Siberian

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.

Some pointers on the Siberian Cat: Considered by some to be the ancestor of all long haired cats. Can take up to five years before the cat matures to full size. Considered to be the largest domestic breed in the world. Known to have an amazing jumping ability. Kitten buyers should make sure that their Siberian is authentic, and not just a longhaired cat that resembles pedigreed Siberian. Dander is probably the main allergen that cats produce. Siberians produce less dander than most cats, probably due to their oily based fur. Since dander is just dry skin, the oils in the fur keep the skin from drying out. It also gives the Siberian fur the soft feel like that of a rabbit. Many people who have allergic reactions around cats have found that they are not allergic to this breed.

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 Breed Club (named after the Taiga forests of Siberia) to bring together American Siberian breeders 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.

Before long, the Siberian had captivated Terrell's heart and pocketbook. She found herself investing thousands of dollars and long hours into obtaining more cats and establishing the Siberian as a recognized breed in America. Other breeders and fanciers joined her and they began the long process of winning association acceptance.

Terrell based the American standard on the Russian standard, adapted to American cat fancy terms, of course. Terrell's concern about the breed was that getting true stock was difficult and time-consuming, and not every feline called a Siberian was actually pedigreed. Unless the cat is registered with one of the Russian cat clubs, complete with a metruka (certificate of birth), it could be merely one of the domestic mixed breed cats available very inexpensively in the Russian markets. Since it's become known that Americans will pay hard currency for Siberians, some cats may be misrepresented. Other people, uninformed about the differences between pedigreed and mixed breeds, will represent their cats as Siberians, just as many Americans will call any longhaired cat Persian or Angora. Buying a Siberian from Russia from now on, says Terrell, will be a little like playing Russian roulette.

Terrell has formed an inter-registry breed club called Taiga (pronounced Tie-GAH, named after the Taiga forests of Siberia) to help maintain the breed's purity and to promote the breed in the cat fancy. While this breed is still rare, fanciers have shown interest and the response has been positive. Full acceptance should be only a matter of time.

Siberians have been around for at least one thousand years as far as recorded history. They were first mentioned in Harrison Wier's book Our Cats and all About Them, which included information about one of the earliest cat shows held in England in 1871. However, finding written information in Russia is fairly difficult. Despite the fact that the Siberian is a natural breed and is the national cat of Russia, its very ubiquity makes it taken for granted rather than worthy of note in Russian literature. Add to this the vast expanse of Russia which encompasses 13 time zones as well as a multitude of ethnic and cultural diversity and you have a cat that seems as difficult to standardize as the country which gave rise to it.

The Siberian tends to be both a great problem solver and also, rather like dogs, are loyal to their adopted families which is why they are so well suited to the households in which one spouse, usually a husband or significant other, professes to be a "dog person" not a "cat person." Often it is that same "dog person" who is greeted at the door by their Siberian and after being dutifully followed around the house by their Siberian, then decides that one Siberian is simply not enough! Siberians are extremely agile and can leap great distances and heights to "fly through the air with the greatest of ease!" However, their agility also means they usually navigate potentially breakable brick-a-brac without leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Prudence dictates that one would still want to think twice about placing a Ming Dynasty vase on the mantle. A delightful combination of the flying Walenda's and the sleuth "the Pink Panther," the Siberian is a zany mixture of both. Expect the unexpected when sharing your home with a Siberian.

The naturally occurring Siberian Cat is a very handsome, large semi-longhair, with a dense waterproof coat. He differs from the other Forest Cats - the Maine Coon and Norwegian Forest in his more rounded body shape. Where the Norwegian Forests have triangular shapes - more of a wedge-shaped face with slanted eyes, and the Maine Coons have a rectangular appearance, longer in body and proportionately longer legs and tail, the Siberian is rounded. His chest is barrel shaped and the contours of his face, which is a modified wedge are softer with large, expressive eyes.

Siberian cats are strong and muscular, though have an agility which belies their appearance; their owners claim they have dog-like qualities of loyalty to their owners and seek interaction with them. All colours are permissible, except chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, caramel and fawn. Some authorities do not recognise colourpoints.

The coat is the Siberians crowning glory, this is a moderately to long haired coat with the fur on the lower chest and shoulder blades being slightly shorter. There should be an abundant ruff around the neck setting off the large impressive head. There is a tight undercoat, which becomes thicker in colder weather. The coat gives the impression of lacquer and oil when un-groomed. The hair may thicken and curl on the belly and britches, but this is not a feature of the cat. The skin may also appear to have a bluish cast. Clear strong colours and patterns are desirable but are secondary to type.

Colour varieties of the Siberian vary and all colours are genetically possible, such as tabby, solid colours tortoiseshell colours and colour point varieties.

The Siberian is a physically affectionate cat, and loves attention, they are also loyal, protective of their humans, sociable and confident. These cats have also been known to give their owners love bites. Being a mellow breed they make great companions. They are happy to share your lap and bed (usually your pillow) with you. The Siberian is a very intelligent breed, that learns quickly, and even seem to "problem solve" to get what they want. They seem to have some dog-like qualities. Siberians love purring but also squeak and chirp, they love to be spoken to and will come running when they hear their names. The eyes seem to speak to you when you look at them, they are very expressive. They also love to play in the water, water bowls and dripping kitchen sinks.

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.

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.

Conformation

The Siberian is one of the largest breeds of domestic cat. Breeders note that Siberian males range between 17 and 26 pounds and the females range between 13 and 17 pounds. As befits a cat that has survived the harsh climate of Siberia, the Siberian possesses a long, thick coat with a full ruff and a tight undercoat that becomes thicker in cold weather. The coat's oily guard hairs give the coat its classic water resistance. All colors and patterns are accepted except pointed colors, although pointed Siberians exist in Russia and are called Nevsky Masquerades.