About the breed

Personality of Siberian Cat is a real mixture of subtleness, grace, intelligence and fascinating wildness. They are spontaneous, agile animals with great temperament. They're very friendly and affectionate. It's not easy to gain their trust - it require some effort and commitment on part of the human. But if one succeed - one will gain great and faithful friend.

Siberian Cats are not aggressive or mean, do not have destructive drive, always trying to be delicate and careful. They try to avoid confrontation and if they can retreat from difficult situation they would not attack.

Intelligent and communicative, social and curious they will follow their owners around the house so not to miss anything interesting. They're true family members living the life of the family, not only their own. They're always where most of the family members are, for example if someone is talking beside the table cat is lazily lying on the table top, or if one is working on the computer - he is sitting on the monitor. He is doing everything to be in the center of attention.

Siberian Cats are usually very chatty, they love to talk to their owners. You can enjoy long interesting conversation with them. Their meow is quiet and pleasant. They are learning quickly how to use a litter box and what are the family rules. They behave like a dog in cats skin. They will great their owners when they get back home but not in persistent way. They feel good in the company of other cats and don't mind other family pets as well. Characteristic for Siberian breed is that although they are domesticated animals and need to be close to humans they still got this bit of wilderness in they nature. These cats love to climb and leap and the best place to rest is always somewhere very, very high. Siberian cats are very active, they love to play and to give a chase around the house.

Fall of the USSR and open borders change lives of the cats as well as the people. It emerged that communist mouses didn't have an easy life in Russian villages. They have their archenemy – the Cat. And not just some cat. Siberian cat – because thats how this “untouched by the breeders” pedigree has been named – is a big semi long-haired cat with typical “forest cat” appearance. In soviet Russia it was unthinkable to breed pedigree pets and thats help preserve Siberian Cats natural beauty.Siberian Cats fenotype is similar to those of Norwegian Forrest Cat and American Maine Coon. In Poland breeding of the Siberian Cats began in 1990 thanks to Ms. Jolanta Sztykiel of Warsaw, owner of the Z BAŚNI*PL cattery (I of SHKRP). I the same year Siberian Cats has been brought to US by the Russian emigrants from Moscow and St.Petersburg.

Interesting fact is that first Siberian Cats to arrive in America (June 1990) has a health certificate that of the birds on which someone handwritten that it's in fact a cats to be shipped from Russia.

Siberian Cat is of outstanding and powerful musculature but a bit smaller than his American cousins. Males are noticeably bigger than their female counterparts. They can take up to five years to fully mature. Females weights up to 3 kilograms while males weights 4 to 5 kilograms but males weighting 7 to 8 kilograms are not unheard of.

Body of the Siberian Cat is long and of strong build with bigs paws and characteristic toe tufts. Head has rounded contours with prominent cheeks rounded jowls and well developed cheekbones. Nose is long and has slight curvature but without cavity at the base. Broad forehead is harmonic with the shape of the head. Big, oval eyes are slightly oblique and set widely apart. Comparing Siberians with other, similar breeds one can notice that Maine Coon cats are more massive and angular shaped while Norwegian Forrest cats are longer and slenderer.

The eyes color shall be uniform and most often is green or amber. Medium sized and tilting slightly forward ears are bit rounded and set widely apart. Ears tips should be rounded and often with tufts.

Siberian Cat fur is typical to all forest cats. Semi longhair overcoat is well developed, strong and is delicately adhering to the body. Undercoat is very dense and soft making the cats fur soft and fluffy feeling.
That fur let these cats to survive in cold harsh climate. Characteristic for this breed are fluffy knickerbockers, full frill and thickly furnished long tail. Fur on the shoulder blades and neck may be bit shorter but on the back is dense and firm.

Siberian Cat is coloured similar to Main Coon and Norwegian Forest cats. Most popular is natural color agouti and in all flavours of tabby, tortie and black, red, blue, cream, silver and more. As with others forest cats white add ons are common. Disqualified colours are that characteristic for colourpoint cats. Siberian cats are one of the few natural breeds where crossing with other breeds is forbidden.

In 1991, both in Europe and in the States Siberian cats has been registered as a new, experimental and little known breed (leaving out the “forest” from original name in the process). First cats registry to allow them to compete for championship status and recognize fully was American TICA in May 1 1997. FIFe done the same in January 1998 and we already got few cats with the champion title in the country.

Because of specific fur qualities, according to some American cat allergies sufferers, Siberians are hypoallergenic cats. Siberians despite wild appearance are nice, sociable and loyal. They agile and playful, they love to jump on the highest shelves and closets.