curious, and tranquil animal. They are known for their friendliness, but are generally shy with strangers. They have been known to play fetch, and are sensitive to human emotions. They enjoy playing with a variety of toys and develop loyal bonds to their loved ones. The Russian Blue gets along well with other pets and children in a household. They can be quiet, only meowing occasionally, but can also be very talkative. They are clean animals that are normally reserved around strangers, unless they are brought up in an active household. They love to play with other small pets, such as dogs, cats and ferrets. Many Russian Blues have been trained to do tricks. Russian Blues can also be fierce hunters, often catching rodents, birds, rabbits, and small reptiles. |
Physical Attributes
| Appearance | The Russian Blue has bright green eyes, two layers of short thick fur, and a blue-grey coat. The colour is a bluish-gray that is the dilute expression of the black gene. However, as dilute genes are recessive ("d") and each parent will have a set of two recessive genes ("dd") two Russian Blues will always produce a blue cat. The coat is known as a "double coat," with the undercoat being soft, downy, and equal in length to the guard hairs, which are an even blue with silver tips. The tail, however, may have a few very dull, almost unnoticeable stripes. Only Russian Blues and the French Chartreux have this type of coat, which is described as thick and soft to the touch. The silver tips give the coat a shimmering appearance. Its eyes are almost always a dark and vivid green. Any white patches of fur or yellow eyes in adulthood are seen as flaws in show cats. Russian Blues should not be confused with British Blues (which are not a distinct breed but rather a British Shorthair with a blue coat; the British Shorthair breed itself comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns), nor the Chartreux or Korat which are two other naturally occurring breeds of blue cats, although they have similar traits. |
| Health | Russian Blues have an average life expectancy of around 15–20 years, some have even lived up to a maximum of 25 years, and have few health problems as they tend to have little to no genetic problems and are not prone to illness. They are a moderate-sized cat with an average weight of 3.5 to 7 kg (7.7 to 15.4 lb) when full grown. Males will typically be larger than females. Their gestation period is approximately 65 days. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the Russian Blue may be better tolerated by individuals with mild to moderate allergies. There is speculation that the Russian Blue produces less glycoprotein Fel d 1, one source of cat allergies. The thicker coat may also trap more of the allergens closer to the cat's skin. Glycoprotein is one source of cat allergies, but this does not mean they are suitable to be homed with people allergic to cats; they will still cause the allergy to be affected, only to a lesser degree for short periods of time. |
