Russian Blue And Korat - What Difference?

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Hey folk, I haven't been around for a while - sorry for this. Now that I'm back, I see some new articles have been made, well done! I have a question about them. I've just read the one about Korat cats, and now I wonder, what's the difference between the Russian Blue and Korat cat? They look so alike!
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Welcome back, Lauren!

Russian Blue and Korat cats are similar indeed, but they do have differences. I'll try to make a table for you..


Sign

Russian Blue

Korat

Coat

Double coat with dense undercoat

Single coat with nearly no undercoat

Weight
Usual weight for cats of this size
Heavier than the Russian Blue
Body typeNot very chunky; longer and straighter linesStockier and a bit chunkier; rounded lines
ColourGrey-blue, lighter than that of KoratsGun-metal blue, a bit darker than the usual Russian Blue colour
Eye colourEmerald greenPeridot green (more yellowish)
NoseStraight in profileWith a slight stop in profile


Moreover, the head structures of the two breeds are quite different and they also have very different personalities. You might have read about it in the articles. Emotion: smile

Russian Blue cats
Korat cats
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The Korat's head shape is very specific and described as "heart-like". This is the main sign to distinguish the two breeds, I guess.
As to their personality, Korats are more companionable while Russian Blue cats are more independent and less demanding. Russians can be let outside, which must not be done to Korats for their own safety's sake.
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Hi Emotion: smile I am a proud owner of (or, rather, am owned by) two Russian Blue cats and quite often I cannot easily spot a difference between Korat and Russian blues Emotion: smile As far as I understand the standard of Russian Blue breed in the UK is different from, say, US standard so I often confuse American RBs with Korats. Thanks for a detailed info, Ruslana! Emotion: smile
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Thanks for posting this, Ruslana. It looks much clearer now! I'll re-read the stuff about their personalities and the head structure.
 Omnia's reply was promoted to an answer.
 tatikprice's reply was promoted to an answer.
Yep, that's true - standards in different countries may vary. But you know, I actually wonder sometimes why almost the same cats are considered two different breeds. Emotion: smile
About 10 years ago, when my sister and I were too young to pay enough attention, we got two half-breed kittens from a friend whose parents were breeders. Their queen got out while she was in heat, and so they gave away the litter for free. I would swear that my sister (she's older than me) told me that the queen was a Russian Blue, but now I'm not certain - the one I kept when I moved out has the classic heart-shaped face, more golden-toned eyes, and stockier body of a Korat, and will follow me all over the house and pin me down in various uncomfortable positions all night, but he also has the thicker coat of a Russian Blue and shies away from ANY strangers. Would I be right to guess that he most likely got the thicker coat from whatever his father was, and really is a half-Korat? I don't think it matters too terribly much, but I am curious.
Hi Anonymous,

It's difficult to say without a photo. Considering it was only half-bred, anything is possible. Sometimes the Russian is pretty similar to the Korat but not the opposite.

A few more details about the head structure:

Russian Blues have longer faces and large, pointy ears. Korats have more foreshortened faces and smaller ears.
Korat cats don't lose hair when you stroke the cat on its back!!
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