Question about Russian Blues

Ok, I had always thought that Russian Blues were, well, blue. I have recently seen a cattery website advertising black and white Russian Blues as well as blue ones. Is this right?

I'm new to studying all the different breeds, so any info would be appreciated.

yup there are black and white ones......

The only places I've seen that deal with the black and white Russians are in Australia. In the US, the Russian Blues are blue. As far as I know there is no push to accept them in any other color in any of the associations.

However, in the US you can get "white" Russians - these are throwbacks of the recessive pointed gene in the RB lines. During WWII the RB's almost disappeared and some breeders crossed them with the siamese in England to keep the breed from dying out. So the imported RB's to the US are carrying the pointed gene. It sometimes comes out in a litter - you'll have a blue point Russian. They are pretty, but are not put in a breeding program; they are spayed and neutered and placed as pets.

I know of a RB breeder that had one or two show up in her lines.

As far as I know (although I could be wrong about this!) here in the UK they are not a colour that is welcomed, shown, and bred from, but they do occur occasionally in litters and are sold as pets only. Nate was quite interested in the 'russian white' but they are as rare as hens teeth here because they are not an accepted colour for the breed, and therefore you won't find people breeding them deliberately.

Mmmm... I like white russians... Oh, wait... Nevermind!

Originally Posted by tiffanyjbt

Mmmm... I like white russians... Oh, wait... Nevermind!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the answers. They are all beautiful, I like the black with the green eyes! I have to say the blue are the prettiest though

wow, I only herd that they come in other colors, but that they donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t have quite the same temperament as the bules. never seen it for myself. I had a Russian blue ten years ago and I loved him^_^

Does anyone have any pictures of the black and white ones? I'm really curious to see what they look like.

Here's a cattery that has the 3 colors

http://www.russiancats.com/HISTORY.htm

gosh they don't even have a gallery - just a couple of small pics. . .waaa!

I realized that after I posted and checked it out - am trying to find something better


Found a picture of a white Russian

http://www.centralpets.com/animals/m...ts/cat373.html

black Russian

http://www.centralpets.com/animals/m...ts/cat371.html

blue Russian

http://www.centralpets.com/animals/m...ts/cat137.html

tabby Russian - tho I don't think it looks at all like a Russian Blue type of cat (at least the white and blacks look closer to a RB)

http://www.centralpets.com/animals/m...ts/cat372.html

Russian blue are of course blue everyone of them, save some rare exceptions...
You can call them blue, or grey-silver if you prefer. Whatever. "Blue".
White hairs or even small white signs do happen, but very uncommon. "Blue".

But there are some breeders, mainly in Australia, who tries to develop other Russian variations. Who are of course not russian blue, possibly Russian White, Black, whatever. Or shorthair russian type.
Of course, they are often not of any good RB-type either...

The possible exception are these "masked" Russians mentioned before - looking almost exactly alike Siameses Old Type. Once upon a time they even could be registered back as Siameses.

No serious Russian Blue breeder would breed on them; they going to be pets.
Sometimes they arent even called for Russians; their Fife code is SHX = "Moggie with pedigree". But they are flesh of flesh, and blood of blood, and sound and healthy cats like their Russian Blue parents and siblings.
Thus the alternative code RUS 33a (?) is more appropriate.

A polish RB breeder is trying to make a new race of them, so they woulnt not be called for Russians. Why not? There are so many races, this would be a very sound race, better than some...

The problem is shehe by some strange bevilderment wants to call them for the Archangel cat (ARC). Ie is stealing the traditional name of Russian blues - and or all blue cats...

It would be better shehe called them for Murmansk, White Sea or Barents Sea cats... Then nobody would mind this...

But as I understand it this proposal will die out, with nobody wholeheartly supporting it in the FIFE (= the european cat-organisation)

True if you don't have the breeders willing to back it and work with them, they will die out. In the US there were a few other "rex" mutations that came up in the course of the cornish/devons coming over here. One was the Oregon Rex (natural mutation) and another was in California in a shelter - think it was longer haired) - another mutation. Both were not related to the cornish/devon rexes.

And no one was willing to develop them, so they died out quickly.

I have not had the pleasure of seeing a Russian Blue in person but have heard that their fur has a very different, softer feel to it than other cats. Do you think the black and white ones have this same fur?

From the descriptions they are supposed to have the same type of fur. My first purebred cat was a RB (blue)

I think I prefer the traditional color of the Russian Blue. I think the blue with the silver tipping is really pretty.

I agree 100% Denice - the blues with their silver are unique. IF they could get the silver tipping on the blacks........well THEN they may have something that will catch on

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I agree 100% Denice - the blues with their silver are unique. IF they could get the silver tipping on the blacks........well THEN they may have something that will catch on

Click to expand...

Now that would be a beautiful cat!

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

IF they could get the silver tipping on the blacks........well THEN they may have something that will catch on

Click to expand...

I have seen a couple of times pictures of seemingly black cats presented as russian blues. Therefore I suspect there is or were a strain of very dark russian blues. Probably for russian blue conneisseurs well known strain / ancestor.

First exemple Im thinking on I saw a Kazachstan(?) postmark-block on Russian Blue, with a number of russian blues on it. But one of them was almost black!

Second time, a book on breeding work by the swedish well known pedigree expert Stoeckelberg. Illustrated here and there by excellent photos on different cat-races. One of them of course a russian blue: an almost black one...

And this is why I think it was not a Russian Black, but a lesser wellknown ancestor / strain of very dark Russian Blue...

(the blue-blue are prettier!)