Siberian

With its origins lost in the mists of time, the Siberian is what is known as a landrace or natural variety of domestic cat. Also known as the Siberian Forest Cat or Moscow Longhair, it comes from Siberia and is the national cat of Russia. Living pretty much as a feral cat in its native country, it found its niche as a rodent controller on farms, but was also prized as a loyal and affectionate pet by Russian families. It has regularly appeared in Russian fairy tales and children’s stories. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the ending of the Cold War, the Soviet Union became a series of independent republics, and the Siberian Cat started to be exported; first to the United States in 1990, imported by a breeder called Elizabeth Terrell of Baton Rouge. These included a male, Kaliostro Vasenjkovich and two females, Ofelia Romanova and Naina Romanova. The Siberian was accepted for registration by CFA in February 2000, and granted championship status in February 2006, but is still fairly rare in the U.S. Harrison Weir first mentions the Siberian in his 1889 book Our Cats and All About Them, and he states that they appeared at early cat shows. However, they didn’t arrive officially in the UK until 2002, where they have quickly become popular and are now the 10th most popular breed by registrations with GCCF.

The Siberian Cat is a solid, medium to large semi-longhaired cat. Its most important features are head type and coat quality. The overall impression should be of a cat with substance and rounded contours. Larger animals are preferred, though females will be somewhat smaller than males, but the overall type is the most important factor. The Siberian has a very distinctive weatherproof coat unique to the breed and, as the breed originated as a natural outdoor cat in Russia, the overall appearance of the Siberian Cat reflects this natural heritage. It is a slow developing breed; full development can take four to five years. The head should form a short, broad wedge with rounded contours, with a slightly rounded muzzle and chin. The cheekbones are low set and broad. In profile there should be a slight concave curve at the bridge of the nose, which should be of uniform width when viewed from the front. The whisker pads should be moderately well developed and form a gentle, rounded line with the chin, with the muzzle broad and rounded and the chin should be slightly rounded. The ears are medium sized, rounded at the tip and set wide apart and should be well furnished. The eyes are large and slightly oval shaped. The body is rectangular but not too long, and the cat should be medium to large, well muscled and heavily built with a broad chest. The neck should be short and substantial. The legs should be medium length with substantial bone and strength, and the paws large. The tail is broad at the base and tapers towards the tip. The tail should reach the shoulder blade and be well furnished. The texture and structure of the coat are important features of the breed, although kittens may have softer fur. The coat is medium length, with a substantial ruff, with a very dense undercoat that is soft and fine, covered by a coarser, more substantial topcoat. The Siberian is recognised in a wide variety of colours and patterns.

Siberian cats are real fun-loving felines. They are energetic and always ready to play a game with you – but they never let you win! They are particularly fascinated by water and often you will find them enthralled by a dripping tap or nonchalantly strolling in soaking wet after they fell in the fish pond! Being intelligent and, like most felines, incredibly inquisitive they like to get involved in all aspects of the household – helping dig holes in the garden, sitting on the newspaper you are trying to read or just fooling around with the bubbles in the washing up bowl – they are always around to lend a paw and make you laugh!! This breed is often described as having many ‘dog-like’ traits (just never let your cat catch you saying that!) so can be a good alternative for those couples where one is a ‘cat person’ and the other is a ‘dog person’. They are extremely loyal to their owners; a real best friend who will be there to greet you when you get home, play with you when you are happy and hug you when you are down. Quick to learn, they can be taught to walk on a lead (great for those who do not have a secure outdoor space from them to play in) and some of them even like to play fetch! Despite having huge reserves of energy, Siberians are caring, gentle souls who never have a bad word to say about anyone. This combination of playfulness and patience makes them the ideal choice for families with young children. It has also been found that they mix well with other animals, including dogs.

Siberian cats need to be groomed on a regular basis or their thick fur will become matted. You can avoid this problem by thoroughly but gently combing their fur with a steel comb a few times a week. In preparation for their summer coat, Siberian cats shed their heavy winter coat in the spring. The next shedding season is autumn, when they shed their shorter and lighter summer coat to prepare for their thick, warm winter coat. You may need to comb or brush your Siberian cat daily during this period of heavy shedding. Males weigh between 17 and 26 lbs and females range in weight from 13 to 17 lbs. The Siberian cat breed is very healthy and can live 12 to 15 years or more.

The Siberian is known to reach reproductive maturity earlier than most breeds, so if your new kitten hasn’t already been neutered or spayed by the breeder, make sure to book it in with your own Vet for the procedure. The Siberian is generally a healthy breed, but cases of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) – the most common form of heart problem in cats – have been recorded in the breed.