Holy Smokes! It seems my kitten, the Prince formerly known as Armpits the Feral, is a Russian Blue!
The above picture is exactly what he looked like when he came to us.
Here's the intriguing tale of this breed, according to Breeding Cats
The Russian Blue cat ’s origins are left to stories and legends. A distinctive plush double coat sets this breed apart as distinctive. Once called the “Archangel Cat” or “Foreign Blue” they came by way of England in the 1860s and have ties to royalty not only those from Russia but as a pet of Queen Victoria. The English first showed the Archangel Cat in 1875 but it wasn’t until 1912 that they earned a class of their own.
The breed is thought to have come to the USA in early 1900s but it was only after World War II they drew an American following. The English had developed a cat with a plush blue coat and the European breeders favored green eyes and a more flattened profile.
This is a gentle, friendly cat that loves attention. They give the visual appearance of a blue cat with each hair silver dipped before attaching to the cat. Unlike some breeds with a variety of colors the Russian Blue cat is always blue with short hair and green eyes. They are fine boned and long bodied. The distinct color and coat stands out as does their normally affectionate nature. They are normally quiet, somewhat shy cats but with those they know and trust are very devoted and affectionate
Prince Asher Xavier Moore, as he is now named, has a white patch at his throat, under each arm and on his lower belly. I suppose this is a result of his purebred mama making whoopee with some Tom and must be the reason why he and his siblings were tossed into the woods to fend for themselves.
Here's what he'll look like as an adult:
Imagine abandoning such beautiful babies. Ah well, nasty breeders loss is my gain.
kitten pic: http://members.tripod.com/~russian_blue/
adult pic: Breeding cats
