Videos Russian Blue Breed Information
Country of origin -
Russia
Breed standards -
AACE, CFA, ACFA, TICA, CCA,
ACF, FIFe, GCCF
Notes
The ACF and GCCF also recognize Russians
in white and black, however the CFA does not.
The Russian Blue is a type or breed of cat that has a
silver-blue coat. These cats are known to be highly intelligent and
playful but tend to be timid around strangers. They also develop
close bonds with their human companions and are highly sought after
due to their personalities and unique coat.
1. Origin
Unlike so many modern cat breeds, the Russian Blue is a
naturally occurring breed which is believed to have originated in
the port of Arkhangelsk, Russia, although the evidence for this is purely
anecdotal. They are also sometimes
called Archangel Blues. It is believed that
the first Russian Blues were first brought from the Archangel Isles
to England and Northern Europe in the 1860s by sailors. The first
recorded showing of the breed was in 1875 at the Crystal Palace in
England as the Archangel Cat. The Russian Blue competed in a class
including all other blue cats, until 1912, when it was given its
own class.
The breed was developed mainly in England and Scandinavia until after World War II. During and following World War II, due to a lack of numbers of
Russian Blues, some people started cross
breeding it with the Siamese. Although the breed was in
America before the war, it wasn't until after World War II that
American Breeders created what is known as the modern Russian Blue
that we see in the US today. This was done by combining the
bloodlines of both the Scandinavian and English Russian Blues. The
Siamese traits have now been largely bred out.
Although they have been used on a limited basis to create other
breeds (such as the Havana Brown) or
add type to a breed in creation (the Nebelung), Russian Blues themselves are
short-haired, blue-grey cats.
During the early 1970s, a solid white
Russian Blue (called the Russian
White) was created by the Australian breeder, Mavis Jones, through the crossing of a
Russian Blue with a domestic white cat. By the late 1970s, the
Russian White and Russian Black
colors were accepted by cat fanciers in Australia as Russian cats. However, in North
America, the Cat Fanciers
Association, does not recognize either variations of the
Russian Blue but The International Cat
Association and the American Cat
Fanciers Association both recognize the Russian Whites and
Russian Blacks in provisional classes.
2. Physical characteristics
The Russian Blue has a lean medium-sized body and a short,
plush, blue-grey coat. The
color is a bluish-grey that is the dilute expression of the black
gene. The coat is unique to the breed as it is a double coat, with
the undercoat being soft and downy, and
the longer guard hairs an even blue
with silver tips. The tips give the coat a shimmering appearance.
Its eyes are almost always a dark and vivid green. Any white
patches or yellow eyes in adulthood are seen as faults
Russian Blues should not be confused with British Blues (which
are not a distinct breed but rather a British Shorthair with a blue coat),
nor the Chartreux or Korat which are two other naturally occurring
breeds of blue cats, although they have similar traits.
3. Behavioral characteristics
The Russian Blue is known for being very intelligent and active
animals. They have been known to open doors/windows, play fetch,
and are sensitive to basic human emotions. They enjoy playing with
a variety of toys and develop extremely loyal bonds to their loved
ones. The Russian Blue is also known for getting along very well
with other pets and children in a household. They are known also
for being quiet and clean animals that are normally shy around
strangers, unless they are brought up in an very active household.
The males are known to be more active and outgoing than the females
according to many breeders.
4. Hypoallergenic?
Anecdotally, the Russian
Blue has been said, by breeders and others, to be hypoallergenic. However, no
cat is absolutely or completely nonallergenic. The
hypoallergenic qualities of the Russian Blue are ascribed to its
very fine undercoat and relatively light shedding.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
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