Russian Cat Breeds

Russian Blue, Kurilian Bobtail and Siberian cat; all three come to mind when I think of Russian cat breeds. By Russian cat breed we mean that the breed originated in Russia. I say this because cat breeds become international eventually. All three, or at least the Russian Blue and Siberian are bred in the USA and Europe. There is a fourth, a fairly rare cat breed: the Donsky (AKA Don Sphynx), the Russian hairless cat. It is recognised in America by TICA but better known in Europe.

Russian Blue

The Russian Blue is a well known and popular cat breed. It is in the top ten most popular in my opinion. It is a slender, elegant breed of a single color, blue-grey. At least it was. Some breeders would like to see this cat in other colors including black, white and pointed. I cannot understand that. How can a Russian Blue be white? The body is called "foreign type" in cat fancy language. The Russian Blue was not always a slender cat. Originally, they were cobby (stocky). This is to be expected as the cat must have been random bred originally. The slender appearance is due to selective breeding.

The eyes are always green. The cat has a subtle smile. They originate, it is said, from the port of Archangel, which is on the north coast of Russia not far from Finland. The first informal exports of this cat where to England in the mid-1800s on ships from the port.

See and read more: Russian Blue cat.

Kurilian Bobtail

This is a rare cat and little known. The breed tends not to be listed in books on the cat breeds. The breed originates in the Kuril Islands. This is a chain of islands off the east coast of Russia and north of Japan. The sovereignty of the islands is disputed by Japan and Russia so this cat is perhaps half Russian and half Japanese! There is a link between the Kurilian Bobtail and the Japanese Bobtail. Did the former become the latter in Japan? It is possible. They could be the same cat fundamentally. The Russians claimed the breed and it is registered with Russian cat association(s).

Read more: Kurilian Bobtail.

Siberian cat

The Siberian is well known. There is a similarity between the Norwegian Forest Cat, the Maine Coon and this breed. There may be a connection in terms of origin too. Sometimes referred to as the Siberian Forest Cat. As Siberia is in the east of Russia, this is a Russian cat breed. Siberia is known for harsh weather so it is no surprise that this cat has a thick triple coat and a solid chunky (cobby) appearance. The Siberian is registered with a number of Russian cat associations including the All-Russian Cat Club. I suspect that the Russian Siberian cat is a better cat than those breed in the USA or Europe.

Read more: Siberian cat.

Donsky

This is a selectively bred mutated random bred cat originating in the European part of Russia and discovered in 1987. The North American counterpart is the better known Sphynx. Read more.

Note

If I was considering buying one of these four cats, I would seriously consider going online to a Russian breeder of quality. I am sure most ship cats internationally. The only downside is that you cannot inspect the facilities and that is important.