Okay, let’s talk about these two cats – the Russian Blue and the Korat. Lots of people get them mixed up, and honestly, I kinda did too at first glance. That silvery-blue fur, right? Makes them look like twins from a distance.
My journey into telling them apart wasn’t exactly scientific, you know. It started pretty casually. My buddy down the street got a cat, swore up and down it was a Russian Blue. Looked the part, mostly. But then I was visiting my aunt, and she had this Korat, and I was like, hold on, this looks almost exactly like Dave’s cat! So, I decided I needed to figure this out myself, just out of curiosity.
Getting Hands-On (Sort Of)
So, what did I actually do? Well, I spent more time hanging out at Dave’s place, specifically watching ‘Shadow’, his cat. Just observing, you know? How he moved, how his fur looked in different light, the shape of his head when he wasn’t trying to bite my shoelaces. Then, next time I went to my aunt’s, I paid real close attention to her Korat, ‘Smokey’. I even took a few pictures on my phone – not great ones, mind you, just quick snaps to compare later.
I also did some digging online. Not like reading boring breed standard documents, but more like scrolling through owner forums, looking at tons of pictures people posted. You see way more variety in real pets than in show cat photos.
What I Noticed: The Real Differences
After all that staring and comparing, a few things started to stand out. It wasn’t one big thing, more like a bunch of small details.
- The Eyes: This was a big clue for me. Shadow (the supposed Russian Blue) had these really vivid green eyes. Like, super intense green. Smokey the Korat had green eyes too, but they seemed… different. Brighter, maybe? And sometimes they looked almost amber-green depending on the light. Also, Smokey’s eyes seemed a bit rounder compared to Shadow’s more almond shape.
- Head Shape: Dave’s cat, Shadow, had a head that looked kinda like a wedge, broader at the top, narrowing down. Smokey’s face? Definitely more rounded, and people kept saying ‘heart-shaped’. Once someone pointed it out, I could kinda see it, especially around the eyebrows and chin.
- The Coat Feel: Both are short-haired and blue-grey, obviously. But when I got to pet them (when they allowed me the honor), Shadow’s fur felt incredibly dense and thick. Like, plush. Smokey’s coat felt finer, silkier, and lay flatter against his body. Less poofy.
- Body Build: Shadow seemed kinda long and graceful, maybe a bit more slender. Smokey felt more… solid. Stockier, maybe? Not fat, just more compact and muscular.
- Personality Vibe: This was night and day, honestly. Shadow was super shy. Took him ages to even come near me. He’d peek around corners, dart away if you moved too fast. Classic reserved type. Smokey? Total opposite. Bold little guy. He’d march right up, demand pets, follow my aunt everywhere. Much more demanding and confident.
Why I Spent So Much Time Staring at Cats
You might wonder why I got so invested. Well, partly because I was thinking about getting a cat myself around that time. I was working from home way more after switching jobs – long story short, my old place was a mess, bad management, the usual stuff. Left that gig, found something calmer, ended up with more time at home. Perfect cat time, right? So, I was doing my homework. Didn’t want to just pick one based on looks. I wanted to know what I was getting into, personality-wise. Spending time with Shadow and Smokey was like a free trial, almost.
So, the takeaway?
Yeah, Russian Blues and Korats look similar. Both gorgeous grey cats. But if you spend a bit of time, you see the differences. Russian Blue tends to be finer-boned, wedge head, intense green eyes, thick plush coat, and often more reserved. Korat feels more muscular, heart-shaped face, luminous green/amber-green eyes, sleeker coat, and usually way more outgoing. At least, that’s what I saw in my little cat-comparison project. Pretty sure Dave’s cat is a Russian Blue, and Auntie’s is definitely a Korat. Case closed, for me anyway!
