Russian Blue: Breed Profile

Russian Blues are a beautiful breed of cat with unique physical and personality characteristics, which separate it from other breeds.

While little is known about the origins of the Russian Blue, legend has it they were brought to England and Northern Europe by sailors in the 1860s from the Archangel Isles in northern Russia. It is said that these cats were first shown in 1875 at the Crystal Palace. The felines were originally shown as part of a class of all blue cats until 1912 when they were given their own separate class. In addition, the Russian Blue was originally known as the Foreign Blue or the Archangel Cat.

Breeders in Russia and Scandinavia worked on developing the Scandinavian and English bloodlines until after World War II. It's thought that Russian Blues were brought to the United States as early as 1900, but it wasn't until after World War II that American breeders began to create the Russian Blue we now know by combining the Scandinavian bloodline with the English bloodline.

There are two variations on the Russian Blue; however, the International Cat Association is the only organization that recognizes them in provisional classes, the Cat Fanciers' Association does not recognize either the Russian White nor the Russian Black. The Russian White was created in the 1970s by Mavis Jones, an Australian breeder, who crossed a white domestic cat with a Russian Blue.

The coat of the breed is a blue-gray color with silver on the tip of every hair. This gives the Russian Blue a silvery, shimmery tint to it. According to Wikipedia, Russian Blues are only one of two breeds to have "double coats," the other being the French Chartreux. This breed also possesses wide-set green eyes, wedge shaped heads, large ears, and long, lean bodies.

This breed is very loyal to its loved ones, but shy around strangers. They are clean, calm, and sensitive to their owner's emotions. They are also intelligent, have been known to play fetch, and can entertain themselves if their owners must work outside the home during the day. Russian Blues would be good additions to families with children or other pets, as this breed gets along well with both.

These felines do not require a lot of grooming attention as they have short coats. Regular petting and occasional combing should suffice. Additionally, according to Wikipedia, Russian Blues produce less glycoprotein Fel d 1 and thus are less of an allergy trigger to individuals who are allergic to cats. It should be noted that while no cat is truly hypoallergenic, this may be a good breed of cat for someone who is allergic to felines.

On average, Russian Blues as a breed live to be 10-15 years of age. They do not have many health problems and few health problems run in their genes.

Russian Blue cats are a beautiful breed both physically and personality-wise. They would make a great addition to many homes, including those with children and other pets. If you would like to learn more about the breed or find a breeder, please visit the Cat Fanciers' Association website.

Sources:

Cat Fanciers' Association: Breed Profile: Russian Blue:
http://www.cfa.org/breeds/profiles/russian.html

Wikipedia: Russian Blue:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Blue