Welcome to the homepage of Alyona Russian Blues.
 I know I've recently changed addresses and my site looks totally different now, but I'm afraid that these aren't going to be the last of changes. My brother is designing a fresher look for this site, which will replace the current template once it's ready. The content however, will be the same.
My name is Maartje Schoenmaker and I've been involved with this beautiful breed since 2004, when I purchased my first Russian Blue cat.
 I was looking for a cat with a special temperament; and I thought I'd find what I was looking for in the Russian Blue.
 I did (and do) adore the appearance of many breeds, like for instance Thai, Chartreux and Abyssinians, but I didn't seem to match those cats' personalities and I wanted to be able to offer my cat what it needed from me.
All I had at this time were books to tell me about breeds and the Russian Blue drew my attention.
Apart from the character descriptions that seemed to describe exactly what I was looking for, the appearance of this breed really spoke to me as well.
I decided to visit a breeder of these cats and made an appointment with Marjolijn of cattery Quetzal, who had two queens with a total of 3 kittens at that time. Nowadays, I wouldn't recommend a first-time visit to a cattery  when they have kittens, as those tiny  soft fur balls can easily cloud your objectivity.
Obviously, the inevitable did happen and I fell in love with Jesse, as he was called at that time. Jesse, the single kitten in Dokus' litter, turned out to be available and the decision was quickly made; he would come live with me. I also let his breeder promise me to contact me when a new litter was born; I didn't think a cat should live alone and if my cat would turn out to be what I expected, I'd be very happy to welcome his sister.
Because this cat somehow marked a new start for me I renamed him "Noa".
And Noa would indeed mark a new beginning; the beginning of my love for the Russian Blue. This cat would spark a flame in me that isn't likely to ever die.
As promised, Marjolijn did call when a new litter was on the way and this time I had first choice of the litter. Luna joined our family.
I had never thought of becoming a breeder myself, but quickly after I got Noa I developed a sincere interest in everything involving this breed. I quickly learnt that what I thought breeders should be, wasn't always what they were.
I didn't understand why show results could be more important than health,  how breeders could breed without any actual understanding of genetics, or how they could be more proud of their kitten's looks than of what its companionship meant to its owners.
I wondered how breeders like this were supposed to preserve the Russian Blue for the future. That bothered me; why shouldn't future generations enjoy these cats as much as I was?
I had so many questions and often not even breeders could answer them. (I am happy that the ones who could and did, are still my breeder friends and contacts today.)
Anyhow, my interest was sparked and I started to bury myself in reading material on cat genetics and breeding.
Soon after that, I realized that criticizing others wouldn't get me or the breed any further. Maybe I should try doing it, the way I thought it should be done, myself, together with other breeders with the same goals. Maybe I could contribute to the breed by breeding my own Russian Blues.
As a starting breeder, you just can't do all your research on your own; pedigrees mean nothing without the knowledge on those cats on them, which other breeders who have been around longer might possess. So I asked a lot of advice on whether Luna would be a suitable foundation for my cattery, and on possible mates for her.
I received the support I felt I needed. Then I took Luna to a cat show to make sure I correctly judged her exterior flaws and beauties as well. I wasn't drawn in by the idea of winning; I just wanted to learn about my cat. Finally, I had Luna's health thoroughly checked for hidden defects.
Luna's ancestors weren't unique but the Dutch genepool wasn't over flooded with them either, her health was spotless, she was the sweetest thing I could imagine and her first show had resulted in a Best in Show and Best Of Best. I felt she was a good base to build my cattery on.
My cattery was registered by the end of 2005, almost a year after I first contemplated breeding.
In the meantime, my cattery has been expanded with the addition of Yin, the first queen of my own breeding.
I hope you enjoy your visit to my website and getting to know more about the Russian Blue breed, my cattery and my cats.
I am located in Weesp, a small town close to Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
For details on how to get in touch with me, please have a look at my "contact" page. Thank you for visiting.