Selfish but still my mate (Russian Blue)

Member Name: The Operator

Product:	Russian Blue
Date:	14/05/01 (290 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very loyal, will tolerate being a housecat

Disadvantages: Not particularly good with small children, drops loads of hair

Dino is a thirteen year old Russian Blue we've had since a kitten and who we bought as a pal for our long since departed moggy, Wallis.
I don't really know if he has a typical Russian Blue character; I know they are rather individual and he certainly scores points there but it's his eccentricities that mark him out as different.

A bit of a general discription first. Russian Blues were reputedly brought over by Russian sailors orginating from the town of Arkhangelsk. Another story has them coming from Malta but that's not so romantic. The ice blue eyes they have when young turn to green as they grow and they have a double coat which comprises short "guard hairs" around the base of the main hair . Moulting is a real pain but it is excellent insulation against cold and heat. In fact they love nothing better than to have a wander around in snow.
They are slightly oriental in appearance but bulkier than Siamese or Burmese and with an incredibly long tail but incredibly dainty little feet. The American fancy has them slightly more rangy and they are not at all like the British Blue which is altogether more cobby.

First off, Dino is a pet. We never get cats with a view to showing them but we nearly always get pedigree cats as they ought to have been bred in disease free environments meaning hopefully, that they won't bring anything nasty into the house.
The thing that he brought in with him when he arrived though, was a bellyfull of poo which was deposited over us and the carpet. Thus began a pattern which has resulted in me having to clean up after him, at a conservative estimate, about 1000 times. As he suffers from irritable bowel syndrome, these deposits tend to be of the looser variety. He does not go in his tray if it has been used by the others unless he can be sure that he won't get anywhere near it. That often means feet in, orifice over the edge. It also means an unreal amount of time spent clea
ning cat trays. (we have 2)
Like lots of cats, he likes to eat grass. This will often make him sick and this action is preceeded by a most unusual sound which we have called "squorgling"
It's a cross between yodelling and gargling and goes roughly "yargle argle argle argle" (If you know the video game "Rayman", the sound Rayman makes when he pulls a face and sticks his tongue out, but slowed down)

Dino likes to sit on laps. He is choosy and does usually have a lap of the moment which he will invariably try to sit on at the most inopportune moment. Like when you've got a plate on it. This is when he becomes most persistant in trying to get his way. If you push him away, he will lurk at the far end of the sofa and then edge very gradually towards you. He won't look at you because he thinks that if he doesn't look at you, you can't see him. He will then try and nose his way back onto your lap, plate or no. Push him away again and he will retreat again. This time he will haul (they are not climbers but brilliantly graceful jumpers) himself up the back of the sette and creep along the back and down your blindside. He does not know how to give up.

He is also insanely curious. The other day he almost got himself caught up in the back of the washing machine as he decided to investigate what the repairman was doing (loves strangers). He has also hoicked things out of the doctors bag before.

They are not meant to be good with kids and this is true. As the children get older and bigger he has realised that he is on a hiding to nothing by continually swearing at them if they try and walk past him on the landing (never really lashed out though) and has decided to tolerate them, albeit on his own terms. For instance, he will try and sit on their laps if he's been ejected from mine. Once he's there he will stare at me for ages until he thinks he's softened me up, ready for another tr
y. He's also taken to commandeering their beds.
Speaking of beds, don't have a lie-in. He'll wake you up by jumping on you and then sitting on your chest staring at you.

When I pick him up he will try and sit on my shoulder. This is his absolute favourite thing. He could sit there like a parrot for hours. Unfortunately, when he's happy, a rather unpleasant thing usually happens. He will intussuscept (look it up!). This usually results in a little bit of "skunk juice" being deposited over your best shirt.

Despite all these little eccentricites, foibles or whatever, he remains the most affectionate and loyal of cats and he will come to me to get brushed (which he will let you do for hours) or just a cuddle without any prompting. We do have a bit of a love hate relationship sometimes and he knows when to stay out of my way. To watch him try and make up though, is hilarious and worth all the cleaning up. I think we'll keep him.

Summary: