#amazinganimals facts for kids
The Russian Blue is a cat breed that comes in colors varying from a light shimmering silver to a darker, slate grey. Their short, dense coat, which stands out from the body, has been the hallmark of the Russian breed for more than a century.
The Russian Blue has bright green eyes, pinkish lavender or mauve paws, two layers of short thick fur, and a bluegreyblack coat. The color is a bluishgray that is the dilute expression of the black gene. However, as dilute genes are recessive and each parent will have a set of two recessive genes two nonColor Point Carrier Russian Blues will always produce a blue cat. Due to the breeding with Siamese after World War 2, there are colorpoint genes floating around. If two carriers are bred together, then they will produce a litter of mixed colors—solid blue or white with blue like a Siamese. People call these CPC cats "colorpoint", "whites" or "pointed" Russians. In most registries, one cannot register, breed or show a colorpoint Russian. The blue point Russian cats are called Pika Blu cats.
The coat is known as a "double coat", with the undercoat being soft, downy and equal in length to the guard hairs, which are an even blue with silver tips. However, the tail may have a few very dull, almost unnoticeable stripes. The coat is described as thick, plush and soft to the touch. The silver tips give the coat a shimmering appearance. Its eyes are almost always a dark and vivid green. Any white patches of fur or yellow eyes in adulthood are seen as flaws in show cats. Russian Blues should not be confused with British Blues, which are not a distinct breed, but rather a British Shorthair with a blue coat as the British Shorthair breed itself comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns, nor the Chartreux or Korat which are two other naturally occurring breeds of blue cats, although they have similar traits.
The Russian Blue is a curious and tranquil animal. They are known for their friendliness and intelligence and are somewhat reserved. They have been known to play fetch and open doors, and are sensitive to human emotions. They enjoy playing with a variety of toys and develop loyal bonds to their loved ones and other family pets. They are generally considered to be a quiet breed but there are always exceptions. They are normally reserved around strangers, unless they are brought up in an active household. Many Russian Blues have been trained to do tricks. They can also be fierce hunters, often catching rodents, birds, rabbits, small mammals, or reptiles.
Russian Blue kittens are energetic and require adequate playmates or toys as they can become mischievous if bored. They have exceptional athleticism and rival even Abyssinians for their ability to leap and climb. Slow to mature, Russian Blues retain many of their adolescent traits both good and otherwise until they are 3–4 years old and even much older Blues can be easily enticed into play by their owners. Russian Blues are also highly intelligent. They have an excellent memory and will learn the hiding place of favorite toys and lead their owners to them when they want a game. They also have a keen ability to remember favorite visitors and will race to greet familiar faces even if quite some time has passed between visits—a radical departure from their normally very reserved behavior around unfamiliar people.
Russian Blues have a life expectancy of around 10–20 years, but some have lived up to a maximum of 25 years. They usually have few health issues as they tend to have little to no genetic problems and are not prone to illness. They are small to moderatesized cats with an average weight of 3.6 to 6.8 kg when fully grown. Males will typically be larger than females. Their gestation period is approximately 64 days.