Siberian Cat Breed Standard
The following information on the Siberian cat's breed standard is available in CFA.
This link is for the Siberian cats' standard used by WCF.
This link contains the Siberians cats' breed profiles used by FIFe
Breed History
The Siberian is a natural breed that developed in their native Russia. These longhaired and muscular cats developed as a natural result of their environment. Their dense, all weather, triple coat provided protection from the elements without being so long that it would be a hindrance. Their eyes and ears are protective to keep them intact in a harsh climate. Although rounded, the eyes of a Siberian should not be too rounded or this would have allowed too much exposure to the eye and resulted in blindness and other eye damage. Essentially their features are all about moderation because extremes would have limited their survival.
The Siberian, like the Maine Coon and the Norwegian Forest Cat, is a large breed. They are somewhat smaller bodied than the Maine Coon and powerfully buildt. The best way to think of these three breeds is like this: Maine Coons are made of rectangles, Norwegians of triangles and the Siberian of circles. These circles should be seen from the shape of the face and eyes to the roundness of the torso.
A large, athletic cat the Siberian is a lover in its temperament. These cats are one of the most dog-like in personality as they tend to attach themselves closely with their human and will "dog" their footsteps.
Siberians have only been in the U.S. since 1990 and are still a relatively rare breed here. They have only recently gained Championship status in CFA as of May 2006.
The Forest Cat Trio - Siberians, Maine Coons, and Norwegian Forest Cats
What's the difference?
There are 3 cats classified under the term forest cats and to the untrained eye they may seem very similar. However, a good specimen of each will look decidedly different.
Siberian - has features that are rounded and can be thought of as made up of circles. The head is a modified wedge with rounded contours, the torso is rounded, the eyes are not round but should be more rounded and less almond, the muzzle is full and moderate. Siberians are not as large as Maine Coons although people often notice that they have greater heft than expected. They also have a thick, triple layer coat. They have a sweeter look than a Maine Coon, but their expression should be intense and intelligent. If you like sports consider the Siberians more like a fullback on an American football team. They are stocky, hefty, and with a low center of gravity.
Maine Coons - strong features that are a series of rectangles. The legs and back create a rectangular appearance to the body, the muzzle is longer and strong giving the muzzle a rectangular appearance, and the ears are large - taller and closer together than a Siberian. The coat is double layer and tends to have a shaggy appearance. To go along with the sports reference, think of a Maine Coon as being more like a basketball player. They are large bodied and rangey.
Wegie - Wegies are made up of trianges. There head is triangular in appearance with a straight profile, almond eyes. The coat is full and double coated. Ears are close to an equalateral triangle. They tend to a more elegant although powerful in appearance. Sorry, I haven't figured out a sports themed analogy for Wegies:)
Can these cats be confused? Sure. Pet quality of any of these breeds can be confused because they often have flaws than make them less representative of the breed's standard. You may see a Maine Coon with too short a muzzle, a Siberian with ears that are too close or a Wegie with a curve to the profile. That is why they are placed as pets although most pets are still unmistakably members of their breed once they mature. Also, all 3 of these breeds mature very slowly. Siberians in particular go through many awkward "teenager" phases and at those times their features develop out of proportion to the rest of them and may make them temporarily look a bit Maine Coonish or like a Wegie. I imagine the same goes for those breeds. However, once they fill out and their features mature they look Siberian.
It is important to remember that unlike dogs, the difference in cat breeds is often very subtle and requires a trained eye to tell the difference.
