Prekrasne Siberian Cats: | Beauty is more than skin deep

There are no ordinary cats.

Collette

Siberian Cat Breed Standard

The following information on the Siberian cat's breed standard is available in CFA.

CFAStandard

This link is for the Siberian cats' standard used by WCF.

WCFStandard

This link contains the Siberians cats' breed profiles used by FIFe

FIFe

Breed History

The history of the Siberian breed is the subject of much controversy and debate. What we do know is that the breed has most likely existed for over 1000 yrs and developed as a natural breed. Siberians developed in Russia and are clearly meant for survival. They endured extremes in temperature from the frigid cold to the hot summers. This is most likely what caused the development of their unusual coat. Unlike most breeds the Siberian has a true triple layer coat. This coat is voluminous and dense during the cold of winter and in the summer it becomes much shorter and smoother.

The Siberian, like the Maine Coon and the Norwegian Forest Cat, is a large breed. They are somewhat smaller bodied than the Maine Coon yet average roughly the same weight. This is because the Siberian is a heavily muscled, solid cat. 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 Neva Controversy

Throughout much of the Siberian world there is a controversy that exists - are the color point variety (or Neva Masquerades) truly Siberians or a separate breed? Being a naturally occurring breed it is difficult to say when or how the colorpoint gene was originally introduced. What has been established is that the gene that causes the colorpoint pattern is indeed a "Siamese" gene as established through the Feline Genome Project and a cats genetic markers for this gene cat be tested through VGL laboratories. Because this is considered a Siamese gene many Siberian followers believe that the colorpoints should be considered separately. This does not mean one being better than the other, just different.

The cats I have seen, both the Nevas and Traditional Siberians, seem to display the same coveted personality and large, athletic build. That being said, I only breed traditional Siberians since I prefer their "wild" look and classic appearance. The biggest reason for my preference for the traditional or non -colorpoint Siberian is that these colors and patterns lend themselves best to camouflage. Because Siberians are a breed that developed from feral cats on the streets of Russia having natural camouflage would have been an absolute necessity. A mostly light colored cat would have had a difficult time concealing themselves from both predators and prey. The principle of "survival of the fittest" would itself have led to the dominance of the Traditional Siberian. That is not to say they did not exist. White tigers, albino crocodiles, etc. exist in many species but rarely survive in the wild. They tend to be alienated by their own kind and are fair game for predators. Those that survive often have a tough time hunting since they stand out.

I am sure that once people noticed the occasional colorpoint they selected these and they multiplied as house pets or on property under the protection of their people. Once selective breeding of Siberians grew then these Nevas became increasingly popular. However, regardless of popularity, their coloring to me is not definitive of the "forest cat." Again, this should not imply they shouldn't be bred - there are many amazing Neva Masquerades and they can and do make lovely and wonderful pets.

Although most U.S. associations consider Siberians and Neva Masquerade as the same breed I have had the honor to be admitted into the organization FIFe through the Russian club SuperCats. FIFe does not recognize the Neva as a Siberian. In addition, in my breeding you will find my cats also follow the type(look) of these international organizations rather than the more "sweet" look as interpreted in the US standard. This is because I feel as a Russian breed with Russian roots it is only logical to stick to these roots and pay homage to their history.