Also known as Archangel cats, the Russian Blue originated near the Russian port of Arkangelsk on the White Sea, a mere 150 miles south of the Arctic Circle. So it made sense to call them Archangel cats simply because of where they came from, though they are an angelic little breed.
Because Arkangelsk was a port city, it was relatively easy for these cats to spread throughout Europe simply by boarding the ships that came through. They made excellent hunters, so were prized by shop captains for catching rats. The Russian Blue spread so quickly that the first cat show in England in 1880 included these stunning creatures.
Prior to 1912, all blue cats with short hair competed in the same class. But by the end of 1912 Russian Blues were granted their own class, but they were described as Foreign Blues, not Russian. There was some controversy over this, but World War I distracted everyone from cats, leaving the matter unsettled for years to come.
After the war, breeding slowly picked up where it had left off, but the war had taken a toll. The gene pool had severely diminished, forcing breeders to resort to outcrosses to revitalize the breed. Some breeders used the British Shorthair for its color, others the blue point Siamese for the more foreign body type. In Scandinavia, breeders decided on blue cats and Siamese cats. Their kittens had short, tight coats and bright emerald eyes.
By the time the Russian Blue was imported into the United States, there were quite a few versions to choose from. Most American breeders used English and Scandinavian cats, breeding for the best features of both. Through their concentrated efforts we were blessed with the modern Russian Blue, a cat with a pale blue coat tipped with silver who has eyes the shade of quality emeralds.
The Appearance of the Russian Blue
Medium in size, the Russian Blue is graceful and elegant. His body had a foreign appearance while being both athletic and muscular. Legs should be long and fine, ears large and set so they frame the face. The eyes are quite distinctive with their emerald green color, and they are noticeable as they are round and just a little large for the face.
The Russian Blue isn't a Russian Blue without the characteristic blue coat. The coat should be short and dense and tipped with silver. This silver gives the cat an impressive shimmer. It looks impressive, and it is, but it's also relatively low maintenance. A quick brushing once a week is all most Russian Blues ever need.
The Personality of the Russian Blue
Incredibly affectionate and quite intelligent, this quick witted breed likes to stalk and observe people before he comes out of hiding. He's not shy or scared, he just likes to set the terms of his affection.
Once he does approach, he will not leave you alone. He might be able to entertain himself while you're away, but when you're home, you're all his. If you have children or other pets, so much the better, because he loves everyone equally. Also, there will be more people to play fetch.
If you're looking for a stunning cat who will love you to eternity, and you're willing to play fetch for hours on end, the Russian Blue might be the cat for you.
The Ragdoll, though not an ancient breed, has been with us since the 1960s. Early in that decade a woman by the name of Ann Baker, a native of California, owned a pure white longhaired cat she called Josephine. She and one of her daughters, along with a seal matted male cat (who happened to be called Daddy Warbucks), are the very foundation of what would become the Ragdoll breed.
Though this gentle breed undoubtedly would not exist without the efforts of Ms. Baker, she was just a little on the eccentric side. She claimed that, during a period when she was in the hospital after a car accident, Josephine's genes were somehow altered. In her mind, this made the kittens born before the accident "normal" while the kittens born after exhibited the traits Ragdoll cats have become famous for. Whatever the truth of the matter, she did manage to select cats that furthered her breeding program.
But she couldn't do it all alone. The gene pool needed strengthening. To do this, she contacted breeders from across the United States, enlisting there help to help develop her breed. Eventually, however, her continued and worsening eccentricities encouraged most breeders to turn away from her. But this was not the end of the breed. Instead, the various breeders continued to develop the Ragdoll independent of Baker's influence.
Eventually, with the help of breeders from all across the country and the world, the Ragdoll became recognized by most major cat registries around the world.
The Appearance of the Ragdoll
Weighing in at up to 20 pounds, the Ragdoll is one of the largest of all domestic breeds. Because of their unusual size, they can take up to four years to reach maturity. In this four years they become large, long, sturdy, and quite hardy.
The eyes of this sweet natured cat must be blue to be admissible in competition, thought the occasional green or yellow does pop up. Round and large, these eyes give the cat a sweet and knowing expression.
This breed has a coat that is soft and silky and about medium in length. In general, there is little shedding associated with the Ragdoll, though they do drop hair in both the spring and fall. Despite their longer hair, they require little more grooming than a weekly brushing to help prevent tangles.
Coat colors are many and varied. A Ragdoll may be blue, chocolate, cinnamon, fawn, lilac, tortoiseshell, or even red and cream. You may also find cats with more tabby colouring, though this is more rare.
There are three acceptable color patterns. Colorpoint Ragdolls are marked like Siamese and have no white on their bodies. Mitted Ragdolls are similar, but they have white feet. The back legs have white all the way up to the hock and there might be a blaze of white on the chest. Finally, bi-color Ragdolls have much more white. You will find the white markings go much higher on the legs and there will be white patches on the back. The belly will be white and the cat will usually have seen white on the face. Most of these patterns are accepted by most cat registries.
The Personality of the Ragdoll
The most distinctive feature of this breed is that most of them for limp when you pick them up for a snuggle. It's a little hilarious and sometimes new owners think their is something wrong with their new friend, but it's completely normal.
Ragdolls tend to be relaxed and friendly, making them great family pets. Most adults will even allow themselves to be dressed up. They like children and other pets and can even tolerate a rambunctious dog if they have to. Kittens are bold and active, and even young adults might display these traits, but mature cats are not really interested in much activity. While they might occasionally chase a toy, they'd really much rather nap in the sun, so don't expect a rowdy companion.
If you're looking for a sweet feline companion who sleeps beside you most of the time, the Ragdoll might be for you.
Originating in the northwestern United States, the Pixiebob has only been with us since the late '80s. In 1985, a woman by the name of Carol Ann Brewer bought a kitten from Washington state. This kitten was a spotted male with a short tail and he was a polydactyl cat. This means he had more than the normal amount of toes. While the typical cat has five toes on the front paws and four on the back, this new kitten had more. It made him unique and adorable, but Brewer thought no more of it than that.
The next year, in 1986, she rescued a classic patterned male cat who had a short tail and stood nearly to her knees. He also was a polydactyl cat. She gave this cat a name. Keba. Later that same year, Keba and a domestic female produced a little of kittens. One of these kittens, a female, had a reddish coat with fawn undertones. She had a muted spotting pattern and had inherited her father's shortened tail. Brewer decides to call this cat Pixie.
Pixie's unique look promoted Brewer to create more cat with these same traits. It took some work, as creating a new breed always does, but by 1989 she was able to document the unique traits of her emerging cat breed, which she called the Pixiebob. It was 1993 before Brewer was able to apply to The International Cat Association (TICA) to begin the recognition process, and 1994 when the Pixiebob was granted Exhibition Status.
Finally, in 1996, the Pixiebob was advanced to New Breed Status. After that, it only took a year for Brewer to prove the true viability of her breed. In 1997, the Pixiebob was granted full Championship Status and has since gained recognition throughout the world.
The Appearance of the Pixiebob
This adorable cat is medium in size, weighing up to 17 pounds, with a muscular body. He weighs more than you might think because he is just that solid. The hind legs are just a little longer than the front, making him appear ready to spring at any moment, and the paws are large with long and thick toes.
While we're talking about toes, it is important to note that the Pixiebob is the only recognized breed that is allowed to be a polydactyl cat. He can have up to seven toes on each foot, though this is more likely to occur on the front feet. For this hefty cat, more toes is just another quirk and not a reason for disqualification.
The face looks almost like the face of a bobcat. The brow should be heavy and the eyes triangular in shape. The only acceptable eye colors are golden brown, gold, or gooseberry green. The tail is often kinked or knotted, but it should still be flexible and manoeuvrerable. Average length varies, but it should never be shorter than two inches and it should always be shorter than the tail of your average cat.
Ideally, the Pixiebob should be a brown spotted tabby ranging in color from tawny brown to a more reddish brown. Though the spots are easily seen, they should be muted and quite small. Heavy ticking is common, and this ticking may be darker in the winter and could even take on a silver tone.
As with breeds such as the Oriental and the Peterbald, the Pixiebob has more than one coat variety. Specifically, there are longhaired and shorthaired Pixiebobs. The shorthaired cats should have a wooly texture and is incredibly thick. This makes it stand up from the body and sometimes feels like the cat is wearing a cushioned coat.
The longhaired Pixiebob, however, has a soft and silky coat that can grow up to 2 inches long. Some cats even have tufts in their ears, making them look like little bobcats. If your Pixiebob has long hair, expect the facial hair to grow downward until it looks like your cat has sideburns. All in all, a very interesting looking cat.
Long hair or short, the Pixiebob is easy enough to groom. A weekly brushing should be enough to keep the coat gleaming and to remove loose hair so your cat doesn't end up with endless hairballs.
The Personality of the Pixiebob
Active and social, the Pixiebob is really more like a dog than a cat. He is loyal and forms and incredible bond with his family. He is great with children and other pets and hates being alone. Highly trainable, the Pixiebob can be taught to walk on a leash and will engage in a rousing game of fetch if the mood allows.
Expect your Pixiebob to talk. A lot. You'll hear chirps, meows, yips, and even a growl once in a while. The growl is not aggressive in any way, but rather yet another one of the varied sounds the Pixiebob is capable of.
If you're looking for a soft cat with boundless energy who will follow you like a little puppy, the Pixiebob might be for you.
If you cross a Donskoy with an Oriental Shorthair, as was done in 1993, you will get what is now know as a Peterbald. A brown tabby Donskoy male was bred to a tortoiseshell Oriental Shorthair female in St. Petersburg. The resulting offspring would eventually become the Peterbald. To keep the breed healthy, cross breeding with Donskoy, Siamese, and Oriental Shorthair cats became common, at least at first.
With the elegance of three Siamese and the Oriental Shorthair and the baldness of the Donskoy, the Peterbald couldn't help but attract cat fanciers from around the world. In 1997 this unique breed was accepted into the new breed program established by TICA (The International Cat Association) and in 2005 it was granted championship status. Today, it competes as any other breed.
The Appearance of the Peterbald
If you took an Oriental Shorthair and shaved him completely, you'd have something that sort of resembles the Peterbald cat. They are long, graceful, and dainty with whip-like tails and slender necks. They are also bald in a cute sort of way. As opposed to the Creepy, I've just been shaved by a psychopath, sort of way.
But they're not all totally bald. They have different types of Peterbalds out there. First are the ultra bald cats. These guys are born with no hair and they never get any hair. Bald cat. Really bald cat. No hair here. No whiskers. No eyebrows. Bald. They feel warm and almost sticky to the touch.
Next is the flock or chamois cat. These Peterbalds appear hairless but aren't. Not really, though they are 90% hairless. They have a smoothness to them and are not at all sticky. Look for a down-like hair on the extremities in this coat type. Flocked cats also have whiskers and eyebrows, those these will be kinked, curled, or broken entirely.
Velour Peterbalds are 70% hairless. They can have hair, but that hair should never be more than a single millimeter in length. The coat may be sparse, leaving the skin clearly visible, or it may be dense, giving the cat a sleek and shiny look. Sometimes velour cats mature to be flocked cats.
Brush Peterbald cats have wavy hair, sometimes even curly hair, that is quite wires in texture. Hair can be 5 mm long, bit keep in mind that kittens with a brush coat may mature to an ultra bald by the age of 2. Or they may not. The denser the coat, the less likely the cat is to shed out as he grows older.
The final coat type is straight, and these are the only Peterbalds that always lack the bald gene. A straight-coated Peterbald will always be a straight-coated Peterbald. Whiskers will be normal and the hair will lie close to the body.
All Peterbalds, regardless of cost type, need special skin care. Regular bathing to remove dirt and grease and a buff with a chamois cloth once a week is usually sufficient.
These cats need sunblock in summer and a sweater in the winter. Other than all that, they're pretty normal cats.
The Personality of the Peterbald
Highly intelligent and quite affectionate, the Peterbald will investigate anything and play until you run mad. They are active and independent, so they are okay left alone for a few hours, but they also love a rousing game of fetch, so be prepared for your feline friend to engage you at a moment's notice.
These inquisitive cats do well with children and other animals as long as they are given an escape route. They probably won't need it, but if they do jump on top of a bookcase to get away from your dog, leave them be until they come down on their own.
If you're looking for a unique cat who will play in the evenings but not destroy the house when you to to work for a few hours, the Peterbald might be for you.
