Russian Blue


Russian Blue Fairy-tale

An Ancient Russian fairy-tale tells the story of how seven fairies gathered around the cradle of a princess with their gifts.

• One gave her a fearless spirit,
• Another a loyal heart,
• A third said she would be slim and beautiful all her life,
• The fourth that her every movement would be graceful,
• The fifth said she would always wear silver, silk and velvet,
• The sixth brought her two huge emeralds
• And the seventh said she would find friends wherever she went in the world.

However, these fairies were rather young and inexperienced at bestowing gifts and they could not believe this tiny red screaming baby would ever grow into a beautiful princess. So they gently placed their gifts in another crib where there was only quiet purring. And that is how the Russian Blue came to be such a particularly beautiful and gifted cat!


HISTORY

Just like most other breeds of cats that we know, the exact origin of the Russian Blue is unclear. It is thought that the cats were first brought to this country by sailors, in 1860 from the port of Archangel. They were then known as Archangel cats. The first Russian Blue appeared at a cat show in London in 1880.

At cat shows, from around the turn of the century all short-haired blue cats competed in 1 category, irrespective of their build. The English type, stocky and with a round head always won, and the interest for the Russian Blue breed with the lighter bone structure and the narrower head faded.

In 1912, seperate classes were established for the Blue English and the Blue Russian cats (in general, these were called "Foreign Blues")

Due to the 2nd War World many Russian Blue lines died out, and during the 50's it was decided to cross Russian Blues with Bluepoint siamese cats, and this is how cats with a very explicit oriental build originated.

The official show standard for the Russian Blue, had to be rewritten and in 1965 a group of English breeders undertook an attempt to go back to the characteristics of the Russian Blue cat like they were before the war.

In 1966, the standard was changed again, and it was specifically mentioned that the siamese type was not desirable.

The most well known characteristic of the Russian Blue cat has always been the double fur. This should be short, soft, silky and with upstanding hairs, like the fur of a seal or beaver and with a moderate blue color so that the silver-colored top of the hairs reflect the light through which the cat gets its silver veil.

PERSONALITY

Naturally, this will vary from cat to cat, but the Russian Blue is an intelligent cat which is renowned for its gentleness, and will often talk to its owner in a quiet voice. The Russian Blue is affectionate but not demanding. Many love to be picked up and cuddled, but some are not so keen. Nevertheless, they are still likely to be loving and devoted companions to their owners.

INDOOR CATS

Although the coat is ideally suited to cold weather, the Russian Blue tends to be a home loving cat and likes to be indoors, provided there is ample opportunity for adventure and play with its owner. If the cat is left alone for much of the day, it would be kinder to get two.


General Type Standard

The Russian is a cat of elegant foreign type without the exaggerated elongation of the Oriental. Its high ears, green almond-shaped eyes, angled profile and prominent whisker pads create a distinctive gentle expression which, together with its essential velvety double coat, gives the breed its unique charm.

Head - The wedge from tip of nose to eyes is short. The distance from eyes to ears should be equal to or slightly longer than the wedge. The top of the head should appear flat between the ears. The whisker pads are prominent giving a broad end to the head. In profile the forehead should appear straight to the level of the upper edge of the eye. The profile from here to the tip of the nose has such a shallow concave curve that it appears virtually straight. This creates a distinctive angle level with the upper edge of the eye. There must be no stop, break or nose bump, nor must there be a straight profile from top of head to nose tip. The tip of the chin should line up with the tip of the nose in the same vertical plane. The chin should be strong and deep with a level bite. The back of the head should not fall away. In kittens the top of the head may appear more rounded and the profile angle may not be as well developed.

Ears- Large and pointed, wide at the base and set vertically to the head. The ear placement is such that the outer line of the ears continues the line of the upper part of the face, although in mature males with jowls this will be less apparent. There should be little inside hair.

Eyes - Vivid green. Set rather wide apart, almond in shape, not small and deep set. In kittens allowance should be made for eye colour. Body - Long and graceful in outline and carriage. Medium strong bone, well muscled. Cobby or heavy build undesirable. The females may be slightly smaller than the males but should also be well muscled.

Legs and Feet - Long legs. Feet small and oval.

Tail - Moderately long and in proportion to the body. Tapering, neither blunt-ended nor whip.

Coat - The coat is double with a very dense undercoat: the whole coat is very fine, short and soft with no harsh feel to it, very different in texture from any other breed and the truest criterion of the Russian.

Condition and Temperament - In the Russian the condition and temperament of the cat are important considerations.

Note: We are looking for an even-tempered cat and it is hoped that Judges will distinguish between a balanced but temporarily upset or frightened cat and a cat with extreme or aggressive temperament. The latter is most undesirable in the breed and should not be encouraged.

SCALE OF POINTS

Head and Ears 20 ,br> Eyes 15
Body, Legs and Tail 20
Coat 30
Colour 15
Total 100

Withhold all Awards for:

Extreme aggressive temperament

Withhold Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten Open Classes for:

1 Flat coat
2 Oriental type
3 Cobby or British type
4 White anywhere in Blues and Blacks
5 Any colour other than white anywhere in Whites
6 Incorrect eye colour in adults
7 Weak chin and/or uneven bite
8 Any defect as listed in the preface to the GCCF SOP booklet.

RUSSIAN BLUE (16a)

Colour - Clear blue and even throughout with a distinct silvery sheen. Medium blue is preferred. The coat must be blue to the roots, which may be fractionally lighter in tone, and the hairs must show no banding or silver tipping although there may be absence of pigment at the tip. In maturity the coat should be free from tabby markings or shading, although ghost markings may show in kittens.

Nose Leather and Paw Pads - Nose leather blue. Paw pads blue but not necessarily as blue as nose leather. Pinkish lavender pads acceptable in kittens.


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