The Russian blue cat is a breed that most likely came from the town of Archangel in Russia. These cats normally have a short, blue coat of hair tipped with silver on the end and bright green eyes. Most Russian blue cats are of medium size, not typically exceeding 10 inches (about 25 cm) in height or 12 pounds (roughly 5 kg) in weight. They tend to be very popular with breeders, possibly because of their uniquely colored coats or their playful, affectionate temperaments. The life span of the Russian blue cat is approximately 10 to 15 years, which is also in line with the life expectancy of most other cat breeds.
Russian blue cats tend to be extremely intelligent with a pleasant demeanor. They can make perfect companions for almost anyone, including people who have children or other pets. Russian blues normally love to play, and often do not outgrow their desire to do so as they become adults. They tend to become annoyed when their regular schedule is disrupted, however. This breed is usually very particular about keeping themselves clean, and prefers clean surroundings as well.
These cats tend to prefer living indoors, and normally have no problems being left alone during the day. An owner who lives alone and must leave daily to commute to work should be sure to leave plenty of toys and an adequate amount of food and water for the cat in their absence. A clean litter box is also very important because most Russian blue cats will not want to use a dirty one.
When Russian blues have kittens, the litters are typically on the small side. It is rare for a mother Russian blue to have more than four kittens in a litter. Occasionally the litter size will consist of only one or two kittens. Litters of up to six kittens are extremely rare for Russian blues, but not impossible. When purchased, most of these cats have already been spayed or neutered.
According to history, the Russian blue cat most likely came over from Russia to England in the late 1800s. People began displaying them in London cat shows around this time, and the breed slowly grew in popularity until the onset of World War II. During the war, the breed was almost eradicated along with several other cat breeds. Russian blues made a comeback in the mid 1900s when several cat breeders from the United States, Scandinavia, and other nations started crossing them with breeds of similar color in an effort to increase their numbers. These experiments could have changed the look of the breed forever, but by the 1970s the overall appearance of the Russian blue cat finally became consistent.