As would be expected of an animal called "Siberian," these cats have thick, dense, medium-long, water-repellent triple coats along with bushy tails and full ruffs, all designed for survival in a frigid, snowy environment. Siberians are large, with males reaching up to 25 pounds and females reaching up to 15 pounds. They have a strong build, round faces, and round-tipped ears. Their round, expressive eyes are often yellow and green, but come in many colors that don't correlate to coat color; some Siberians even have two differently colored eyes. Siberian coats come in most colors and patterns, though brown tabby is a favored look.
Siberians are generally healthy cats that can live 13 years or longer when well cared for. If they're fed a nutritionally adequate diet without an excess of calories, kept active, and provided with veterinary care, they should remain well and live out their full lifespan.
These personable cats like to be in close proximity to their humans. However, they also enjoy striking out on their own to explore their environment thoroughly, calling upon their impressive power, agility, and fearlessness. The Siberian's sociability and generally unflappable demeanor help it get along well with children and other animals.
Siberians are intrigued by water. They often investigate running faucets, bathtubs, and showers before they're dry. These cats also like to drop items into their water dishes.
Siberians have long been respected for their unwavering loyalty and patience. They enjoy company, both in play and at rest, and tend to follow people around. However, they aren't needy or demanding. These cats are playful, adventurous, physically and mentally capable, and fearless, which makes for an endlessly interesting and entertaining combination.
Despite their antics and acrobatics, Siberians aren't hyper. Their playful personalities and a take-things-in-stride temperament make them good companions for children, cat-friendly dogs, and other cats. They may be a bit mistrustful of unfamiliar people at first, but they quickly warm up to them.
Siberians are moderately talkative, but with a quiet voice. They mostly talk with mellow mews, chirps, and trills. They also purr a lot.
Siberians are generally healthy cats that can live 13 years or longer when well cared for. If they're fed a nutritionally adequate diet without an excess of calories, kept active, and provided with veterinary care, they should remain well and live out their full lifespan.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the one hereditary concern tied to the breed. This is the most common cause of feline heart disease and the most common cause of spontaneous death in indoor cats. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy causes the heart muscles to thicken and weaken and the heart chambers to shrink. This illness typically manifests in cats between the ages of 1 and 5 years, though it's been seen as early as 3 months and as late as 10 years. It is treatable if caught early.
Siberians are notably slow to mature. It takes up to five years for them to reach physical maturity. Their coats and tails don't finish developing until this time.
Some Siberians learn to play fetch and other games, but they much prefer to play on their own terms. They need a good deal of mental and physical stimulation, but have little trouble finding it on their own when necessary. Still, they should be provided a selection of different toys.
These cats will get everywhere. They are powerful and gifted climbers, jumpers, and acrobats, with no hesitation to use these skills. Their agility helps them adeptly maneuver, though it's a good idea to keep breakable items off high shelves. Siberians have a knack for problem solving to get whatever they want, no matter how unobtainable it may seem. An abundance of care is needed to prevent these cats from getting things they shouldn't have.
Expect to rescue Siberian kittens often until their physical prowess catches up to their fearless drive to explore. Siberians-young and old-are highly susceptible to the many dangers in the outside world. They should not be allowed outside unsupervised.
Despite their massive medium-long coats, Siberians are relatively easy to groom and not prone to matting or tangles; when matting does occur, it's most likely to be beneath the legs. Their coats grow in thickest in the winter, and they experience a molt in the spring and fall. During the winter and summer, brushing once or twice per week is generally sufficient. During the heavier shedding seasons, brushing should be done daily. This removes loose hair to prevent knots, a hairy home, and hairballs.
Bathing is generally unnecessary unless the Siberian is being shown or becomes dirtied by a dangerous or hard-to-clean substance. However, these cats are uncharacteristically interested in water and may elect to join a human in the bath or shower sometimes.
Other care is standard. The nails should be clipped approximately once every two weeks at the tips. The teeth should be cleaned regularly with a feline toothpaste recommended by a veterinarian, and the ears should be gently cleaned when needed and observed for any indication of infection, such as redness, discharge, swelling, or foul odor.
Siberians are the national cat of Russian, their country of origin. There, they have hundreds of years of history as a natural breed, probably dating back more than a millennium. They evolved to weather the harsh Siberian climate, though they can safely live in any climate. These cats figure prominently into old Russian fairy tales and children's literature and they have been important as working cats, keeping farms free of rodent invaders.
These cats were one of the original breeds shown in England when cat shows came into fashion in the second half of the 19th century. In fact, Siberians were even one of the three longhair breeds shown in what is commonly believed to have been the first English cat show back in the 1700s.
Despite a history reaching back many centuries and despite spreading across Asia and Europe, Siberians took their time coming to America, largely due to the Cold War. The breed didn't arrive in the United States until 1990. Elizabeth Terrell, a breeder in Baton Rouge, LA, traded four Himalayans to a Russian breeder for three Siberians. Terrell fell in love with her Siberians and immediately undertook establishing the breed in America.
The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) accepted Siberians for registration in February 2000. The breed advanced to championship six years later to the month.
