Siberian cats are a Russian national treasure. They have
been documented in Russia for hundreds of years and are
mentioned in Russian fairy tales and children’s books. The
breed also appears in Harrison Wier’s book Our Cats and
All About Them, published in 1889. Russian families relay
fond tales of their Siberians and their amazing loyalty and
personalities, but these cats also have played a practical role
on farms as rodent control. When the Cold War between
the Soviet Union and the United States ended, the doors
opened for the Siberian cat to be exported worldwide. The
first Siberians arrived in the United States in June 1990. The
Siberian was accepted for registration by CFA in February
2000 and advanced to championship status in February 2006.
The Siberian is a medium to large cat with the overall appearance
of excellent physical condition, strength, balance, power, and
alertness, modified by a sweet facial expression. Their eyes vary
in color from gold to green and all shades inbetween. Some
have two different colored eyes, and some even have blue eyes.
Siberians are a natural breed and reflect the climate in which
they developed, with their very dense, medium to long, water
repellent triple coat. This coat is accented with a ruff around
the neck, full fluffy britches, and a bushy tail, normally carried
up with pride but also quite useful to wrap around the face
and paws to keep warm. Lynx tipping on the ear is allowed,
and full ear furnishings are required. This means that the tops
of the ears can have hair, which makes the ears look pointed
when in fact they are rounded, and that the inside of the ear
has hair that protects it from the elements. This glorious and
quite useful fur comes in all colors and combinations, with
or without white markings, and tends to remain relatively
tangle-free, requiring only occasional brushing. Fortunately,
Siberians like to play in water, so if bathed regularly as kittens
they may actually enjoy the attention of a bath.
This is a cat designed by nature to survive, with no extremes
in type. The Siberian can take up to five years to mature, with
females generally being smaller than the males. The general
impression of the body is one of circles and roundness, rather
than rectangles and triangles.
Although it has not been proven scientifically, many people
believe that the Siberian is hypoallergenic. In fact, many
allergy sufferers have a sensitivity to FelD1, and some
Siberians have a lower than average occurence of FelD1 in
their saliva. When a cat licks its fur, the saliva dries and flakes
to create the dander to which people are allergic. This can
vary from cat to cat and person to person. If you are allergic
to cats and want to test your allergic response to Siberians, it
is best to test with the Siberian you are thinking of getting.
Spend time with it and find out how you react. There are no
guarantees, but there is hope for allergy sufferers.
Siberian cats are very personable and want to be near their
owners. They enjoy the company of children, dogs, and other
animals. They are fearless and easygoing. Not much disturbs
their natural calm and equanimity. They seem to know when
they are needed for psychological and moral support and
spend time with the person who needs that support. They are
a quiet breed that expresses itself in a melodic way through
sweet mews, trills, chirps, and lots of purring. All types of
toys intrigue them. Some learn to play fetch, while others are
intrigued by the moving cursor on the computer screen or sit
and watch, entranced, as you type. Acrobatic by nature, the
Siberian will play hard, often executing amazing somersaults
in pursuit of a feather toy. An over enthusiastic kitten may
need to be rescued while attempting to climb the bricks on
the fireplace or jump to the top of a bookshelf. Siberians stay
playful throughout their lives.
In selecting a Siberian kitten, consider what characteristics
are most important to you and discuss them with the breeder
who knows each kitten and can help match you with the right
one. Kittens are usually available between 12 and 16 weeks of
age, by which time they have had their basic inoculations and
developed the physical and social stability needed for a new
environment. Keeping such a rare treasure indoors, neutering
or spaying, and providing acceptable surfaces for the natural
behavior of scratching (CFA disapproves of declawing or
tendonectomy surgery) are essential to maintaining a healthy,
long, and joyful life. For more information, please send
inquiries to CFA at cfa@cfa.org.