A routine wellness check for a Russian Blue is a head-to-tail review built around this breed's particular profile: a dense double coat, a solid body that hides extra weight well, bright green eyes, and a generally long, healthy life in which kidney, urinary, and dental changes tend to appear gradually. The visit works best when you arrive with a week or two of notes on appetite, drinking, litter box output, and energy, because a Russian Blue is famously reserved with strangers and the history you give often matters more than what the cat shows in the room.
Weight, heart, and lungs come first for a Russian Blue
Weight and body condition open the Russian Blue examination. The vet weighs the cat, then feels along the ribs and looks for a visible waist from above and the side, since that plush double coat can disguise several extra pounds. A neutered Russian Blue that snacks through the day can drift heavy quietly, and extra weight raises the strain on joints and the risk of blood sugar problems. The stethoscope check follows: the vet listens for a steady rhythm, any murmur, and clear lung sounds on both sides. Mention coughing, faster breathing at rest, or a cat that now sleeps through games it used to join, because those observations decide whether heart or breathing findings need a closer look that day.
Eyes, ears, mouth, and that dense double coat
A Russian Blue's vivid green eyes get a direct look for cloudiness, squinting, discharge, or unequal pupil size, and the ears are checked for wax build-up, redness, or head-shaking you may have noticed at home. The mouth matters more than many owners expect: the vet lifts the lips to inspect teeth and gums for tartar, sore patches, or a tooth that looks painful, since dental disease is common in adult cats and a quiet breed may simply eat around discomfort. Hands then run through the double coat and over the skin, feeling for lumps, thinning patches, flaky areas, or fleas hiding in the thick undercoat. The abdomen is palpated gently, the bladder and kidneys assessed by feel, and joints are flexed to check for stiffness.
Tests a Russian Blue check may include
Blood and urine testing turns a Russian Blue check from a snapshot into a trend. For a middle-aged or senior cat, a blood panel covering kidney and liver values, blood sugar, and thyroid level gives a baseline worth comparing year to year, and a urine sample adds information about concentration and urinary crystals — worth discussing because this breed appears in urinary stone cases. Blood pressure measurement is a sensible add-on for older Russian Blues, especially if the eyes or kidneys raised questions. Vaccination status and parasite prevention are reviewed against the cat's indoor lifestyle rather than assumed, and the vet will ask about litter box habits in detail: straining, smaller clumps, blood specks, or new accidents outside the box all change what gets checked next.
Between visits: what a Russian Blue owner watches
Home observation keeps a Russian Blue's wellness plan honest between appointments. Weigh the cat monthly on the same scale, run your hands over the ribs weekly, and keep an eye on water bowl refills and litter clump size, which shift before obvious symptoms do. Book a prompt appointment rather than waiting for the annual visit if your Russian Blue stops eating for a day, strains in the box, hides suddenly, loses weight despite a normal appetite, or breathes faster while resting. Bringing that short home log to each appointment, and filing the visit summary alongside the test results in KinsLe's Pet Passport, gives every vet who sees your Russian Blue the breed's full story in one portable packet.