For a breed that began his journey to America 11 short years ago, the Siberian has purred his way into the hearts of North American cat lovers in record time. These cat comrades, known for their size, luxurious fur, and almost dog-like devotion, have achieved recognition in seven of the ten North American cat associations since their arrival in 1990; an amazing feat, and an indication of their appeal.

Siberian Cats History and Origin

Exactly when and how the Siberian made his way to Russia isn’t known. However, it’s theorized that the breed arrived with immigrants, explorers, or traders, and has existed in Russia for hundreds of years. The cats developed into a hardy, robust, longhaired breed able to withstand the unforgiving conditions of the region. In fact, according to some experts, the mutation governing long hair in cats originated in Russia, where it spread to Turkey and Iran to give long, luxurious tresses to the Angora and Persian breeds. Russian longhairs, along with Persians and Angoras, were exhibited at the first modern-day cat show at London’s Crystal Palace in 1871.

Breeder Elizabeth Terrell of Starpoint Cattery is credited with bringing the first Siberians to the United States. A Himalayan breeder, Terrell responded to a 1988 article in a cat publication asking for breeders willing to donate or trade Himalayans to help establish the breed in Russia. Until 1987, Russian citizens were prohibited from owning household pets because of food and housing shortages. It wasn’t until 1987 that the laws were changed, cat clubs were formed, and fanciers began keeping breeding records. The first cat show in Moscow was held in 1988.

Elizabeth Terrell contacted Nelli Sachuk, a member of the Kotofei Cat Club, which is part of the international division of American Cat Fanciers’ Association and one of the few Russian cat clubs that provide official pedigrees. Terrell sent four Himalayans to Sachuk, and in exchange received three Siberians on June 28, 1990; one male, Kaliostro Vasenjkovich, and two females, Ofelia Romanova and Naina Romanova. These and other imported cats became the foundation for the Siberian in North America.

Since the ACFA was affiliated with the Kotofei Cat Club, they were the first to accept the breed for registration in July of 1990. Other associations soon followed. In 1991 Terrell formed the Taiga siberian cat Club (named after the Taiga forests of Siberia) to bring together American siberian caters and to promote and preserve the breed. Other breed clubs have been formed since. While still rare, the Siberian is gaining fans and has earned championship status in many North American cat associations.

Appearance

The Siberian is a large, strong cat that takes approximately 5 years to develop his full weight and coat length. Males generally range from 12 to 15 pounds and females from 8 to 11 pounds. At maturity, these cats are powerfully built with an overall appearance of strength and power, with excellent physical condition and alertness. The back legs are powerful and slightly longer than the front. They are extremely agile and great leapers.

One of the largest breeds of domestic cat, the Siberian rivals the Maine coon and the Norwegian forest cat in size. In fact, the three breeds are occasionally mistaken for one another because of their similar sizes and long, all-weather coats. The easiest way to define the differences is to think in terms of shape. The Siberian has a rounded barrel-shaped torso and a broad, modified wedge-shaped head with rounded contours, rounded ears and round eyes. The Maine coon, on the other hand, is more rectangular with his long body, tail and legs. The Norwegian forest cat has a triangular head, slanted eyes and pointed ears, and a medium-length body.

As befits a cat that developed in a cold climate, the Siberian possesses a thick, semi-long to long coat with a full ruff and a tight undercoat that becomes thicker in cold weather. The coat’s long oily guard hairs give the coat water resistance. The full coat increases the impression of size. All colors and most patterns are accepted. The colorpoint pattern is not accepted in all associations but is making progress; AACE, ACFA, CFF and UFO accept the pattern for championship. However, tabbies and tabbies with white are the most numerous and popular.

Personality

Siberians have big hearts to match their size. They are devoted, smart, loving cats with a generous dose of curiosity and playfulness. Siberians are very intelligent, and fanciers say they problem-solve to get what they want. They readily learn their names and come when called – when it suits them – and enjoy fetch and other games in which their humans take an active role. They are generally sweet, devoted, and amenable to handling, but their temperament depends upon early socialization. For best results, find a breeder who raises his or her kittens underfoot. For advice on selecting a reputable breeder, see Finding and Choosing a Purebred Cat Breeder.

Despite their size, Siberians are very agile, able to leap tall bookcases in a single bound. Fanciers note that Siberians have a fascination with water, often dropping toys into their water dishes or investigating bathtubs before they’re dry.

Grooming

While Siberians don’t require the grooming Persians do, their thick fur still needs regular grooming or matting can occur. A thorough combing (not brushing) with a good steel comb once or twice a week should do the trick. Be sure to comb down to the hair roots (be gentle) or the comb may slide over forming mats.

In spring, the Siberian sheds his longer, heavier winter coat to make way for his summer coat, and in fall the cat sheds his lighter, shorter summer coat to prepare for winter. During these seasons additional grooming is needed if you don’t want tufts of fur on everything you own.

Siberians are rare, so they can be pricey. Kittens are in high demand and the supply is limited, so expect a wait. Pricing depends upon the breeder, bloodline, location, gender, and color and pattern.

Association Acceptance

The Siberian is accepted for championship by the following North American cat associations:

American Association of Cat Enthusiasts (AACE)

American Cat Association (ACA)

American Cat Fancier’s Association (ACFA)

Cat Fanciers’ Federation (CFF)

National Cat Fanciers’ Association (NCFA)

The International Cat Association (TICA)

United Feline Organization (UFO)

The Siberian is accepted in the miscellaneous class by

Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA)

Special Notes

Many breeders claim that people with cat allergies can tolerate Siberians. Various reasons are given for this, the most popular being that Siberians produce little or none of the allergenic protein Fel d1. This protein, which causes allergic reactions in humans, is secreted via saliva and sebaceous glands and is spread onto the fur during grooming. However, little testing has been done to confirm this so it would be unwise to buy a Siberian solely on the basis of these claims. If you’re allergic to cats, plan to spend time in close contact with Siberians, preferably over an extended period, to make sure you can tolerate them before agreeing to buy.

Our passion to breed the Siberian cat a hypo-allergenic Cat

All of our lives, my wife and I had been severly allergic to cats. I had family members who had cats who's homes I could never visit. I could not go over friend's houses as a child if they had a feline companion. I always was fascinated by cats, and thought it was horrible that I could not even be around a cat for more than 15 minutes, without my throat closing up and my eyes wattering and itching, acompanied by bouts of sneezing. The same was for my wife. When we were in our 1st apartment, a friend gave us a kitten, so we thought, let's give it a shot. Needless to say, 1 hr later, I was returning the kitten to my friend, while my wife was in the shower, washing her RED eyes out...

Than, one day, I was perusing the internet, and discovered the Siberian Cat. I thought, this must be a hairless cat... and than first saw a beautiful long haired siberian kitten. I thought, it could not be true... that there would be a long haired pure-bred cat that could possibley be a member of our family. It was than that I had some fur sent from a breeder, to put in my pillow overnight. After a week with no reaction at all, I decided to give it a shot, and I ordered a kitten. We purchased our 2nd Siberian Cat shortly thereafter, since siberians love to play with each other so much, we thought 2 or more cats would be best for them.

3 Years later, my wife and I both semi-retired, decided to dedicate our home and our time to helping make this wonderful breed, who was first brought to America in 1990, available to people who were allergic to cats, but always wanted to enjoy the companionship of a feline friend. Our siberian cats and siberian kittens are from the best possible Siberian Cat Breed Stock, and all were parented by international grand champions, imported from Russia. Our male, Nicolai "smokey" was bred from Gray Black, and internation grand champion, and Nastya Black, a Champion russian import. We invested nearly $2000.00/cat in our Siberian Cat Breed Stock, and raise wonderful family members, who are raised in our home, not in a kitten mill. We firmly believe that our kittens meet the highest possible breed standards, and many have the potential to be international champions.

Our kittens receive tender loving care, and constant human interaction, which is why we beleive we produce the world's best Siberian Cats and Siberian Kittens, sure to warm your heart.

Our Siberian Cats also love Dogs! Our siberian Cats and Siberian Kittens are raised with our 2 golden retrievers and our bernese mountain dog, "Mr. Bear"

Owning a cat can be very pleasurable, but owning a Siberian cat is a very rewarding, life changing experience. The Siberian will become your best friend, confidante, problem-solver, and house clown. Siberians are one of the most ancient breeds and began as the Russian forest cat. We have images of them roaming the Siberian Taiga (forestland) even today and they are reported to be in large numbers in the wild Siberian outlying territories. But another story unfolds in Russia. Siberian cats are now prized house cats and many Russian families relay fond tales of their Siberian cats and their amazing loyalty and personalities. In 1990, when communism fell and free trade opened up, the importation of the Siberian cat to the United States began. For a Siberian Cat Timeline, please click here

Siberians are Russia's native cats and come from the unforgiving climate of the Siberia forest. Siberian Cats first appeared in recorded history around the year 1000. Russian farmers and trades people were the primary people who cared for the Siberians. Siberian Cats were needed to protect grain and other products from small varmints, as Russia was an agricultural country. Shopkeepers in Moscow were known to compete with each other over whose cat was the biggest and thickest. Russian people like cats and most children in Russia grew up with a kitten and the favorite cats were the Siberian cats. Siberian cats even existed in Russian Fairy tales as protectors of children and magical beings who opened gateways to realms beyond our ordinary senses.

Siberian Cats are very personable and want to be near their owners. They will meet you at the door when you come home and explain their day to you. They are a quiet breed that has melodic ways of expressing themselves using sweet mews, thrills, chirps and lots of purring. They love to sit in your lap and be groomed. A favorite pastime of one of mine is to find something and bring it to me for me to throw so they can play fetch. All types of toys intrigue them and they will play with just about anything. Another thing that mine are intrigued with is the moving cursor on the computer screen. You will need to shut the door of your computer room if you want to get any typing done.

BREED STANDARD

The Siberian Cat is one of the 2 Largest Cats, and is very similar in size to a Maine Coon, just cuter and more "dog like" in personality!  It's large rounded head, a modified wedge, is one of "circles" rather than "triangular" like the Maine Coon.  In our opinion, the Siberian Cat is the most beautiful, loyal, affectionate cat on the planet.

The breed standard with TICA ( The International Cat Association) as follows:

RECOGNIZED CATEGORY / DIVISIONS/COLORS: Traditional Category, all Divisions, all colors.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Siberian is a large, strong cat which takes 5 years to mature. The females weigh less than the males. They are extremely agile and great leapers. Their muscles are mighty, outstanding and powerful. The back is long and very slightly curved or arched, but appears horizontal when in motion. Convex muscular waist and round, compact belly develop with age. The hind legs, when straightened, are slightly longer than the forelegs. The paws are round, big and quite powerful. The overall appearance should be one of great strength, force and size with an excellent physical condition and alertness; the facial expression is quite sweet. The general impression is one of roundness and circles, rather than the rectangles and triangles of similar breeds.

HEAD: The head is a modified wedge of medium size with rounded contours, broader at the skull and narrowing slightly to a full rounded muzzle with well-rounded chin. There may be a slight muzzle curvature, but the transition between the side of the head and the muzzle is gentle and inconspicuous. The cheek bones are neither high set nor prominent. There should be a good distance between the ears and eyes. The top of the head is flat, with a slight nose curvature before the tip. The neck is medium-long, rounded, substantial, and well muscled.

TAIL: The tail is medium in length, wide at the base, blunt at the tip without ticking or kinks, evenly and thickly furnished.

EARS: The ears are medium-large, wide and set as much on the sides of the head as on the top; ideal position is 1 to 1-1/2 ear width apart. The tips are rounded and the ear tilts forward. Lynx tipping is desirable. Hair over the back of the ears is short and thin; from the middle of the ear, the furnishings become longer and cover the base completely.

EYES: The large, almost round eyes are set wide with the outer corner slightly angled toward the lower base of the ear. There is no relationship between eye color and coat color/pattern, however, the typical adult color is yellow-green.

COAT: This is a moderately long to longhaired cat, with hair on the shoulder blades and lower part of the chest being thick and slightly shorter. There should be an abundant ruff setting off the large, impressive head. There is a tight undercoat, thicker in cold weather. Allow for warm weather coats. The coat gives the impression of lacquer and oil when ungroomed. The hair may thicken to curls on the belly and britches, but a wavy coat is not characteristic. The skin may have a bluish cast. Clear strong colors and patterns desirable, but are secondary to type.
ALLOWANCES: buttons, spots or lockets.

PENALIZE: Adult cats not having substantial weight. Straight profile. Narrow or fox-like muzzle. Almond shaped eyes. Very long legs.

VARIETIES: The Siberian Cats come in a variety of colors and markings. Taken from CFA (Cat Fanciers Breed Standard) All colors are genetically possible. In the traditional class all colors and combinations are accepted with or without white. In the tabby group white or off white is allowable on the chin, breast, and stomach area. Buttons, spots or lockets are allowable in all colors. The pattern/color descriptions are the same as the Persian. In the colorpoint class, mitted, bicolor, lynx and tortie patterns are allowed. The pattern/color descriptions for the colorpoint, mitted and bicolor are the same as the Ragdoll. The pattern description for lynx points and tortie points are the same as a Birman. In the traditional colors, description for the blue golden is the same as the golden except tips are blue rather than black. No outcrosses are allowed for this breed.

COLORPOINTS: Russians have had the colorpoints as a part of their breeding program since records were kept by the various cat fancy clubs in Russia. People had thought that long ago the feral pointed patterned cats and the feral Siberian cats “got together” along the banks of the Neva River in Leningrad ( which is now named St. Petersburg ) in the 1960’s. Russian breeders soon noticed the festive pattern of these cats and began incorporating them into their siberian cating program. The Russians use the nickname “Neva Masquerade” for this breed- Neva for the river and Masquerade for the coloring. Neva Masquerade is not a separate class of the Siberians but is a Siberian. According to breeders no outcross has ever been used to produce the colorpoint Siberian. They say that being a natural breed of cat anything is possible in any line of the breed. Three breeders in United States soon noticed that there were not any of the colorpoints here. When the kittens arrived controversy began on acceptance of the colorpoint. After much debate the colorpoints are now an accepted part of the Siberian standard in the United States. Many other countries still do not allow the colorpoints into their breed standards of acceptance.
PERSONALITY: The Siberians have a wonderful dog like purrrrrrrsonality and they are very affectionate!!! A Siberian never runs off and hides under a chair or bed when seeing a stranger. Unlike many breeds this breed will come over and greet the stranger. They are very intelligent and learn quickly and even "problem solve" to get what they want. They love to be spoken to and will come running if called by name. Siberians also have a triple purr and unlike other breeds have a chirping sound when coming up to greet you. They also have a large bushy tail that stands at attention and does a shimmering effect when happy, that may look like they are spraying to some which is not what they are doing. Siberians have a fascination with water, often dropping toys into their water dishes or investigating bathtubs before they dry. This is the ideal lap cat that is calm and yet very active at playtime.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BREED

Rating the breed on a scale of one to ten the Siberian rates the following:

Activity level - 6 Affection toward its owner - 7 Intelligence - 8
Playfulness - 8 Vocalism - 3 Independence - 6
Need for attention - 5 Docility - 3 Healthiness & hardiness - 9
Need for grooming - 3 Compatibility with children - 8 Compatibility with other pets - 8

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