General:  The Russian Shorthair cat is distinct from all other breeds.  Handling a Russian Shorthair feels like running a silk scarf through your hands.  Gentle and shy, often playful in manner, its voice (if any) is soft and sweet.  They prefer gentle but firm handling and are easily startled.

Head:

Shape/Size:  Forehead high, top of skull flat and narrow, smoothly curving into back of neck.  Face broad, at eye level looks broader due to thick fur at side of head.  Medium length straight nose looks upturned from almost any view except profile due to light reflection.  Neck is long but does not appear so in repose, due, again, to thick fur.   Ears:  Rather large, almost as wide at base as they are tall and set far apart as much into side as top of head.  Ears look pointed as hair tufts finish off where slightly rounded tips stop.  Inside furnishings cover approximately one-half of the otherwise bare, translucent ear area.  Outside of ears completely covered with short, fine hair.  Eyes:  Shape/Set – Almost round, just oval enough to show oriental slant.  Set one eye width or more apart.  Color – As vividly green as possible at maturity.  Russian Shorthair kitten eyes change rapidly through yellow to green.  By four months a green ring should appear around pupil.  Cats whose eyes are not completely vivid green should be penalized the amount determined by the quantity and vividness of green as well as by the age of the cat.  No green in eyes = full penalty.

Body and Tail:

Body:  Fine boned, long, svelte and graceful.  Appears heavier in repose due to supple skin and lie of thick coat.  Muscular in the manner of a swimmer rather than that of a wrestler allowing males to be proportionately larger than females.  Legs/Feet:  Long, fine boned legs with small, neat, well-rounded feet.  Cat appears to stand and walk on tiptoes.  Tail:  Straight, rather long, tapering from rather thick base.

Coat:

Short, dense, fine and plush that is soft and silky to the touch. Stands out from the body due to thick undercoat.  May best be felt by stroking toward the head.  Coat texture will vary by color.

PATTERN/COLOR DESCRIPTIONS:

Solid Colors:

Blue:  Even bright, light to medium blue throughout.  No white hairs allowed.  Ghost tabby markings permitted on kittens.  The coat has an overall lustrous, silvery appearance due to clear tips of the guard hairs.  Nose leather is charcoal gray, body skin is pale blue and paw pads are rosy flesh pink to mauve.

Faults:  White hairs in coat.

Black:  Even, lustrous jet black throughout.  Ghost tabby markings are permitted on kittens.  Tipping will not be as deep in blacks but will be recognizable as an overall sheen.  Nose leather is black and paw pads are dark brown/black.

Faults:  Brown tinge in the coat.  White hairs in the coat.

White:  Even pure, snowy white.  Blue or black color cap allowed on kittens.  This cap should disappear by 12 months of age.  Nose leather is pink, and paw pads are rosy flesh pink.  Whites have the same lustrous appearance due to the crystal clear guard hairs in the coat.

Faults:  Yellowish tinge in the coat.  Black or blue hairs in the adult coat.

Condition/Balance: