Russian Blue Picture

An impressive Russian Blue picture by Helmi Flick. The Russian Blue is a reserved cat. Except for the color of its coat it is very different in appearance to the European blue cats: the blue British Shorthair and the French Chartreux (which has to be blue like the Russian Blue). This Russian cat is one of the grey cat breeds.

The Russian Blue originates from the North Russian sea port of Archangel. It is not far from Finland. The coat is understandably dense for excellent insulation. The coat has a distinct feel. The plush dense coat of the Brit SH has a similar feel I suspect. It appears that the Russian Blue goes back a long way in Britain as they were mentioned in a book written by the founder of the cat fancy, Harrison Weir. The book was published in 1893. That is at the beginning of the cat fancy. It is thought that the first cats of this breed in the West were shipped over as ship's cats from Archangel in the 1860s. The eyes of this cat are green. The longhaired Russian Blue is the glamorous and rare Nebelung. Read and see more.....

Chartreux Cat Picture

His name is "Spenser". He is a gorgeous Chartreux cat photographed by professional cat photographer Helmi Flick. This is a French cat breed with a long history interrupted by the two world wars. The breeders of this cat have tried to keep its appearance the same as it was when first created. This cat smiles! It is a semi-cobby shaped cat and said to have skinny legs. The legs look fine to me. Spenser, the cat in the photograph, is an intact boy, a breeding cat, I suspect. This cat has a certain similarity to the blue coated British Shorthair but they are different. The Chartreux is fully recognised with the major cat associations and a calm and attentive cat. Click here to read and see more of the Chartreux.