TheRussian Blue cat(Russian:Русская голубая кошка,romanized:Russkaya golubaya koshka), commonly referred to as justRussian Blue,is acat breedwith colors that vary from a light shimmering silver to a darker, slate grey. The short, dense coat, which stands out from the body, has been the breed's hallmark for more than a century.
| Russian Blue | |
|---|---|
 1 year old Russian blue male | |
| Other names | Archangel Blue, Archangel Cat |
| Origin |  Russia |
| Breed standards | |
| CFA | standard |
| FIFe | standard |
| TICA | standard |
| ACF | standard |
| ACFA/CAA | standard |
| CCA-AFC | standard |
| GCCF | standard |
| Notes | |
The ACF and GCCF also recognize Russian Blues in white and black, however the CFA does not. In addition, ACFA recognizes Russian Shorthairs in white, black, and blue. | |
| Domestic cat(Felis catus) | |
Origin
editThe Russian Blue is anaturally occurring breedthat may have originated in the port ofArkhangelskinRussia.[1]They are also sometimes called Archangel Blues.[2]It is believed that sailors took them from the Archangel Isles to Great Britain and Northern Europe in the 1860s.[1]The first reference to an Archangel Cat appears in British print in 1862.[3]The first recorded appearance of one in a show was in 1872 atThe Crystal Palacein England as the Archangel Cat.[4]However,Harrison Weirwriting in 1895 reported that the early show cats under the Russian Blue name were British-bred grey tabbies, with separate grey cats arriving from Archangel in Britain in the 1800s with features consistent with the modern breed.[5]The Russian Blue competed in a class including all other blue cats until 1912, when it was given its own class. The breed was developed mainly in England andScandinaviauntil afterWorld War II.
Right after the war, a lack of numbers of Russian Blues led tocross breedingwith theSiamese.Although Russian Blues were in the United States before the war, it was not until the post-war period that American breeders created the modern Russian Blue that is seen in the United States today. American breeders combined the bloodlines of both the Scandinavian and British Russian Blues. The Siamese traits have now largely been bred out. The short hair and slate-gray/blue color is often seen in mixed-breed cats, which can affect breeders and showers due to mislabeling a cat as a Russian Blue.[6]
Russian Blues are plush short-haired, shimmering pale blue-gray cats with emerald green eyes or yellow eyes. Guard hairs are distinctly silver-tipped giving the cat a silvery sheen or lustrous appearance. They have been used on a limited basis to create other breeds such as theHavana Brownor alter existing breeds such as theNebelung.They are being used in Italy as a way to make Oriental Shorthairs healthier and more robust called RUS4OSH in FIFe.[7]
Russian Whites and Russian Blacks were created from crosses with domestic white cats which were allegedly imported from Russia. The first line was developed by Frances McLeod (Arctic) in the United Kingdom during the 1960s and the second line produced by Dick and Mavis Jones (Myemgay) in Australia in the 1970s.[8]By the late 1970s, the Russian White and Russian Black colors were accepted by cat fanciers in Australia as well as in South Africa and now also in the United Kingdom asRussiancats (in different classes). However, theCat Fanciers' Associationand FIFe does not recognize any variation of the Russian Blue.
Physical characteristics
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The Russian Blue has bright green eyes, pinkish lavender or mauve paws, two layers of short thick fur, and a blue-grey-black coat.[9]The color is a bluish-gray that is the dilute expression of the black gene. However, as dilute genes are recessive ( "d" ) and each parent will have a set of two recessive genes ( "dd" ) two non-Color-Point Carrier (non-CPC) Russian Blues will always produce a blue cat. Due to the breeding with Siamese after World War II, there are color-point genes floating around. If two carriers are bred together, then they will produce a litter of mixed colors—solid blue or white with blue-point like a Siamese. People call these CPC cats "color-point", "whites" or "pointed" Russians. In most registries, one cannot register, breed or show a color-point Russian. These color-point (blue-point) cats are called Color-Point-Russian Blue (Blue Point Russian Blue) or more informally as Pika Blu (or pika blue) cats and have the same general characteristics as the Russian Blue cats.
The coat is known as a "double coat", with theundercoatbeing soft, downy and equal in length to theguard hairs,which are an even blue with silver tips. However, the tail may have a few very dull, almost unnoticeable stripes. The coat is described as thick, plush and soft to the touch and can be described as being softer than the softest silk. The silver tips give the coat a shimmering appearance. Its eyes are almost always a dark and vivid green. Any white patches of fur or yellow eyes in adulthood are seen as flaws in show cats.[6]Russian Blues should not be confused with British Blues (which are not a distinct breed, but rather aBritish Shorthairwith a blue coat as the British Shorthair breed itself comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns), nor theChartreuxorKoratwhich are two other naturally occurring breeds of blue cats, although they have similar traits.
They are generally considered to be a quiet breed but there are always exceptions. They are normally reserved around strangers, unless they are brought up in an active household. Many Russian Blues have been trained to do tricks. They can also be fierce hunters, often catching rodents, birds, rabbits, small mammals, or reptiles. As loving and easy going as Russian Blues are, they do not like change, and prefer predictable, routine schedules.[10]
Russian Blue kittens are energetic and require adequate playmates or toys as they can become mischievous if bored. They have exceptional athleticism and rival evenAbyssiniansfor their ability to leap and climb. Slow to mature, Russian Blues retain many of their adolescent traits both good and otherwise until they are 3–4 years old and even much older Blues can be easily enticed into play by their owners. Russian Blues are also highly intelligent. They have an excellent memory and will learn the hiding place of favorite toys and lead their owners to them when they want a game. They also have a keen ability to remember favorite visitors and will race to greet familiar faces even if quite some time has passed between visits.[citation needed]
Growth and maturity
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They are small to moderate-sized cats with an average weight of 3.6 to 6.8 kg (8 to 15 lb) when fully grown.[11]Males will typically be larger than females. Theirgestationperiod is approximately 64 days.
Allergies
editAnecdotal evidence suggests that the Russian Blue may be better tolerated by individuals with mild to moderate allergies. There is speculation that the Russian Blue produces less glycoproteinFel d 1,one source of cat allergies. The thicker coat may also trap more of the allergens closer to the cat's skin. Glycoprotein is one source of cat allergies, but this does not mean that all allergies will be stopped. They can still happen, but not as extreme, and for a much less amount of time than other cat breeds. Because of this, Russian Blues are very popular with people with allergies all around the world.[citation needed]
In popular culture
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- Arleneis portrayed by a Russian Blue inGarfield: The Movie.
- Felicity, a character in thenoveland filmFelidae,was a Russian Blue.
- A Russian Blue kitten is a trainedassassinin theCats & Dogsfilm. According to audio commentary on the DVD, several kittens were used due to the kittens growing faster than the filming schedule. Catherine from its sequelCats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galoreis also a Russian Blue.
- Eben and Snooch are Russian Blues in the comicTwo Lumps.
- TheNyan Catmeme was inspired by creator Chris Torres' Russian Blue Marty. Marty died in 2012 fromfeline infectious peritonitis.
- Tom Catof theHanna-Barberacartoon-produced for MGMTom and Jerryis said[by whom?]to have been inspired by a Russian Blue.
- InA Gentleman in Moscowby Amor Towles, the Metropol Hotel's lobby cat is a Russian Blue.
- Smokey, the main antagonist in the filmStuart Little,is a Russian Blue.
- Kilmousky inMidsomer Murders:episodeWritten in BloodcausesDCI Tom Barnabyan allergic reaction
See also
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- Nebelung,a moderately-long haired breed which used the Russian Blue as an outcross
- Russian White, Black, and Tabby
References
edit- ^ab"Russian Blue".Breed Profiles.The Cat Fanciers' Association. Archived fromthe originalon 15 October 2013.Retrieved11 October2013.
Many believe the Russian Blue is a natural breed originating from the Archangel Isles in northern Russia, where the long winters developed a cat with a dense, plush coat. Rumors also abound that the Russian Blue breed descended from the cats kept by the Russian Czars, which was rumoured to hunt the brown bear. Assuming the Russian Blue did migrate from northern Russia, it was likely via ship to Great Britain and northern Europe in the mid 1860s
. - ^Alderton, David (1992).Cats (Eyewitness Handbook).Dorling Kindersley.p. 182.ISBN1-56458-070-9.
- ^"Puss in a New Character".The Leeds Mercury.Leeds, UK. 7 June 1862.
- ^"The Cat Show".The Times of London.London, UK. 16 May 1872.
- ^Weir, Harrison (1895).Our Cats and All About Them.Houghton. p. 66.
- ^ab"Is my cat a Russian Blue?".Russianblue.info.Retrieved6 October2011.
- ^"Allevamento YesWeCat gatti Siamesi e Orientali".Allevamento YesWeCat gatti Siamesi e Orientali.Retrieved25 February2016.
- ^"Russian Black & the Russian White in the UK".Russianblue.org.uk.Retrieved30 May2015.
- ^Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia (2011). "Cats": 1–2.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^"Russian Blue".petmd.Retrieved16 November2022.
- ^Smith, Derek."Russian Blue information and facts you should know".Russianbluelove.Retrieved31 January2019.
External links
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