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Cornish Rex vs Russian Blue
A playful, clinging, thin-coated rex against a quiet, reserved, plush-coated shorthair that likes a calm routine.
Verdict
The Cornish Rex is outgoing and demanding, and the Russian Blue is quiet and reserved. The Cornish scores top marks for affection, energy and play and wants constant company. The Russian Blue scores lowest for voice, copes better with time alone and is shy with strangers, though devoted to its own people. It does best in a calm home with a regular routine. Choose the Cornish for a lively household, and the Russian Blue for a quiet one.
Choose the Cornish Rex if
- You want a playful cat that follows you from room to room.
- You welcome visitors and noise in the house.
- You prefer a thin coat to a dense one.
- You can keep the home warm.
Choose the Russian Blue if
- You want a quiet, gentle cat for a calm household.
- You are out for part of the day, since the Russian Blue copes with that better.
- You like a dense, plush, silver-tipped blue coat.
- You live in a small home, where it rates top marks.
Where they are alike
Both are intelligent and have short coats that need little grooming. Both live 12 to 15 years, and neither has a named breed-specific health watch-list in its profile.
Side by side
| Cornish Rex | Russian Blue | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Rex, hairless, fold and dwarf | Shorthair |
| Origin | Cornwall, England | Arkhangelsk region, Russia |
| Size | Small | Medium |
| Typical weight | 6-9 lb (2.7-4.1 kg); males are slightly larger | About 5-12 lb (2.3-5.4 kg); males are larger |
| Lifespan | 12-15 years | 12-15 years |
| Coat length | Short | Short |
| Coat | Very fine, soft, tightly waved coat of down hair only, with no guard hairs | Short, dense, plush double coat; the guard hairs have silver tips |
| Cat Fanciers' Association | Championship breed since 1964 | — |
| How common | Uncommon | Uncommon |
| Affection | 5 | 4 |
| Energy | 5 | 3 |
| Playfulness | 5 | 3 |
| Talkativeness | 3 | 1 |
| Grooming needed | 2 | 2 |
| Shedding | 2 | 3 |
| Good with children | 4 | 3 |
| Good with other pets | 4 | 3 |
| Happy alone | 2 | 4 |
| Trainability | 4 | 5 |
| Suits a small home | 4 | 5 |
| Allergies | No breed is hypoallergenic. The thin coat sheds less hair than most, but allergens come from saliva and skin as well as fur. | — |
| Suits | An active household that wants a playful, people-loving cat and can keep the home warm. | A quiet household or a single person who wants a gentle, loyal, clever cat and keeps to a regular routine. |
| Less suited to | A cold house, a home that is empty all day, or anyone who wants a calm lap cat. | A noisy house with many visitors, or anyone who wants a cat that greets every guest. |
| Registries that recognise it |
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Facts come from each breed's profile. Scores run from 1 (low) to 5 (high) and describe a breed in general. Every cat is an individual, so meet the cat before you decide.
Last reviewed November 7, 2026