Russian Blue

What is a Russian Blue?

A medium shorthaired cat of 3-5.5kg with a short, very dense double coat in a uniform blue-grey, each hair silver-tipped so the coat appears to shimmer. Vivid green eyes, a wedge-shaped head and a slightly upturned mouth that reads as a permanent faint smile.

They are a naturally occurring breed rather than a manufactured one, and it shows in the health record: few inherited problems and a life expectancy well past most pedigree cats.

History and origins

From the port of Arkhangelsk in northern Russia, where the dense coat makes obvious sense, and brought to Britain by sailors in the 1860s. They were shown at Crystal Palace in 1875 as the Archangel Cat.

The breed nearly disappeared in Europe during the Second World War. British and Scandinavian breeders rebuilt it, in Britain partly by outcrossing to Siamese, which is why some mid-century lines were more angular and more vocal than the modern cat. That influence has largely been bred back out.

Appearance and size

3-5.5kg, 22-28cm, fine-boned but firm. The coat is the breed's signature: short, plush, and standing out from the body rather than lying flat, so a finger-track stays visible in it.

Kittens are often born with faint tabby ghost markings that fade. Eye colour starts yellow and deepens to green over the first two years.

Temperament and personality

Reserved with strangers and devoted at home. A Russian Blue typically picks one or two people and attaches firmly, follows them about, and greets them at the door - and disappears entirely when the doorbell rings.

They are quiet cats with a soft voice, they dislike noise and disruption, and they like routine to an unusual degree. Furniture moved, mealtimes changed and houses full of visitors all unsettle them.

Intelligence and trainability

Observant and quick. They learn to open doors, work out where food is kept and remember routines precisely. Many enjoy fetch and puzzle feeders. They are trainable with patience but will not be hurried, and force gets you a cat under the bed.

Children and other pets

Better with older, calmer children than with toddlers. They are not aggressive - their response to rough handling is to leave - but a cat that spends its life hiding is not having a good time.

Fine with other cats introduced slowly, and with quiet dogs. Poor with chaos.

Health problems

Notably few, which is the breed's quiet advantage.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy occurs, as in most breeds, and is worth an echocardiogram in the breeding line. Polycystic kidney disease is uncommon but DNA testable.

Bladder stones and cystitis turn up more than average, and stress is a trigger in a breed this sensitive to disruption - so water intake and a settled household both matter clinically.

Obesity is the realistic risk. Russian Blues are enthusiastic about food and quiet about exercise, and a fat Russian Blue is a common sight. They also have a high incidence of food allergies relative to other shorthairs.

Fifteen to twenty years is normal, and some reach their early twenties.

Daily care routine

Feed to a measured amount, keep the litter tray scrupulously clean - they are fastidious and will find somewhere else if it is not - and keep the routine steady. Fresh water in more than one place, ideally a fountain, because cats that drink more get less cystitis.

Grooming and coat care

Almost nothing. A weekly brush keeps the coat in order and reduces the modest shedding. They are often described as hypoallergenic, and they are not - they shed less and some people with mild allergies tolerate them better, but the Fel d 1 protein is still there. Spend an hour with an adult before committing if allergy is the reason you are choosing the breed.

Nails trimmed monthly; teeth brushed if they will allow it.

Exercise needs

Moderate and indoor-satisfiable. Wand toys, a tall cat tree and a couple of puzzle feeders cover it. They are good jumpers and like height.

Most do well as indoor cats, which suits a breed that would rather not meet anybody anyway, but they need vertical space and something to do.

Feeding and diet

Measured meals rather than a full bowl. This is the breed most likely to talk you into a second dinner and it should not work. A good quality wet-led diet helps with both weight and urinary health.

Price

£500-£1,200 from a registered breeder with health-tested parents. Cheaper "Russian Blue" kittens are very often blue domestic shorthairs, which are perfectly nice cats and not this breed.

Running costs are low and insurance is cheap by pedigree standards, because the claims history is good.

Buying advice

Ask for GCCF or TICA registration papers and a pedigree. Blue is a common coat colour in moggies and the breed name gets attached to a lot of kittens that are not it - a real Russian Blue has the double coat that stands away from the body, green eyes by adulthood, and paperwork.

Ask about HCM screening in the line and whether either parent has had cystitis or stones.

Then think hard about your household. This is a quiet cat that wants a quiet life, and a busy home with small children and a constant stream of visitors will make it miserable in a way that is not the cat's fault.