Siberian Cat Breed Profile - Breed Information with Description & Photos

Personality of the Siberian Cat

Personality Plus. The Siberian has a very dog like temperament and are very affectionate. They come out to greet the visitors in the house and are not shy. They are very intelligent and very quick learners. They also have a triple purr and unlike other breeds have a chirping sound they use when they come to greet you. When they are around water they appear to be fascinated with it and will drop toys into it and play in sinks with water left in. The Siberian makes the ideal lap cat and will live quite happily indoors with you.

Are Siberian Cats Hypoallergenic?

It appears that different cat breeds have different levels of the FEL D 1 protein (the protein which is responsible for cat allergies). It is believed that the  Siberian Cat produces less allergens than other breeds. The average cat produces 63,000 micrograms of Fel-Dh1,  It is estimated that the female Siberian produces approximately 200 micrograms of Fel-Dh1 per gram. For more reading: Hypoallergenic Cat Breeds

Siberian Cat Appearance

The Siberian is a large, strong cat which can take up to five years to mature. The females being smaller than the males as in all breeds. They are noted for being very agile and can leap great distances. Their muscles are outstanding and powerful. The back is long and very slightly curved but appears horizontal in motion. The compact rounded belly develops with age. The hind-leg of the the Siberian is slightly longer than the front legs, with large and powerful firm rounded paws. The overall appearance should be a cat of great strength and size with an excellent physical tone. The facial expression is alert but sweet. The general impression of the cat is one of circles and roundness rather than angular as in some of the other breeds.

The head of the Siberian is a modified wedge of medium size with rounded contours broader at the skull and narrowing slightly to a full rounded muzzle with well rounded chin. The cheek bones are neither high set or prominent there should be a good distance between the ears and the eyes. The forehead being flat and the nose has a slight curvature before the tip the neck is medium in length and round and well muscled.

The tail of the Siberian is medium in length wide at the base with a blunt tip and the end which is evenly and thickly covered with fur from the base of the tail to the tip of the tail.The ears are medium to large wide and set as much on the sides of the head as on the top the tips are rounded and the ear tilts forward.The eyes are large almost round eyes set wide apart with the outer corner slightly angled toward the base of the ear. There is no relationship of eye colour to coat colour however the typical colour seen is yellow- green.

Siberian Cat Coat and Colours

The coat is the Siberians crowning glory, this is a moderately to long haired coat with the fur on the lower chest and shoulder blades being slightly shorter. There should be an abundant ruff around the neck setting off the large impressive head. There is a tight undercoat, which becomes thicker in colder weather. The coat gives the impression of lacquer and oil when ungroomed. The hair may thicken and curl on the belly and britches, but this is not a feature of the cat. The skin may also appear to have a bluish cast. Clear strong colours and patterns are desirable but are secondary to type.

Colour varieties of the Siberian vary and all colours are genetically possible, such as tabby, solid colours tortoiseshell colours and colour point varieties.

There is some depute as to the origins of the colour points in the breed but as long as records have been kept in Russia colour points have been noted to have been produced. The Russian believe that the feral pointed cats mated with the other colours along the Neva River region in Leningrad (which is now named St Petersburg) in the 1960’s.Soon Russian breeders were including this pattern into their breeding programs and created the nick name for them “Neva-Masquerade”. Neva for the river, and masquerade, for the mask. These are not a separate class of the Siberian but another colour. Some countries still do not accept the colour pointed version in the breed acceptance standard. No outcrosses are permitted for this breed.

source : catsofaaustralia

Cat Toys - Homemade toys and purchased toys

How to Stop Your Cat from Scratching Your Furniture

The Facts About Declawing

Allergies to Cats Information

Hypoallergenic Cat Breeds. Low or non allergy cats

Persian Cat

Persian Cat Personality

If you want your cats bouncing around like hyperactive popcorn, don't buy a Persian. Persians are perfect companions, if you like placid, sweet-tempered cats. Don't count on using your Persian pal as a furry doorstop, however. They love to play between periods of regal lounging on your favorite davenport. Proponents say that Persians do not deserve their 'furniture with fur' reputation, they are intelligent, just not as inquisitive as some breeds, and not as active.

Persians are devoted to their humans, but can be selective in conferring that honor. You must earn their trust and love. They crave affection and love to be petted and fussed over, but won't harass you for attention the way some breeds will. They will, however, let their feelings be known if they are not getting the requisite amount of attention.

Owning a Persian requires a significant time commitment. That beautiful coat requires daily grooming to keep it in good condition and free of mats. Because of the long coat and docile temperament, Persians should be considered indoor-only pets. Many Persian fanciers keep at least part of the coat clipped, particularly the hindquarters and around the anus to avoid the accumulation of feces. This should be done, though, only if the cat will not be shown soon.

Persian Cat Breed Traits

Over the years, the show trend has been toward a flatter, more extreme facial type for the Persian. This troubles some fanciers, who feel the extreme face can be harmful to the breed. Reported problems include upper respiratory problems, 'weepy' eyes, malocclusions, and birthing difficulties. The Peke-face red Persian, named after the Pekingese dog, has an even more extreme facial arrangement. For those who like a less extreme facial arrangement, the Traditional Cat Association (TCA) recognizes and promotes the Traditional Persian, also called the Doll Face Persian. This type possesses a less extreme look and emphasizes the sweet expression.

Persians come in many colors and patterns. The various colors, along with the breed itself, have a long history of selective breeding. Breeders have worked long and hard to perfect each, and each breeder usually specializes in a few favorites. Within the divisions are a multitude of colors and patterns, adding up to more than 80 varieties. The body and face type does differ slightly from one color to the next, and therefore judges are given some leeway in judging. The overall balance is more important than individual traits.

Interested in the history of the Persian cat breed?

Persians have enjoyed a long reign in the cat fancy and have featured prominently in shows since 1871, the year of the first modern cat show held at London's Crystal Palace. At this famous affair, organized by the 'father of the cat fancy,' Harrison Weir, many representatives of the breed were present, starting a supremacy that continues today.

Persians have been around for much longer than 125 years. Long haired cats, including the ancestors of the modern Persian and Angora breeds, were first seen in Europe in the mid- to late 1500s, introduced by Roman and Phoenician caravans from Persia (now Iran) and Turkey, according to documents of the era. Researchers believe the recessive gene for long hair appeared spontaneously in the cat population in the cold mountainous areas of Persia. An Italian traveler by the name of Pietro della Valle (1586?1652) is credited with bringing Persian cats to the European world in the 1600s. Both Angora and Persian cats are mentioned in the manuscript Voyages de Pietro della Valle. He described the Persians as gray with very long, silky, glossy fur. He noted that the cats resided in the province of Khorazan in Persia, and that they came from India with the Portuguese.

Other travelers brought Persian and Angora cats into France and then into England, causing them to be called 'French cats' for a number of years. These cats quickly became popular in Britain. During this time and for centuries after, the Turkish Angora and Persian varieties (among others) were commonly crossed.

At first, Angoras were preferred for their silky white coats. Eventually, however, the British fanciers came to favor the stockier Persian conformation. By the time of Weir's cat show in 1871, distinct differences between the Persian and the Angora could be seen, the former being stockier with small, rounded ears, and the latter being slender and tall-eared. By the early 1900s the Persian had become overwhelmingly popular. Blue Persians were particularly prized, probably because Queen Victoria owned two.

In the early 1900s the British Governing Council of the Cat Fancy decided that the Persian, as well as the Angora and Russian Longhairs, should be known simply as Longhairs, a policy that continues today. Each color is considered a separate breed in the British cat fancy. In North America, however, the Persian is considered one breed, regardless of color.

Persians were imported to America in the late 1800s, where they were enthusiastically received. The Persian quickly shoved aside the competition and quickly took its place as the top cat. Using British standards as a starting point, American breeders began their own breeding programs to refine the coat, color, and conformation. Soon the American Persian developed a style of its own and evolved into the type we see today.

Source : Petfinder