Absolutely Blue ROYAL STERLING
Russian Blue Cats
The origins of Russian Blue are mysterious, and we'd like to believe that the breed has royal connections, descending from the beloved pets of European Tzars. Another great story would be Russian Blues riding with Kossacks during 1812 Napoleon's wars, coming to Paris, winning hearts of locals, and finally sailing To Great Britain due to their extraordinary qualities, which are definitely truth. Unfortunately Kossacks forgot their i-Phones or even film cameras at home, and we cannot find any photo evidence of such.
Great Britain was highly developed Kingdom even in 19th century, and we were able to find original books dedicated to cats, e.g. Harrison Weir's "OUR CATS and ALL ABOUT THEM" .
According to Harrison Weir, Archangel Cat, who has won many prizes in 1870-s was actually "offspring of a tabby and white she-cat and a black-and-white he-cat., shown in Crystal Palace as the Archangel cat, then Russian Blue, Spanish Blue, Chartreuse Blue, ... and the American Blue". Luckily, despite the above Mr. Weir mentioned Russian Blue cats "that came from Archangel who were of deeper, purer tint than the English cross-breed". Our own CCA Ch YounGloria could be disqualified in Crystal Palace since in 1889, eyes were supposed to be "orange-yellow for blue /Russian Blue cat/".
British publishers and authors from 19th-early 20th centuries left more evidence of dedicated cat fanciers who contributed to modern felinology, and spent years to identify, preserve and develop incredible breed that we love - Russian Blue.
Lady Constance (Mrs Carrew-Cox) is known to be one of the first importers and breeders of Russian Blues. She first met the Russian Blue in 1888, and her first blue cat was entered in the stud book under the name "Dvina" and won many prizes at the Crystal Palace in London in various shows. In 1890, a pair of blue cats from Norway arrived in London, as well as a wonderful blue and white cat, Cola, from Archangelsk. In 1893, the cat Olga (Bayard's mother) arrives from Archangelsk, and then Limpopo, Fashoda, Odessa and Yulia from Moscow.
What we now call the Russian Blue first met British cat lovers as the Archangel Cat. As a competitor in the nation’s very first cat show, the breed made an entrance befitting its regal air. The breed was rarely victorious in competitions against more popular short-haired blue cats like the British Blue, competing under same category. In 1912, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) officially recognized the breed and afforded it a classification all its own. Russian Blues are one of many breeds that nearly went extinct during World War II. Their popularity grew among American breeders and feline enthusiasts throughout the second half of the 20th century.
Constance Care-cox, 1888
Yulia, 1901
Boyard, 1904
From time immemorial, it was considered an excellent tone at the court of royalty, nobles and statesmen to keep several feline representatives of the Russian blue breed. Among the famous cat owners of this particular breed were seen King of France Louis XIV, Queen Anna, Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain, Prince Philip, King of Spain Juan Carlos and many other dignitaries.
It was a Lucky charm to keep a Russian Blue cat in the room with birthing women in Royal palaces, probably because of its incredible character.
Personality of Russian Blue Cats Breed
The Russian Blue is a naturally occurred (unlike man-made) breed that is very healthy with a life span of around 15-20 years.
They are sweet-tempered, very loyal cats who will follow the owner everywhere, so don't be surprised if they greet you at the front door and immediately ask to play fetch. RBs are very intelligent and may learn and understand up to 40 words.
Russian Blue cats are curious but calm, affectionate but not clingy, and very smart. They can be shy at first, but they are playful and loving once they feel comfortable. Sometimes they prefer to sit on your shoulder and not on your lap. They are aristocratic and very clean in nature.The litter box should be cleaned regularly so they don't feel disgusted using it.
While they are happy living with families and even other pets, Russian Blue cats tend to form a deep connection with one person only. Once they bond with someone, they will be very sensitive to their pet parent’s emotions – if you’re sad, your Russian Blue will do some tricks to cheer you up!
It’s said that the Russian Blue has lower levels of the allergen also known as glycoprotein Fel d 1. This can trigger allergies in humans and is shed by cats in their saliva, dander, fur, and urine. By having lower allergen levels, Russian Blues may be a good choice for families with allergy sufferers, but remember that every personal case is different.