Physical Characteristics
The Russian Blue has bright green eyes, two layers of short thick fur, and a blue-gray coat. The color is a bluish-gray that is the dilute expression of the black gene. However as dilute genes are recessive ("b") and each parent will have a set of 2 recessive genes ("bb") two Russian Blues will always produce a blue cat. 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. The tail, however, has very dull, almost unnoticeable stripes. Only Russian Blues and the French Chartreux have this type of coat, which is described as thick 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 faults 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; 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.
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