What is a Color-Point Russian Blue
Some of you may have seen or heard of the 'pointed' Russian Blue, Color Point Russian Blue, or 'a white'. Breeders have many names for them, many of them cute nicknames like Chuckies and some not so cute, like Flushers. They are not accepted for showing, registering or breeding in the CFA but they are just as lovely as their Blue siblings.
During World War II people were spending their time fighting and rationing. Keeping a cattery fell to the bottom of the list of things to do during these tough times understandably. Once the war was over people realized that there were so few Russians to breed that they needed to do something to save the cats from extinction. Breeding a Russian to a Siamese was what people went with. With this and lots of work the Russian Blue was saved but now also forever changed. The Russians now carried the coloring gene for the Siamese cat as well as the blue color they are known for.
To have a 'pointed' kitten come out you need both parents to be carriers of the CPC genes (Color Point Carrier). If only one parent has it the genes may be passed on to the next generation but no pointed kittens are going to be born from that litter. Many Russians are carriers and many are not. In order to wipe out the pointed genes one would have to remove every carrier, probably about half the Russians breeding today. The result would be the gene pool shrinking and having to seriously inbreed cats. No one wants to do that. There is now a test for CPC that you can have done on your cat. If your cat doesn't have CPC genes then they cannot reproduce pointed kittens so there is no need to test the prospective mate. If your cat has CPC genes then some would want the other cat being bred to, to be tested for CPC. Some people test and some people don't. It's all personal preference. Many breeders go 10-15 years without getting any pointed kittens and some get them nearly every time.
For years most pet owners didn't know these pointed cats existed because breeders usually hid or just didn't talk about the kittens that were born white. It was slightly shameful or undesirable to have them. Some jokingly referred to them as "flushers" when it was discussed. (Don't worry, no one actually flushed any kittens.) This was more of a statement saying they didn't count for shit from a breeding or showing standpoint.
These days the pointed kittens have come out of the closet so to speak. Breeders show pictures of them in their litters and people discuss them much more openly. Breeding for them on purpose is VERY frowned upon though. A true breeder is breeding to improve the breed temperament, look, health etc. Breeding pointed kittens on purpose is more of a 'puppy mill'/'hobby breeder' thing to do. So if you see someone specializing in pointed Russians, think twice about going there for a kitten. These are not designer cats even though they have been listed as such online.
Like the Russian Blues the Pointed Russians have the same lovely temper and personality traits that draw people to them. The only thing different is the color of their coat and eyes. They too make wonderful pets and will always be a conversation starter if you have one around.
So, if you come across one in real life you can thank that cat and its ancestors for keeping the lovely Russian Blue breed alive in tough times.
