RUSSIAN BLUE

Big green eyes glare like emeralds. Bluish grey and silver shiny hair covers muscular body of this cat of middle height. Russian Blue looks like made of precious metal and it gives the impression of a mysterious beauty. Many admirers of these cats call them the aristocracy of the cat’s world. Simple look at their gracious and elegant walking style of silent paws over a fluffy carpet shows the glamorous nature of Russian Blue cat.

Soft Hair

Stroking the soft shiny hair makes one feel even more bewitched by this blue beauty. Is it only a cat’s hair, or silk plush? The short satin hair is very fine and surprisingly consists of two layers. The warm undergrowth is covered by attractive over layer that is exactly of the same length which adds to the unordinary plush-like structure of the hair. The lovers of this breed declare that the feeling when stroking these cats cannot be compared to any other breed.

Mysterious

It has been always said that cats are mysterious and impenetrable. Russian blues perform this feature twice than others. Their green eyes and silver body calls up a mixture of feelings – fascination by the elegance and the harmony of all their movements as well as by the superior inaccessibility. These blue beauties will not express their favour to anybody. They are reserved to strangers and need time to get to know the person before they let him/her to stroke them.

Cats with Personality

The ladylike Russians are cats with strong personality. They walk carefully around until they stay far enough from the stranger whom they inspect in detail. The necessary time for the cat to get to know the person cannot be shortened by courageous stretching of one’s hand towards the animal. If the cat decides it is not the right time for stroking and intimate touching, she expresses it with loud spatter and spiting. It does not mean that Russian blues are proud or capricious; it only shows we cannot cross their rules.

It Is Cuddling Time!

When the cat finally decides to accept her human friend she starts showing her warm and friendly nature. She loves her owner above anything and she expresses her affection more than often. Whenever the animal feels like cuddling she shows her needs to her owner quite obviously by loud purring and rubbing intensively against the persons’ ankles. At this time the person forgets quickly about his/her whereabouts and devotes the time to the animal. If the cat is rejected the human owner can expect even several-day long sulking.

Sometimes Quiet, Sometimes Wild

Russian blue cats are versatile – sometimes completely quiet, another time like an unbound wild wind. They are playful and love hunting flies up till old age. This breed needs some tree or column for climbing and enough toys to play with them all day long. Busy people should have at least two cats so that they can be company to each other. These cats love sitting on a window rim and spend hours by looking at people walking on the street. The windows and the balcony should have some net to prevent the animals to fall down.

Noise? No, Thanks!

Although sometimes wild, these cats like silence also very much. Noisy and stressful environment makes them suffer. The cat should always have an opportunity to hide somewhere and have its own recess where children cannot follow her when she does not want to. Otherwise the cat may be aggressive to the kids.

Routine Life

Russian blues prefer stable and repeating routine of everyday life to which they can adapt. They are perfectly content living in a flat even without any opportunity to go outside. As other cats, they are very clean and easily housetrained. They can learn easily.

Mysterious Origin

There are many hypotheses and legends about the origin of Russian blue cats but the true past will be most probably never revealed. Allegedly, these cats belong to the oldest short-hair breeds in the world. The oldest detectable facts about them unfortunately state that these cats were in the past used as a source of soft furs for muffs and fur scruffs.

Companions of Tsars

Russian blue cats enjoyed also happier times in the history. For years, they were very popular animals of Russian tsars and led comfortable lives in luxurious palaces. Reputedly, they were used as toys of children and as warmers of beds. Literature says that in 1860 some Russian ship left the port Archangelsk and brought Russian blue cats to England. These cats were also presented in 1880 at an English show and were very popular for their unique soft hair.

Russian Blue vs. British Blue

However, Russian blue could not compete with British blue that had been loved by English people for a long time. Most breeders kept up to their preferences for stronger and bigger British blues. Still, Russian cats were bred by many people. We know for example about Ms. Carwex from Essex who supported breeders of Russian blues and contributed to the fact that in 1912 in Scandinavia and in England Russian blues were presented at shows separately from British blues as a Blue Foreign Type. At that time, Russians were called Maltese in France and the U.S., Archangelic, Spanish, or American in other parts of the world.

Extinct?

The Second World War meant a big stop sign for the blooming of these cats. In the middle of 40s in the 20th century Russian blues were proclaimed almost extinct. English breeders used blue Siamese cats for crossing which caused considerable changes of the typical features of this breed rather than preserving Russian blues. In mid 60s, a big return to the old type started as a main aim of international breeding efforts.

Features

According to the standards of FIFe, Russian blue is a long cat with middle strength of the skeleton. The basic characteristic is slimness. Long, straight neck, long pointed tail, long fine legs and narrow oval paws – these are the desirable features of them. Short triangle-like head and long flat scull with straight nose and convex profile makes the cat appear high-bread and aristocratic. Among other typical features belong distinct pads with tactile hairs, and big pointed ears standing upright and having wide base. The inner sides of the ears is here not very hairy.

Care

These cats are very easy to care for. They are usually seen as strong and uncomplicated. They usually keep being active up till old age. The aim of the breeders is naturally to protect the type of this breed with all its features. No spots or long hair is allowed.

List of features

Head:	short, wedge-like
Nose:	straight, convex profile
Tail:	long, pointed
Legs:	long, narrow oval paws
Body:	long, slim, middle hight
Pads with tactile hairs:	strongly distinguished
Ears:	big, pointed, wide at the base, upright standing
Eyes:	green, lively, wide apart, big, almond-like shape
Hair:	short, thick, very soft, silk-like, fine, double layer
Colours:	clear, even blue, distinct silver shine, middle blue is preferred