Temperament:
*Reserved and Wary
*Quiet Voice
*Loving
*Undemanding
*Easily Trained
"These felines tend to be reserved with strangers." |
| Head: Medium wedge; medium long nose |
| Eyes: Wide set; rounded (in U.S.); vivid green |
| Ears: Large, wide at base; slightly pointed tips; almost translucent |
| Body: Medium size; long; athletic; long neck appears short because of heavy coat |
| Coat: Short, plush, dense; double coat with silky guard hairs; stands out from body due
to its thickness |
| Tail: Long, proportional to body; tapering with medium thick base |
| Patterns: Bright, even blue with silver-tipped guard hairs |
Breed History: The Archangel cat... Spanish Blue... Maltese Blue... Foreign Blue... Chartreuse
Blue... The plush coated Russian Blue has been known by many names. They were originally
called Archangel Cats when sailors brought them back to England and northern Europe from
the Russian port Arkhangelsk- some say in the 1500's, others in the mid 1800's. By the end
of the 1800's they had become very popular in Europe. But because of their color, they
were lumped together with all other blue cats for show purposes. Not until 1912 were they
officially recognized as a breed of their own.
World War II brought about a decline in the breed, so for their own protection they were
crossed with Siamese, resulting in a lighter, more angular, and oriental appearing cat,
sometimes producing pale-colored blue point kittens called "White Russians".
Since then, however, breeders have continued strengthening and developing the Russian
Blue- and the breed has regained many of the distinctive characteristics of its original
form. |
| Additional Notes: Considered
a good luck omen in its native Russia, this appealing feline has attracted many fans. One
of the most famous Russian Blues was Vashka, owned by Czar Nicholas I of Russia. And in
Colette's novel The Cat, the protagonist is forced to choose between his new
bride and his beloved Russian Blue, Saha. In a move that many Russian Blue lovers might
understand, the hero does the only thing he can do: he chooses Saha. |
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