Russian Blue Cats

Origins:

As normally happens with many cat breeds, the origins of Russian blue cats are rather blurry and unclear, often embellished with more legends than facts.

One of the latter, even goes as far as to claim these cats were the favourite pets of Russian Czars before the Russian revolution. The official version, though, goes that they originated on the Archangel Isles in Russia and were eventually introduced in Britain in the 1860s where they were exhibited at the Crystal Palace as Archangel cats, also known as Spanish blue or foreign blue. The then so-called Archangel cat soon caught on both in the UK and Scandinavia where it was renamed Russian blue and actively bred until World War II. They were officially declared a new breed in 1912 by the Cat Fancy Society, to avoid confusion with British Blue cats.

From the 1940s on, they were also crossed with Siamese cats and once in USA, These blue coloured cats were also developed until a new breed was created. These cats are now known as Modern Russian Blue cats.

Physical description:

Regarding their physical appearance, Russian Blue cats are well-built and fine-boned with graceful long limbs.

Their coat is short-specially suitable if you are allergic-and smooth. Their unique colour is due to the fact that both blueish grey as well as silver-tipped hairs give them an overall lustrous look. What actually makes them so attractive and eye-catching is the contrast between their unique glossy coat and their striking yellowish green eyes.

Naturally enough, only Russian blue cats with blueish grey coats are officially considered such by most Cat Societies world-wide with the sole exception of the Australian Cat Federation (ACF) that also accepts black, and white Russian blue cats as such.

Scott Swan lives in New York with his 4 Cats is a huge fan of Kitten Games and Cat Games.

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