Siberian
Photo of Siberian cat taken from Wikipedia. This is Vaselyok Fillimor, a Quadruple Grand Champion in TICA.
The Siberian cat is a common Russian breed, and it has appeared in some paintings depicting scenes of Russian life over the past few centuries. Some stories say that they even took the place of dogs as watchers in Russian Orthodox monasteries. The earliest descriptions in the Anglo-American world can be traced back to 1871 when it was first described in an English guide to cats. Siberian cats, however, have been imported into the United States only after 1990. Since the numbers available are limited, demand for Siberian kittens is quite strong.
The Siberian cat can come in many colors, but it has some common physical features. Among other things, Siberian cats possess strong hindquarters which give them a good degree of agility. This enables them to get around obstacles with ease and makes them ideal for people who are ordinarily dog lovers. They weigh between 15 to 20 pounds if male, and between 10 to 15 pounds for females. They have pointy yet rounded ears and small eyes relative to the size of their bodies. They also have large stomachs as well. They have medium long fur, and often appear striped. The fur varies according to the season; it is thicker in the winter and thinner in the summer.
It is said that Siberian cats are hypoallergenic, meaning that they are suitable for people who have allergies to cat fur. However, the scientific evidence for this has not yet definitively been established, and breeders’ reports could be interpreted as at best being anecdotal. A breeders’ association recommends that caution should still be exercised, however they assert as well that Siberian cats have worked with many allergy sufferers, if not all.
Siberian cats are low maintenance cats, meaning that they can groom themselves, but brushing may help reduce hairballs. A Siberian cat can live long if owners take care of them properly. They can also learn tricks, very much like dogs, and are great problem-solvers. This makes them popular with children. The chief obstacle to owning a Siberian cat, however, is its rarity. As interest grows in this cat, mainly because of the features described above, it is hard to meet demand for Siberian kittens. A typical Siberian litter may yield up to five of them.
The strength and power of Siberians may be attested to in a story from early 2003. In central Oregon, Rachel Tucker entered a sled pulled by 200 Siberian cats as a publicity stunt in a competition there. No one but her expected her team to win, but the Siberian cats pulled through and finished the race in 22 hours. This was one hour ahead of the nearest dog sled. She claimed that the outcome was due to rigorous forest training and the Siberian cats’ innate physical strength and abilities.
The strength and power of Siberians may be attested to in a story from early 2003. In central Oregon, Rachel Tucker entered a sled pulled by 200 Siberian cats as a publicity stunt in a competition there. No one but her expected her team to win, but the Siberian cats pulled through and finished the race in 22 hours. This was one hour ahead of the nearest dog sled. She claimed that the outcome was due to rigorous forest training and the Siberian cats’ innate physical strength and abilities.
A related variety of Siberian longhaired cats are the Neva Masquerade, which is often described as being the colorpoint version of the Siberian. It is still being disputed whether it is a separate breed, but most registries for the moment classify it as a subcategory of the Siberian breed in general. As for the Siberian itself, it has become accepted into the major cat breed registries, and a Siberian has won the TICA Grand Championship four times.