Russian Blue Origins The Russian Blue has a well documented history, and was first seen in the USA in 1993. The first were bred from a trio of rats obtained from breeder Karla Barber in California, which all had the same father, a Velvet-coated rat of a silvery beige colour with dark eyes, said to have been sired by a blue rat from New York. Geri Hauser bred these rats together and found they produced dark grey kittens, of a shade which closely resembled blue mice, cats and dogs. It was originally called "Mouse Blue" but this was changed to Russian Blue in honour of its resemblance to the similarly-coloured cat breed. The first was shown in 1994, and was standardised by the AFRMA in early 1996. Russians were exported to breeders in Sweden, Germany, Holland and Belgium, and it is from there that they came to the UK. Sue Brown brought the first Russian Blues over in May 2000, two bucks from Holland sired by a Russian Blue from Sweden, and a brother-sister pair from a breeder in Germany arranged by Ann Storey, who took one of the bucks from Holland and the male of the German pair. Later in the year, Sue was also given a Russian Blue agouti Rex Dumbo by a breeder in Belgium, who was bred to one of the bucks to produce the first Russian litter in the UK in October 2000. Note: The genetics information given in this article represents work in progress and may change over time. Last updated December 1st. 2002.	RUSSIAN BLUE DOE, Mercedes First Russian Blue female in UK.
Russian Blue Standards UK Russian is a new colour in the UK and is presently shown in New Variety (Unstandardised) classes at NFRS shows, though its popularity indicates it may progress to Guide Standard status in the near future.  The standard currently in use by all UK clubs asks for a soft medium grey-blue with a metallic sheen, similar to blue cats and dogs. Faint light speckling or a subtle ticked effect is usual for the variety, and not to be considered a fault. USA Russian Blues are standardised by all the major USA clubs: The AFRMA was the first club to standardise Russian Blues, and calls for a color similar to blue mice or blue cats, a very dark slate blue color with dark ticking throughout and black eyes. The RMCA describes it as like the Russian Blue cat; very dark slate blue with dark ticking throughout. RMFE 's standard requires a very dark blue-grey, like steel, with a slightly heathered look due to pigment clumping in the hair shaft and compares the colour to "blue" greyhound dogs or mice, and Russian blue in cats.	RUSSIAN BLUE DUMBO KITTEN, PENDRAGON'S ATALANTA
Genetics of the Russian Blue Russian Blue seems to be a simple, straightforward recessive gene which behaves as Blue dilution in dogs, cats and other animals. There appears to be no great variation of shade between littermates, although some may be a little lighter than the preferred dark colour, and these often also show a brownish tinge, which is a fault. Russian Blue is not related to any of the other types of Blue rat (as mentioned above), and the two kinds are clearly distinct when seen side by side. A Russian Blue (not carrying any other colours) bred to a Blue (not carrying any other colours) will produce only black kittens. Genetic nomenclature has been adopted in different forms in different countries. In the USA and some European countries it is called d (Dilution). The other blue gene which gives Slate, Sky, American, English and Powder Blue is called g (Grey). In the UK, where the existing Blue has already been designated d (see the section about Blue genetics here), Russian is likely to become known as rb to avoid confusion.	RUSSIAN BLUE REX KITTENS.
Russian Blue Colours Russian Blue can be combined with other rat colours and genes to give a wealth of new varieties, some of which are extremely attractive. Silver Blue also known as Russian Silver is a striking light, even silver grey with black eyes. It is standardised by AFRMA, and described as resembling silver mink, only blue instead of brown. It is created by a combination of standard (English/American) Blue and Russian Blue. The rats of this colour which have been bred in the UK don't appear to resemble a blue version of silver mink. Rather, they are a clear, bright self silver with black eyes, described by one owner as "aluminium" coloured. It is quite different from Platinum, and most resembles a self Silver mouse with a delicate blue tint (though in mice this colour has red eyes). In the UK the word "Silver" has traditionally been used to describe animals which are "silvered" i.e. having ticking of white hairs all over, as in Silver/ed Mink rats, and the name Silver Blue is already in use for a standard Blue rat with silvering. For this reason, the "double blue" combination of Russian and Standard Blue will be known as Russian Silver. Russian Blue Agouti is as its name implies, a Russian blue in the agouti form. The result is a little darker than, and not as attractive as, a Blue Agouti. Russian Mink & Russian Cinnamon The first litter of Russian blues born in the UK included some Russian colour dilutions that had previously never been seen by British breeders. At first, they were thought to be combinations of Russian Blue with Mink and Cinnamon, but later breedings have now cast doubt on this. The mother of the first litter of Russian Blues in the UK was a Russian Blue Agouti Dumbo Rex; both she and other imported Dumbos and Russian Blues proved to be carrying a mystery gene closely resembling Mink, which appears to also be part of the make-up of the Platinum colour. Breeders working with this mystery gene have found that it is not genetically related to Mink but - like Mink - it will combine with Pearl. At the time of writing [Winter 2002] it is referred to as "Mock Mink" by breeders. Russian combined with Mock Mink creates a pretty dove grey colour, not unlike the colour standardised as Lilac in the UK, but much darker than Lilac and lacking its distinct pink tone. Russian Mock Cinnamon (Russian combined with Agouti and Mock Mink) is a warm rich fawn ticked with dove, and as may be expected, also bears resemblance to UK Lilac Agouti, but is darker. A colour is bred by AFRMA breeders called Dove, which is described as a blue-chocolate colour similar to Dove mice, but it appears unclear as to whether this is a combination of Chocolate and Russian, Mink and Russian, or the mystery Mock Mink and Russian. Blue-Beige also known as Russian Platinum is standardised by AFRMA and described as a grayish-tan with a blue cast, eyes dark ruby. It is the result of combining Russian Blue with the red (ruby) eye dilution gene. It is called Russian Platinum by some clubs in Europe. Silver Dove is a colour shown as Unstandardised by the AFRMA, and thought to be a triple dilution, combining Mink (or chocolate) with Russian Blue and Standard Blue. It is described as a warm dove with ticking throughout similar to Russian Blue, with black eyes. Russian Blue point Siamese have been bred in the USA and resemble Blue point Siamese (standard blue) but with dark blue points and a colder tone to the body colour. Russian Platinum (UK) has been bred in Britain and is a Platinum coloured rat coming from two Russian-based parents. The colour is more even and balanced in tone than usual Platinum, with eyes of the desired darker red. It is thought to be a combination of Russian Blue, standard Blue, and either Mink or Mock-Mink. Rats of this colour were bred by Pendragon when the first Russian Blue female in the UK was bred back to her son who was silvery-beige with dark eyes (possibly mock-mink and Russian combined). Other Russian dilutions have been bred, including a near-albino shade with the faintest of apricot toning; and others may be produced over time. Until the exact genetic make-up of the dilutions is known it is difficult to describe and name them all, and with so many combinations possible it will be some appreciable time before they are all correctly identified.	RUSSIAN BLUE AGOUTI DUMBO KITTEN, PENDRAGON'S FIRKIN. BLUE BEIGE REX KITTEN. PENDRAGON'S PAVLOVA: ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO BE RUSSIAN CINNAMON, BUT MAY HAVE BEEN AGOUTIED RUSSIAN BLUE COMBINED WITH A MYSTERY GENE RESEMBLING MINK. PENDRAGON'S OSKAR: ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO BE RUSSIAN SILVER,BUT MAY HAVE BEEN RUSSIAN BLUE COMBINED WITH A MYSTERY GENE RESEMBLING MINK. OWNED BY ESTELLE SANDFORD.

Sources

Pro-Rat-A #63, May/June 1991 "Birth of the Blues" by Joan Branton
Pro-Rat-A #73, Jan/Feb 1993 "The Silver Blue" by Roy Robinson
Personal correspondence, Ann Storey, NFRS
Personal correspondence, Karen Robbins, AFRMA
AFRMA Newsletter Vol.16 No.3 "Russian Blue Rats" by Nichole Royer
AFRMA Newsletter Vol.16 No.3 "Colours & Coats" by Nichole Royer
Genetics section, http://www.rodentfancy.com (Myomorpha)
RMFE website, http://www.rodentfancy.com
AFRMA website, http://www.afrma.org
RMCA website, http://www.rmca.org

Other Contributors

Marion Benham, Chris Casteels, Lucie Mann, Estelle Sandford, Carine Vereecke.