Russian Blues, Russian Whites and Russian Blacks

Temperament:
Quiet, gentle, loving and loyal, sometimes shy with strangers, Russians are subtle cats adept at winding their way into your heart.  Even though they are generally quiet cats that doesn't stop them from having the occasional 'mad half hour' or enjoying long play-sessions with their doting owners and admirers.  Russians are also very smart, and most have perfected the art of letting you think you are in charge whilst getting you to do exactly what they want!  Russians are generally home-loving cats, although they enjoy sunbathing as much as any other cat.  To know them is to love them.

Looks:
Big but elegant cats, the males in particular look like muscular panthers when they stalk along.  Russians have beautiful vivid green eyes with a very distinctive gentle expression - sometimes described as 'looking like they have had one vodka too many'.  Some Russians can look as if they are starring in their very own Russian tragedy with their sad, worried-looking eyes, but in reality they are very happy cats who like nothing more than spending hours on end sitting on their owner's knee in soft, purring contentment.  Anybody who has had the pleasure of holding a Russian knows all about their amazing coat - short, dense and velvety and infinitely strokable, the Russian Blue (RUS a) a subtle blue-grey colour with a silvery sheen that can look almost iridescent in sunlight.

The GCCF also recognises green-eyed Russian Whites (RUS w 64) and Russian Blacks (RUS n), which were first bred in the UK in the early 1960s although only attaining full Championship status in 2013. These cats should be identical in every way to Russian Blues, except for their coat colour.

The GCCF publishes agreed standards of points that lay out what each breed should look like in detail.  These standards are used by judges at shows to decide on their winners. You can read the full Russian standard of points here: Russian Standard of Points

If you are interested in breeding and/or importing Russian Blues, Russian Whites or Russian Blacks you should also read the official registration policy, agreed with the GCCF, last updated in June 2023: Russian registration policy