The
Siberian cat is a natural
breed and is the National
cat of Russia. It is a
very old breed with records
of them making their homes
in Russian monasteries
as far back as the 13
th Century.
Siberians
are a medium to large
semi-longhaired cat. They
have a very pleasing and
harmonious appearance,
which is described in
a circular shape with
rounded bodies, eyes,
ears and heads, which
set them apart from the
Maine Coon and the Norwegian
Forest Cat, (as shown
below).
A
Siberian should be a cat
of great "heft",
strength and muscle. Males
can weigh between 12 –
15 lbs and females 8 –
11 lbs. The Siberian has
a triple coat, containing
the "down" to
keep them warm in the
cold Russian winters,
the actual fur and then
the guard hairs. During
the summer months you
should allow for a somewhat
shorter dense coat. The
tail is neither too long
or too short but very
full and well furnished
to keep them protected
from the elements. Siberians
do not require a great
deal of grooming but do
have seasonal moults in
spring and autumn. They
tend to be a hardy cat
that looks remarkably
similar to the Russian
wild cats, although owners
of Siberians will tell
you that there is nothing
particularly wild about
their nature.
Neva
Masquerade
Most
colours are possible in
Siberians including the
colourpoint, which is
nicknamed the 'Neva Masquerade'.
No one knows for sure
how or when the colourpoint
gene came to be present
in Siberian cats but it
seems that it has been
there for some centuries.
It is probably not surprising
that colourpointed cats
found their way into the
indigenous Russian cat
population given the old
Eastern trade routes and
the many borders Russia
shares with countries
that would have colourpointed
cats. There are stories
of Russian fishermen along
the river Neva trapping
feral colourpointed cats,
that liked to swim and
taming them, hence the
name masked cats from
Neva. Many breeders breed
colourpoints together
with traditional colours
so it seems certain that
the colourpoints are here
to stay. The
Siberian is the only forest
cat that colourpoints
are recognised in.
Hypoallergenic
Cats?
There
has been information circulated
especially in America
about the suitability
of Siberian cats as pets
for people who would normally
show an allergic reaction
to cats. Although no extensive
research has been carried
out, fur samples tested
in the USA showed that
the Siberians involved
had less Fel D1 flakes
on their fur (these are
the flakes that become
airborne and trigger allergies).
Please note that not all
allergic individuals can
tolerate Siberians and
anyone who is allergic
to cats should spend time
in the presence of an
adult Siberian and consult
their GP before taking
a Siberian into their
homes.
Characteristics
Many
Siberians are happy to
be indoor cats; indeed
many Russian breeders
are city dwellers and
live in flats. Although
Siberians are “natural”
cats they have not been
found to be wild or destructive.
The Siberian tends to
be both a great problem
solver and loyal to their
families, most owners
will testify to the dog
like devotion of their
cats and many have reported
that their cats have a
wonderful chirruping purr
that they have not heard
in other breeds. They
are a very playful and
intelligent breed, that
seem to socialise well
with other cats and many
in the UK share their
home quite happily with
dogs.
Siberians
come with a warning -
one is never enough!!!
