Unusually companionable and skilled at communication, these kitties can live with any breed of dog and with most types of pets. Our Siberian cats are not only the first necessity of a household, but a beautiful decoration for any house. They are the essence of a comfortable house. The Siberian cat has become part of the Russian soul and will always remain. The history of this cat is woven through centuries of Russian history and has spawned a lot of legends and mystery.
You can find Siberian cats in Russian fairy tales, poems, or even historical records.
Pushkin and Tolstoy brought Siberian cat characters to their books. Even Peter the Great decreed that every house should have a Siberian cat. He had ordered them from the Urals to defend against mice and rats.
These cats are very good hunters. They are very strong, and possess a cunning mind.
Their wild beauty looks at us from wistful, trustful eyes. The fire of wisdom, gracefulness, and power breathes through Siberian cats.
Behind the real wild beauty and mighty power you can find the simple secret of this wonderful cat: loyalty.
And with all these excellent qualities, there is one that completes them - they have a quiet voice. They hardly meow at all, but when they do, it is very soft and gentle. It will surprise you that a cat that big and strong can have such a tiny voice!
One of the most interesting things about siberians is that many people with cat allergies do not have allergies to Siberians. It is thought that they do not possess the FelD1 protein in their saliva. FelD1 is what causes the allergic reaction to cats in most people. When cats lick themselves, it gets on their fur and skin. This spreads into the air on fur and dander. Since Siberians do not cause allergic reactions in most people, it is therefore theorized that they lack FelD1.
Chronology of the Siberian breed
1986, April 10th - The first soviet cat club was officially created in Riga and Saint Petersburg.
1987 saw the first cat club created in Moscow. In that same year the first cat show in the USSR took place in Riga.
During that time, Siberian cats had no breed standard, only a description. O.S. Mironova, O.F. Frolova, T.P. Sapozhnikova, and T.S. Emelyanova wrote the first version of the standard between 1987 and 1988. This standard was written to defend the Siberian breed from Siberian/Persian crosses, which were popular in the USSR at that time.
1988, February - In the Saint Petersburg show Siberian cats were not only judged as a separate breed, but both classic colors and color point Siberians were judged.
1989 - At the third Siberian cat show in Moscow there were 30 cats. The parents of only one of those cats was known.
1990 - In this year the Soviet Felinolodge Federation (SFF) consolidated the official standard for Siberians and assigned them the SIB code for pedigrees. They accepted both classic colors and colorpoints.
1990 - The first three Siberian cats in the US were imported to Louisiana.
1990 - The first US Siberian cattery was created by E. Teppel.
1991 - The Russian Felinology Association shows 30 Siberians in championship class.
1992 - World Cat Federation recognizes the Siberian and registers a standard for them.
1993 - In Moscow, the first Siberian to become a Champion is Petronio Mimino.
1993, July - A Siberian cat, Makar, is Best in Show in the Ekaterinburg cat show.
1994, May - Dimka Laskoviy Zver was the first Siberian to become a World Champion in a WCF cat show. 15 of his descendants become world champions.
1994, July - A young female Siberian from Moscow, Dzhesika, wins Best of Show in Ekaterinburg.
1994 - 57 Experts from Russia, Belorussia, and Ukraine, have a seminar about Russian breeds and edited the standards.
1995, May - In a show in Germany the Siberian cat Dimka Laskoviy Zver becomes the Best of Best.
1996, September - A Siberian colorpoint is the first such to become World Champion.
1996, November - In a Tunis show two female Siberians - a colorpoint named Flafira Cel Buk and a blue cat, Valenvik, both became World Champions.
1997, January - The standard for Siberian cats was finalized and care was taken to differentiate them from Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest cats.
1997, May - The European cat association FIFe recognizes Siberian cats with the exception of colorpoints. To this day they do not recognize Siberian colorpoints.
2000 - This year 34 Siberians became World Champions. Of that number, 5 were colorpoints. Also in this year, 15 countries had Siberian catteries open, including such countries as Spain, Japan, and South Korea.
2001 - Treruchiy Sibirskiy Moroz Mur became the Best Cat of the Year in TICA
2002 - TICA accepts Siberians, including colorpoints, into Championship class.
2003 - In Russia alone this year there were 100 Siberian catteries and 70 World Champions.
2004 - Pashka Irbis Asolada, a silver tabby point Siberian, became one of the 10 best cats in Russia.
2006, February - CFA, the largest cat registry in the world, accepts the Siberian, including colorpoints, into Championship class.
Every year more and more people learn about this wonderful breed, the National Treasure of Russia!
For more information on Siberians, look here.
