| Country of Origin: | Russia |
| Colors: | Blue |
| Average Size: | Weight: 10-14 lbs ( 4.5 – 6.3 kg) Length: Medium |
| Life Span: | 15-20 years |
| Coat: | Short |
| Personality: | Well-behaved and playful |
| Characteristics: | Energy: Active Talkative: Little Kid Friendly: Yes Allergic: No |
Blue fur was the original color of the breed, and some say, the only real russian, although recently developed black and white variants. Russian Blue cat supposedly originating from the port Arkhangelsk on the White Sea, where they were taken by sailors in the sixties of the19th century to western Europe.
Russian blue cat was known under different names: Archangel Cat, Spanish Blue and Maltese cat. However, since the period of the October Revolution in 1948 they were officially known as the Oriental Blue. In the year of 1912 was established a separate class for the British and Russian Blue – which was then still called oriental – and interest in the Russian cats again grew.
Like many European breeds, the Russian Blue cats during the Second World War were almost extinct. However, in the late forties and early fifties breeders in Scandinavia began to develop the breed by crossing the blue cats from Finland with Siamese who carried the gene for thinning which is responsible for the blue color. In recent years, growers are trying to regain the original characteristics of the breed by crossing it with the British Blue. Russian Blue, for centuries remained purebred because the gene responsible for diluting paint is recessive, and never hides another color.
British types of Russian Blue cats have compact and rounded heads. The most vivid features of Russian blue cats is its wonderfully dense, shiny fur and beautiful emerald green eyes. Soft, thick double coat is an ideal protection of the body from the icy winds of the Russian winter and unique to the touch.
Russian Blue has a well developed muscled body, but never heavy. Long legs ensure elegance. The head is wedge-shaped and moderately long from ears to eyes, prominent mustache pads and large pointed ears, widely spaced on the head. The eyes are very large, almond-shaped and widely spaced.
This cat breed is quiet and not at all destructive. Russian blue cats are ideal pets, but they can be very unkind to strangers!
