Cats That Look Like Russian Blues

People search "cats similar to Russian Blues" for two reasons. They own a blue-gray, green-eyed cat and want to know if it is a Russian Blue. Or they want the elegant, reserved temperament without the Russian Blue's sensitivity and are comparing alternatives. Either way, the short list is the same: Chartreux, British Shorthair (British Blue), and Korat. All three come in blue-gray, all three are short-haired, and all three get confused with the Russian Blue constantly. Each differs in a way you can see.

The Russian Blue Baseline

Pin down the Russian Blue first. Medium, 7 to 12 lbs. A fine-boned, graceful, elongated body that the CFA calls "foreign type": long and svelte yet muscular, with a long slender neck and small oval paws. The coat is the giveaway: short, dense, and plush with silver-tipped guard hairs that create a shimmering, iridescent sheen. The coat stands away from the body and feels like thick plush velvet. The head is a wedge shape with a flat skull and a long, straight nose, with prominent whisker pads that give the face a "smiling" expression. The eyes are vivid green, almond-shaped, and wide-set. Kittens are born with yellow eyes that turn emerald green by four months. The personality is reserved with strangers but fiercely devoted to their family, quiet, sensitive, and intelligent. Any cat that matches most of those points is worth comparing. One that has copper eyes or a round face is definitely something else.

Chartreux: The French Blue

The Chartreux is the breed most often confused with the Russian Blue, because both are blue-gray and both are calm. The differences are structural. The Chartreux has a rounder, fuller face with a shorter nose and a stockier, cobby body, not the Russian Blue's elongated svelte frame. The eyes are gold or copper, never green. The Chartreux coat is a double coat but thicker and more woolly, described as "lamb-like," where the Russian Blue coat is finer, plush, and visibly silver-tipped. The Chartreux is also slightly heavier, 7 to 16 lbs, and more playful and active than the reserved Russian Blue. The Chartreux is also famously quiet, often called the "smiling cat of France" because of its head structure. If your blue-gray cat has a round face, gold eyes, and a woolly coat, think Chartreux.

British Shorthair (British Blue): The Plush Teddy Bear

The British Shorthair in its blue color variant, the British Blue, overlaps with the Russian Blue on coat color only. The body type is completely different. The British Blue is stocky and cobby, 9 to 18 lbs, with a broad chest, short legs, and round paws. The face is round with full cheeks and a short nose with a visible stop, not the Russian Blue's wedge. The eyes are copper or gold, never green. The coat is dense and plush like sheepskin, standing away from the body, without the Russian Blue's silver tipping. The British Blue is calm, easygoing, and independent, where the Russian Blue is sensitive, devoted, and reserved. If your blue-gray cat is round-faced, copper-eyed, and heavy, it is a British Blue. The British Shorthair vs Russian Blue comparison covers every marker.

Korat: The Silver-Tipped Thai

The Korat is the least known of the blue-gray breeds, but it overlaps with the Russian Blue more than people expect. Both have silver-tipped blue-gray coats, both are medium-sized, and both are devoted to their families. The differences are in the face and the build. The Korat has a heart-shaped face when viewed from the front, with a broad forehead that narrows to a rounded muzzle, not the Russian Blue's wedge. The eyes are large and luminous, green in adults but amber or green in kittens, and they are more prominent and rounder than the Russian Blue's almond shape. The Korat body is more muscular and semi-cobby, 6 to 10 lbs, not the Russian Blue's svelte frame. The Korat coat is also single, not double, and the silver tipping is more pronounced, giving the cat a "halo" effect. Personality is similar: both are quiet, loyal, and sensitive to their environment. If your blue-gray cat has a heart-shaped face and luminous eyes, think Korat.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Breed	Size	Coat	Eyes	Face	Personality
Russian Blue	7-12 lbs	Short, silver-tipped, plush	Vivid green	Wedge, flat skull, "smile"	Reserved, devoted, sensitive
Chartreux	7-16 lbs	Woolly, lamb-like	Gold/Copper	Trapezoidal, narrow muzzle	Quiet, playful, loyal
British Blue	9-18 lbs	Dense, plush velvet	Copper/Gold	Round, full cheeks	Calm, easygoing, independent
Korat	6-10 lbs	Single, silver halo	Luminous green	Heart-shaped, prominent eyes	Quiet, loyal, sensitive

Still Not Sure?

Woolly coat and gold eyes: Chartreux. Round face, copper eyes, and heavy: British Shorthair. Heart-shaped face and luminous eyes: Korat.

FAQ

What cat breed looks most like a Russian Blue?

The Chartreux. Both are blue-gray and calm, but the Chartreux has a rounder face, gold or copper eyes (never green), and a woolly coat without silver tipping. The Russian Blue has a wedge-shaped head, vivid green eyes, and a plush coat with visible silver-tipped guard hairs.

How do I tell a Russian Blue from a British Blue?

Eyes and body. The Russian Blue has vivid green eyes, a wedge-shaped head, and a fine-boned, elongated body. The British Blue has copper or gold eyes, a round face with full cheeks, and a stocky, cobby body that weighs nearly twice as much. The Russian Blue coat has silver tipping; the British Blue coat is uniformly dense without shimmer.

Is a Korat the same as a Russian Blue?

No. Both have silver-tipped blue-gray coats and green eyes, but the Korat has a heart-shaped face with prominent, rounder eyes and a more muscular, semi-cobby body. The Russian Blue has a wedge-shaped head, almond-shaped eyes, and a svelte, fine-boned frame. The Korat coat is also single-layered, not double, and the silver tipping creates more of a halo effect.