Siberian Cats

The Siberian cat is one of the oldest cats in the world. They have amazing personalities that make them a much sought after cat. They are adored around the world because of thier long hair and massive size. If you are looking for a new cat to add to your home the Siberian may just be the cat you are looking for read on to find out more about this amazing cat.

Siberian Cat: History

According to many scholars and fans of large house cats, it could be the Siberian cat that is among the first long-haired cats. They are the ancestor of the Angora cat, the Maine Coon, the Turkish Van, and the Norwegian cat. In fact, the Siberian and the Norwegian have many similarities The Siberian cat’s a breed of a cat born from a natural selection between the wild cat of the woods and the domestic cat that was brought to Siberian Russia by some settlers on their wanderings, which took place around the year 1000.

The specimens of this breed are characterized by semi-long hair and massive but compact size. The very harsh climatic conditions have made this magnificent cat a strong, resistant, and shrewd hunter, with a water-repellent, shiny coat, with a particularly thick skin that allows him better body thermoregulation.

Considered the national breed of Russia, the Siberian is also found in other areas. There are mentions of the existence of the Siberian cat in epochs dating back to the early 1700s at a first cat show, and again in 1871 in England. Some Russian and German researchers think that the Siberian cat was one of the first long-haired cats in the world.

The Siberian is the native cat of Russia and in Russian folklore, immigrants brought cats with them while traveling in the cold and inhospitable climate of the North; these were the house cats that crossed with the Siberian wild cat, developing over time a thick and water-repellent fur capable of protecting them from the harsh climate of the Siberian winter.

These cats lived on Russian farms and were said to guard against intruders and farmers began to regard them as loyal and loving companions as if they were dogs. During this time no one bothered to select Siberians as a breed or to provide these cats with pedigrees even though they were common in Russian markets as well as in the countryside.

The first Siberian cat was recognized in Russia in 1987, but you have to wait until 1989 to see Siberian cats in Western Europe; in fact, in that year, Hans and Betty Schultz brought some specimens from St. Petersburg to Germany. Released from his native Siberia only in 1990, the Siberian was recognized not only by the clubs and federations of the Soviet Union, and in the whole world but also by many independent associations that accept his participation in exhibitions.

Siberian cat: Physical Attributes

The Siberian cat has a strong, weather-resistant, and water-repellent coat; it’s protected by particularly thick skin, to withstand low temperatures. The Siberian cat is very agile, with good muscles that are used to survive in a particularly rigid climate, with few food resources and scarce predatory reserves. It loves the outdoors, water and swimming, so you can expect your Siberian to love the water.

The female is slightly smaller than the male, but always extremely agile, both sexes are active and inclined to play and company. Totality or almost inability to produce the Fel D1 protein, this protein, produced by the sebaceous glands and present in very high concentrations in the saliva of cats: the main cause of allergic reactions in humans.

It is not the hair, as is often mistakenly believed, that triggers allergic reactions but mainly this protein that the cat deposits on its coat during the usual daily cleaning operations. The reduced and in some cases zero production of Fel D1 by these felines makes this breed hypoallergenic.

Siberian Cats Colors

Before any official recognition, the classic colors of the Siberian cat’s coat have always been brindle red, brown, and classic black. The recognized coloring has the colors red, black and tortoise. The “diluted” shades are blue, cream, and blue cream. There are also silver and smoke varieties.

In color point Siberians, it is difficult to distinguish the classic design from the brindle. The multicolor can be with or without white in every part of the body, devoid of a precise distribution, as well as for other races. In the Siberian, a particular appreciation is recognized to the carriers of the gold gene, which gives yellow and orange-golden colors on the mackerel streaks of the coat.

How Big Will my Siberian Cat Get?

This feline develops very slowly and doesn’t reach complete muscle development until the age of 4/5, some specimens exceed 22 pounds in weight.

The legs of the Siberian cat are round and well planted on the ground, covered with hair to protect themselves from the snow and not to sink. The head is proportionate to the rest of the body, the eyes are large and can be of different colors, from amber to blue or green. It has many morphological features in common with another Northern European cat, the Norwegian Forest Cat.

A rounded muzzle, two large and slightly oval eyes that can range from green to golden amber, even blue in the colorpoints, and always the same.

The ears are medium and with short hair on the back and long inside, the tail is very broad and then becomes tapered. The fur of the Siberian cat is one of its most loved characteristics. It is long and abundant, dense and waterproof, with a thick water-repellent undercoat that forms a real mane around the head.

Siberian Cat: Personality

The Siberian is a sincere friend and always a faithful companion, They choose their human companion after careful selection. From that moment on, the affection and dedication that he will reserve for the lucky person will be considerable attention, a precious asset that he will not fail to offer for his entire life, a long life: in fact, the Siberian is very long-lived and often exceeds 15 years of age.

Due to its sociable nature, it’s ideal in families with children and is even used as a pet therapy animal in Russian hospitals. Their soft coat and friendly nature make them a perfect companion for children and the elderly.

The Siberian cat has partly retained its wild instinct. Independent and solitary, good hunter, he loves to socialize and be pampered. He’s very attached to his family and to the territory in which he lives. If you have a small apartment you may want to consider taking your Siberian cat for walks so that they can expand their territory and also get out some energy.

He tends to become attached to one person, in particular, the one he decides, even if he can become the faithful companion and guardian for just one, in reality, he can also be quite affectionate with everyone. If you raise a Siberian at home, rest assured that you will find it in every room. Some believe that its character resembles that of a dog in many ways.

In general, however, the Siberian cat still has a sweet character accompanied by a guarded and proud bearing that confuses ideas. This is because he is a cat and loves to do it, in truth he has an affectionate character, he does not want to be alone, he suffers from loneliness even if he shows himself independence.

Siberian cat: Nutrition and care

Caring for your Siberian cat is not difficult, but will take a bit more work than other cats. Because it is very resistant, the coat does not need special care just brush it every day during the molting period with an antistatic wide-toothed comb, then just once a week.

When it comes to feeding your Siberian cat you have a couple of options. These cats eat both fresh food, preferably based on raw meat and boiled fish, and packaged food. You also don’t have to worry about the Siberian over-eating it can be self-regulated by always leaving food at its disposal, which it consumes according to its needs.

Siberian cat: Puppies

The sexual maturity of the Siberian cat reaches 4-5 years, but already at one year it is able to reproduce; gestation generally lasts 2 months, 3 to 6 puppies are born and open their eyes in the first week of life and feed on their mother’s milk for about 3-4 weeks.

It is very important that Siberian kittens stay in contact with people even in the first days of life so that they develop a softer and more social character.

Siberian cat: Cost to adopt

The price of a Siberian cat can vary a lot, even costing around $1500 dollars for a kitten; the price fluctuates considerably also based on genealogy and pedigree.

If for us, its purity counts, we must be ready to pay quite an “important” amount; on the contrary, if they offer us the purchase of a Siberian cat for a few hundred dollars, then we should be able to smell a bad deal since the kitten will most likely not be pure.

When we are about to buy our puppy, even if it is beautiful, we should first inform ourselves about its genealogy, and that of its parents, and do a special test which guarantees that the behavior and physical characteristics of the Siberian cat are in keeping with the standard. In addition to competitions, this also gives the possibility to use it for reproduction.

Remember to do your research when adopting. Make sure the breeder is reputable and that you do not exchange funds before meeting your new pet.