# Russian blue.



## labydird

Hello all! 

We are looking for a russian blue kitten/ kittens/ cat to join our family home. Unfortunately one of my children has several allergies (she is 6 years old) so this is the only breed she can tolerate. We are finding it increasingly difficult to find any available, we are in the London/ Essex area but are willing to travel out (a bit!!) to view with my daughter to ensure she does not have any reaction. We are so passionate about cats and would love to have one as a permanent member of our home, my children all adore cats! I would really appreciate if anyone knew of any information/ suggestions/ advice to help us with this search.

We have already checked many of the rescue and adoption homes in and around our area without any luck... 

Thanks and looking forward to joining the discussions further when we have a feline friend we can talk about!


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## ChinaBlue

Just as an alternative have you considered having a Siberian as they are supposed to be very good for people who normally suffer allergies.


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## spid

Many, many pedigree cats are considered hypoallergenic - my hubby is allergic to long haired moggies and most short haired moggies but is absolutely fine with our Birman, our RagaMuffin and our Selkirk Rex. Our RagaMuffin is due to pop next week and then there will be more cats in the house and I know he will be fine - however, if he goes to other peoples houses he struggles if they don't have peds.


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## labydird

Hi ChinaBlue,
Thanks for your reply. We did consider a Siberian as they too have less allergens in the saliva, however it was the combination of the shorthair on the Russian blue (as well as her having been in contact with one without any side effects) which swayed us to this breed.


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## labydird

Hello spid, thanks for your reply. The Siberian and Russian blue have a lower level of allergen in their saliva which is what (in my daughters case) is causing the allergy to the cats. I don't know of any other breeds but these two which have this. The Siberian is a longhaired cat which again will aggravate her allergies (she has several allergies, food, dust etc included) so the Russian Blue was our best bet because of the shorthair combined with the lower levels of allergens and also her having been in contact with one before without any problems.

Thank you everyone so far for the comments/ advice


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## labydird

We tried some breeders too, many are just too far to travel to with the children, there were a couple about an hours drive away. One russian blue was offered as the person was moving however the day before viewing, we recieved a message that it had disappeared and they didn't know where it was! (this was an older 1 year old cat) Another kindly offered us a kitten for the maximum we could afford to spend (which was £100!) again the day before we recieved a message that it had mistakenly been sold to someone else by another member of the family  We were/ are happy to pay around £100 or £150 at a stetch as even when adopting there are similar fees involved, but some breeders charge more closer to the £400- £600 mark which personally for us is a crazy amount!

Its a pity and really sad as we have a loving home to offer with lots of play and adoration from my children!


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## maiacam

Hi 

I love Russian Blues we are currently waiting to home a little girl from a breeder. Like you said the price was £500 which I think is the expected amount to pay for a pedigree. If you want to rehome a pedigree Russian Blue I think you have a couple of options
1) contact registered breeders and ask if they have any older cats who have finished breeding and would be prepared to rehome. 

2) Contact Russian Blue Breeders Association Welfare Coordinator:
Mrs J. Fleming:
Telephone 01228 573243 for an older cat to rehome.

Good luck with your search


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## spid

Just be very careful with 'cheap' prices for a Russian Blue - it is most likely NOT a Russian Blue but a blue short haired moggy - I'm afraid you get what you pay for. A proper breeder will be GCCF, TICA or FiFE registered. Yes, you could possibly get an ex stud or breeding queen for around £100-£150 but they will be about 2 - 4 years old. 

Have a look at the sticky at the top of the breeding section and that will show you the cost of breeding proper pedigree kittens (people may think that breeding peds makes lots of money - but to do it properly is actually very expensive and rarely (unless you have lots of cats) do you make money). 

A good breeder will allow you to take your daughter to visit them and spend some time with the cats to make sure she isn't allergic. (the bit with Russian Blues and Siberians and saliva isn't substantiated by the way, it's mainly here-say, not scientifically proved - hence me saying look at other breeds - for short haired, look at BSH, Selkirk Rex SH, Devon Rex, COrnish Rex, Sphynx, Siamese, Tonkinese, Orientals, etc.) 

The last thing you want to do is buy a cheap cat/ kitten and then for it to be poorly, too young (don't take them younger than 13 weeks) and therefore unsocialised and scratchy, OR not a ped and so you have to rehome it because your daughter is still allergic. Visit lots of different breeders of lots of different breeds and go with caution - there are a lot of byb out there all so willing to scam you.


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## labydird

Thank you everyone for all the great advice and suggestions! 

The £100 kitten that was offered to us was a dream come true as it was a full pedigree registered kitten from a reputable breeder and this was their last litter hence they offered the kitten to us at this very generous price! Unfortunately it was not to be!

We did have another offer slightly higher from a private seller, but like you said in your post, although advertised as a pedigree russian blue kitten, the kitten looked different to the picture, had yellow eyes and most importantly, my daughter was literally reacting really badly as soon as we exited the building and needed her meds!

I did have one breder send me a lowdown on why the costs are so high, I do appreciate the costs involved as well as love and care which isn't costed for, so it is good that the breeders do take care of their kittens before homing and ensure they have a good healthy start in life!

We will keep searching, the chances are slim which is why we looked to adopting one from a rescue home but they all replied that they have not had this breed of cat before/ for many years now so the chances in this regard will be low....sigh! 

Thakns for the info spid re: different breeds, maybe we will try that route with other breeds, most of our findings are just from trial and error visiting friends with cats etc and seeing how she reacts to them...


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## we love bsh's

I would be careful if you consider an ex breeding queen as some spend most of their lives in a cattery which can tend to make them shy and as its for your child that may not be the best option.


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## ace85

If you've truly got your heart set on a Russian Blue, I think you know what you have to do - save up, get a ped and do things properly. As mentioned by others, you won't get a kitten from guaranteed breeding lines with much change from 500 notes, and your chances of happening across a registered RB in a rehoming shelter is about on a par with finding Bigfoot running the reception desk. 

Incidentally, if it is the look of the RB that you find attractive, consider the Korat too. It is a similar-looking cat, although not so reserved in temperament, as I understand it (which in all honesty might not be a bad quality with a youngster in the house). No idea whether they are classed as a 'low-allergen' cat as well, but it might at least give you a few more options to look into


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## kelly-joy

Hi try

RUSSIAN BLUE CAT CLUB - WELFARE
Tel: 01487 773 364 or 0208 942 9264
Website: RBBA Welfare

also try
The Siberian Cat Club • Welcome

and these rescues that get all different breeds in
Rushden Persian Rescue
St Francis Persian Rescue
Rushden Persian Rescue
The London Persian Rescue Centre: Rescuing Persian cats and pedigree cats, and finding suitable homes

Good luck in your search


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## labydird

Thank you to everyone for the kind advice, suggestions and links! :thumbup:

We have only 2 breeders of Russian blues *near* to us (by near I mean 1.5hours or less away in distance!). One has an extremely long waiting list for her kittens and the other has recently stopped breeding. We were looking to go and visit and possibly rehome one of their older cats and maybe is a kitten is available in the furture then also consider that option too (I think 2 cats/ kittens is the max for us!)

We also recently went to visit some pedigree bengals (I took the advice of an earlier post whereby most pedigree cats may be hypoallergenic!) and I was shocked when my daughter had NO reaction to them at all!! It sounds perfect, but what made us unsure was the breeds personality, very very active and vocal, and using its claws a lot with play etc, also not known for being a strokable-cuddle-up-in-your-lap type of cat which, with young children, is what they will want to do! This was purely from how we saw the kittens/ mother were like and also some further reading done online.

Maybe some people with bengals can offer advice? My kids are 6, 3 and 1, would a bengal kitten (I would say 2 is a must because of their energy!) or an older kitten/ cat be suitable for this age group and is their reputation as 'wild' cats really true?


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## spid

If you are after a lap cat - then I wouldn't recommend a bengal. Short haired lap cats - try British SHort Hair or Selkirk Rex short hair - some of the semi long haired are very lap catty too - Ragdolls, RagaMuffin, Birman, etc, laid-back long hair - persians

SLightly less laid back - Siberians (can jump like an Olympics athlete!), the tonks, Burmese, siamese, devon and cornish rex. etc

I think you need to decide what type of cat you want, and then look at lots of different breeds until you find one you like the personality of and your daughter isn't allergic too. SHort, semi or long hair. Laid back or forward, quiet or vocal. etc.


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## ace85

Also, be aware that the personality of an individual cat may well 'buck the trend' of the breed profile. Abys, for example, are often said to be highly active and not lap-cats, yet ours is a total people cat and loves sitting on laps, sleeping next to you in bed etc. (he _is _admittedly active though ). Don't necessarily rule out a particular breed because of an online profile - always base your view on meeting the actual kitten(s) and its/their temperament


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## ace85

It's a Russian Blue X


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## labydird

Hello all!

Well we finally got our family cat, she is a beautiful Russian blue ex-queen. Her temperament is so lovely and friendly and she doesn't mind my children following her around and constantly wanting play. She is so gentle and loving, today is the first day we have brought her home, she is very inquisitive and wanting to see what everything is!  Looking forward to joining the cat chat and tips on how to prevent her from getting on the worktops/ cooker area (!!) and introducing the outdoors (once she is neutered)


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## missallen

Ahh lovely, she sounds perfect! I'm glad you found a blue  enjoy! (Can't wait to see pictures!)


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## oliviarussian

Pics as soon as possible please!!!!!!  can't wait to see her..... Congratulations


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## labydird

:001_wub: Here is the lovely lady herself!


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## Kah

Absoutely gorgeous. Have always had a soft spot for Russian blues!


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## Cookieandme

She has definitely settled in :thumbup:


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