Differences with other Blue Cats

 

Why is the Korat NOT a Russian Blue or a Chartreux?

Very often, during catshows, our Korats are confused with other blue cats, i.e. the Russian Blue or the Chartreux. Sometimes they are also confused with British Blues or Blue Burmese and with Blue Oriental shorthairs. Here there is a nice article and some interesting links to pages related to the Russian Blue and the Chartreux, the other two breeds which colour can only be BLUE.

 

The 3 Blue Beauties
(from the KCA Newsletter - September 2000)
Abstract from an article written on "Atout Chat" and translated by Jane Hard who has been so kind in allowing us
to use her translation in Koratworld!

Chartreux, Korat, Russian Blue
One is French, one is Thai, one is Russian.

For the uninformed, nothing looks more like a blue cat than another blue cat but with detailed information, the three are quite different.

The Chartreux is a medium to large cat with big paws which are fairly short, the head is "powerful" with well-developed cheeks especially in the male, the nose big, straight, medium ears placed high on the crown. The coat is dense with a woolly base. The eyes are gold or copper.

In all three breeds the males are much larger than the females and the other thing they have in common is their blue coat which, in the light, appears bluish with the Chartreux, Silver-tipped with the Russian and with a Silver sheen in the Korat (the Thai call is" sea foam").

The Korat, the cat with a glorious past authenticated in "the Cat book of Poems" in Bangkok Museum dated in the XIV century. The Korat has a heart-shaped head, big green eyes and a single coat. The Korat is 100% "pure race".

The Chartreux was "pure race" before it received Persian and British blood; its ancestry was written up in 1756 in Buffon's Natural History. It is now 20 years since this outcrossing finished and it is just judged on its original standard of points.

The Russian Blue seems to have originated in Russia being brought to England at the end of XIX century, it was decimated during the Second World War.

Sylvie Robert, who breeds Korats and Russians says that the Korat is very active, curious, likes to be with you, self-assured with a dominant character. The Russian tents to be reserved, timid, gentle and quiet! As to the Chartreux, he is tranquil, placid but oddly enought shows badly.

Are these three beauties allowed any variation in type? The Chartreux must not vary from the standard set-down in 1939 and never be outcrossed again after its separation from the Persian and British in 1977. The Russian has been bred through judicious marriages into a cat with a light coat and vivid green eyes and a White Russian may soon be accepted. The Korat must not be changed in type in any way.

Now to the "barometer of popularity" of the 3 Blue Beauties in France: the "National Cat" of France, the Chartreux, is the most appreciated. There are only 2 or 3 known breeders of the Korat in France and in spite of their very ancient, authenticated history they are not "in fashion". Perhaps they lack a good P.R. system! The Russian Blue's popularity still seems to be mounting.

Conclusion: These beautiful Blue Cats have some fine days ahead of them! [my words]
Vive la difference!

 

 

Pages about the Russian Blues

Russian Blue (CFA Standard)

Russian Blue (CFA Breed Profile)

Russian Blue (TICA Standard) - pdf file

Russian Blue Breeders' Association

The Russian Blue Cat

"Blue and White" Russian Blues

Pages about the Chartreux

The Chartreux Cat (Chartreux FAQs)

The Chartreux (CFA Standard)

The Chartreux (CFA Profile)

The Chartreux (TICA Standard) - pdf file

 

Find out more at the "Breeds in Blue" webring page,
a sitering which links together Korats, Russians and Chartreux catteries homepages only.