Russian White, Black, and Tabby

In Australia, the Russian White program was initiated on 4 May 1971 by Dick and Mavis Jones of Myemgay Cattery. The project began when they acquired a genuine white Siberian cat, although she did not possess a pedigree and was considered a 'domestic'. This white cat was originally the family pet of an official at the Thai Embassy who brought her to Australia. In exchange for a Russian Blue cat, breeders mated the white cat with one of their Russian Blue studs, resulting in two white kittens in her litter. The best of these kittens, named White Rose, was kept by the Joneses, who then sought permission to breed White Russians. White Rose, an elegant and beautiful white queen with the distinctive characteristics of Russian Blues, was eventually mated back to her sire, Myemgay Yuri, a renowned shorthair stud cat. The first-generation White Russian kittens were registered in November 1971, and full register status was granted by the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) Cat Club of New South Wales in November 1975. Today, the Russian White is recognized in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and is in various stages of recognition in the United Kingdom, many countries in mainland Europe, and the United States. In 2010, the American Cat Fanciers Association granted championship status to the Russian Black and Russian White breeds.