Russian Blue
A dense double coat tipped with silver, so the blue looks lit from inside. Green eyes, an upturned mouth, and it hides when the doorbell rings.
Photo by Doug Miller, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Russian Blue is said to come from the port of Archangel in northern Russia, and the coat is the evidence for a cold origin: a dense double coat where guard hairs and undercoat are the same length, standing out from the body rather than lying flat.
The silver tipping on each hair is what gives the blue its lit from inside quality, and the eyes are a vivid green that develops over the first year.
Temperament
Reserved, gentle and strongly attached to a small circle. Russian Blues are shy with strangers and will disappear when the doorbell goes, and they are devoted to the people they know.
They are quiet, sensitive to disruption and routine oriented in a way that is genuinely noticeable. A change of feeding time or furniture registers with this breed.
Care and grooming
A weekly brush. The double coat is dense but it is short and it does not mat.
They are among the healthier pedigree cats with no widely documented breed specific disorder, and fifteen to twenty years is a realistic expectation. Weight is the main thing to manage, since they are food motivated and quite happy to be sedentary.
Living and exercise
A quiet household with a predictable routine. This is the breed that suits a calm home and struggles in a chaotic one.
They are moderately playful with their own people and largely invisible to visitors. They are often suggested to allergy sufferers, and it is worth being clear that no cat is hypoallergenic: every cat produces Fel d 1 regardless of coat or breed.
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