Russian Blue going bronze - anyone know why?

[MyCatIsTryingToKillMe]

I have two Russian Blues that are just recently turned two. They are brothers from the same litter but the bigger and more dominant one has turned a sort of bronze colour in places but particularly on his shoulders. I've goggled it but can't see anything where other people have had this happen. Anyone have any idea what might be going on? Photos attached so you can see them side by side for comparison.

Lovely pics. Are your two killers? Mine loves hunting and has been banned from the cat flap as he brings too many friends in to play with!

OMG that cuddle pic is divine.

I have a Russian Blue and I absolutely adore her. Such a gentle soul.

Thanks Cozietoesie, I will definitely be keeping an eye on him and will take him back if anything else worries me.

Marmite, he is a very efficient hunter sadly (I can't stand it and have tried to rescue mice that still look able to survive) his brother is not at all, but gets very excited when big brother brings a treat back. I've grown up with cats but none of them have been quite so prolific at catching mice (field mice as we live in the sticks).

They are very close Bluetongue, the smaller one follows the big one around everywhere and they love a good cuddle! They are very gentle cats aren't they?

They are lovely and very affectionate. My boy is called Vladimir after Vlad the impaler and he definitely lives up to his name!! My house was overrun with mice before he came but now they stay clear of it.

Mine have posh breed names which include Sergei and Mikhail but that have very Yorkshire names on a day to day basis!

is it something like the weather...i've heard of black cats going "rusty" in damp/humid climates
or maybe bleaching from the sun, if you have had any?

gorgeous boys though!

Mine is definitely a summer thing with the blue dog. They are beautiful cats - my sister has 2 Russian Blue boys and they have been far healthier than my oriental cats.

This is happening to one of my cats too. He is a British Shorthair Silver Spotty. Some of his black spots on his spine are starting to turn brown. Vet says sun as he is perfectly healthy and spends a lot of time sunbathing on the deck!

Very interesting to hear of other silvery/blue animals doing the same. I had read that black cats can go rusty and that some breeds like Siamese can change colour too but nothing about the Russians. It's very reassuring to know that he's not a complete oddity!

Foxy they are meant to be very healthy with few genetic disorders most likely because they are a naturally occurring breed. I think the breeding is relatively limited too (but I may be wrong!). I'm hoping that the healthy trait is strong in these two.

Just heard back from the RBBA who say it's all normal and is the same rusty as black and other blues get when in the sun or sometimes heat. Apparently it can also be caused by their saliva?! He should go back to blue in winter. Thank you all for your input.

I think when the breed was being developed, they were quite heavily out-crossed with Burmese, who are closely related to Siamese, which could explain the colouring. He'll have just gone through a moult I expect, so could be his undercoat showing?

Just thinking out loud here, and Cozie will set you straight on that one, I'm sure.

I agree having his bloods done are a good idea, just to ease your mind.

And what a gorgeous pair of cats! I've always thought Russian Blues the prettiest of cats, I had a moggie who looked exactly like one.

Thanks RubbishMantra, I'm happy that he's OK now that the vet has checked him and the RBBA say it's normal. While I could see lots on the intertnet about other specific breeds and black cats changing colour I couldn't find anything relating to the RBs so was getting a little concerned and it was only happening to one not the other.

I think they're very pretty too, I love their double coat and the bright green eyes.

My dark blue dog does the same thing - he looks bluer in the winter, bronzy in the summer, and its not even either.

That's the thing CMOTDibbler, it's not even been that sunny! I think he takes after DH who tans within seconds of being in the sun and his brother takes after me who could holiday in Jamaica all summer and still go home white.

Archangel cats.

My grey cat, who is a moggy but we suspect has long haired Russian blue in her (or something) gets like this too.

Here's my boy and his brown patch! We've had a very sunny month here in Cornwall and he has been sunbathing in the herb garden every day. It's definitely got more noticeable in that time.

I wouldn't have noticed it if you hadn't said - and even then, I had to look hard.

we have black cats & rabbits (& have had blue-ish dogs) and they all go rusty coloured in the summer!

Here's a photo of my girl sunning herself just now, showing off her bronze.

MCat likes the man-hole cover too. I suppose it absorbs heat.

Little Monsieur likes to lie in the rosemary, which means he comes into the house covered in garden bits, sometimes including slugs in his big, bushy tail.

My two sit on the manhole cover in the middle of the lawn. I think they view it as an oasis in the desert of cold wet grass!

Thank you all for your reassurances and pictures of your beautiful sun bleached cats.

Glad it's not just mine that likes the manhole cover! It does always feel quite warm. She always looks a bit forlorn in the middle of the front lawn like that though! We've wondered if there's a touch of Russian blue in there (the long haired ones are nebelungs?) but no idea.