Russian Blue

Russian Blue Cat Breed Profile

Weight	5.5-14 lbs (2.5-6.5 kg)
Origin	Russia
Color	Blue
Fur	Short, thick, with undercoat
Lifespan	12-18 years
Personality	Quiet, a little shy, docile, independent
Active
Energy
Independent
Meowing
Shedding

Russian Blue Photo: Renata Apanaviciene/Shutterstock

Breed Characteristics

The Russian Blue is a gentle, calm, peaceful and even-tempered cat. They seem graceful and genteel thanks to their shimmering gray-blue to silver fur, their slim bodies and their elegant movements.

Personality and Temperament

They like to jump and climb so they can watch everything from on high. Despite their calm natures, they are playful and use their intelligence to satisfy their curiosity. They don’t need long to think about things - and they can open doors and cupboards. So watch out!

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Russian Blue Photo: Diana Taliun/Shutterstock

Keeping Them Happy

Russian Blues are good at entertaining themselves but they don’t like changes in their environments. Or being fed at different times. Or if their litter box is dirty. They need a clear, orderly daily routine - anything else is chaos. A hectic family home would be too much for them.

The Russian Blue is reserved with strangers but very loving and attached to “its” humans. They need a lot of attention and really appreciate a sensitive, calm, polite type. The Russian Blue does not do well left alone. These cats should not be left alone all day long.

Russian Blue Photo: Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock

Pros and Cons

Pros

Good choice for first-time owners
Docile
Calm
Friendly
Independent
Gets along well with other pets
Learns tricks (playing fetch, opening doors)

Cons

Reserved with strangers
Gets overweight easily

Russian Blue Photo: Irina Borodovskaya/Shutterstock

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Russian Blue or Chartreux?

The Russian Blue is often confused with the Chartreux cat as they have the same color fur. You can easily tell the difference between the two breeds by looking at the eye color. Russian Blues have green eyes, while Chartreux cats have amber/orange eyes.

Unique Fur

The Russian Blue is the only cat that has a double-layered coat: undercoat and topcoat. Both are the same length, making the hair stand on end and making it super soft.

Russian Blue Photo: Popova Lena/Shutterstock

Appearance

Russian Blues always have a one-tone, gray-blue coat and big, wonderful, emerald green eyes. By the way: tiny kittens have blue eyes when they’re first born. They change color over time and will be green within two years at the latest.

History

It’s presumed that the Russian Blue comes from Arkhangelsk (“archangel town”) in northern Russia. They made their way to England in 1860/1870 with sailors. After the Second World War, the breed was kept alive by crossing in Siamese, British Shorthair and European Shorthair cats.