Russian Blue

 The Russian Blue is a short haired cat of foreign type, but is not as extreme as the Siamese and other orientals. The body is long and graceful with medium strong bone. Legs are long with small oval paws and the tail is fairly long and tapering. The short, wedge-shaped head is topped by large pointed ears, set vertically to the head. The Russian Blue has prominent whisker pads and vivid green almond shaped eyes. The coat of the Russian Blue is quite different from that of any other breed, being short, thick but fine and standing up soft and silky with a silvery sheen. A good Russian Blue should have an elegant appearance with an aristocratic expression.

WHAT IS ITS HISTORY?

 The Russian Blue Breeders Association has published an informative and interesting handbook which includes a detailed history of the Russian Blue. It is thought that the cats were first brought to this country by sailors in 1860 from the port of Archangel. They were then known as Archangel cats.

WHAT KIND OF PERSONALITY DOES IT HAVE?

 Naturally, this will vary from cat to cat, but the Russian Blue is an intelligent cat which is renowned for its gentleness. It will often talk to its owner in a quiet voice, although a queen in season can make as much noise as any other cat. The Russian Blue is affectionate but not demanding. Many love to be picked up and cuddled but some are not so keen. Nevertheless, they are still likely to be loving and devoted companions to their owners. This has made the breed particularly popular with elderly people. However, it is also very good with children and as a general rule will tolerate the clumsy handling of a child. The cat will wriggle, rather than claw, its way out of a tight grip. It is rare for a Russian Blue to bite or scratch.

CAN A RUSSIAN BLUE BE KEPT INDOORS?

 Although the coat is ideally suited to cold weather, the Russian Blue tends to be a home loving cat and should not suffer from being confined to the house, provided there is ample opportunity for adventure and play with its owner. If the cat would be left alone for much of the day, it would be kinder to get two. If you need to keep your cat indoors do bear in mind that you will need to keep windows screened and that it is difficult to keep a cat in if you have young children or frequent visitors at your door.

STANDARD OF POINTS
The following is reprinted with kind permission from the GCCF and is taken from their "Standard of Points" handbook.

General Type Standard

The Russian is a cat of elegant foreign type without the exaggerated elongation of the Oriental. Its high ears, green almond-shaped eyes, angled profile and prominent whisker pads create a distinctive gentle expression which, together with its essential velvety double coat, gives the breed its unique charm.

Head - The wedge from tip of nose to eyes is short. The distance from eyes to ears should be equal to or slightly longer than the wedge. The top of the head should appear flat between the ears. The whisker pads are prominent giving a broad end to the head. In profile the forehead should appear straight to the level of the upper edge of the eye. The profile from here to the tip of the nose has such a shallow concave curve that it appears virtually straight. This creates a distinctive angle level with the upper edge of the eye. There must be no stop, break or nose bump, nor must there be a straight profile from top of head to nose tip. The tip of the chin should line up with the tip of the nose in the same vertical plane. The chin should be strong and deep with a level bite. The back of the head should not fall away. In kittens the top of the head may appear more rounded and the profile angle may not be as well developed.

Ears- Large and pointed, wide at the base and set vertically to the head. The ear placement is such that the outer line of the ears continues the line of the upper part of the face, although in mature males with jowls this will be less apparent. There should be little inside hair.

Eyes - Vivid green. Set rather wide apart, almond in shape, not small and deep set. In kittens allowance should be made for eye colour. Body - Long and graceful in outline and carriage. Medium strong bone, well muscled. Cobby or heavy build undesirable. The females may be slightly smaller than the males but should also be well muscled.

Legs and Feet - Long legs. Feet small and oval.

Tail - Moderately long and in proportion to the body. Tapering, neither blunt-ended nor whip.

Coat - The coat is double with a very dense undercoat: the whole coat is very fine, short and soft with no harsh feel to it, very different in texture from any other breed and the truest criterion of the Russian.

Condition and Temperament - In the Russian the condition and temperament of the cat are important considerations.

Note: We are looking for an even-tempered cat and it is hoped that Judges will distinguish between a balanced but temporarily upset or frightened cat and a cat with extreme or aggressive temperament. The latter is most undesirable in the breed and should not be encouraged.

SCALE OF POINTS

RUSSIAN BLUE (16a)
Colour - Clear blue and even throughout with a distinct silvery sheen. Medium blue is preferred. The coat must be blue to the roots, which may be fractionally lighter in tone, and the hairs must show no banding or silver tipping although there may be absence of pigment at the tip. In maturity the coat should be free from tabby markings or shading, although ghost markings may show in kittens.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads - Nose leather blue. Paw pads blue but not necessarily as blue as nose leather. Pinkish lavender pads acceptable in kittens.

RUSSIAN WHITE (16a14c) (Preliminary)
Colour - Pure white with no tinge of yellow. Dark mark on head permissible in kittens.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads - Pink.

RUSSIAN BLACK (16a15) (Preliminary)
Colour - Jet black and sound to the roots. Slight rusty tinge allowed in kittens but not in adults.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads - Black.

Introduction to the Russian Blue

Unlike many modern cat breeds, the Russian Blue is a naturally occurring breed which is believed to have originated in the port of Arkhangelsk, Russia, (hence the name) although the evidence for this is purely anecdotal. During and following World War II, due to a lack of numbers of Russian Blues, some cross breeding with the Siamese breed was introduced. The Siamese traits have now been largely bred out. The majority of their modern breeding program has been carried out in the United States.

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 shorthaired, blue 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), nor the Chartreux or Korat which are two other naturally occurring breeds of blue cats.

During the early 1970s, Mavis Jones, a Russian Blue breeder in Australia, mated a domestic white cat with a Russian Blue with the intent to create a solid white Russian Blue. By the late 1970s, the Russian White and Russian Black colors were accepted by cat fanciers in Australia as true Russian cats. These hybridized colors are accepted in a few other registries and only on a limited basis.

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