About Siberian Forest cats
A few facts about the Siberian Forest cat history, personality, temperament, physical characteristics and their hypoallergenic nature
history
Siberian Forest Cats, also known as Siberian Cats, are a majestic, natural cat breed thought to be originally from the Siberian Taiga, or forest, of Russia. The history of the Siberian Forest Cat, although dotted with much folklore and other stories, is short as an officially recognized breed, but quite ancient when you look at the early origins of the Russian feline. It is commonly thought that the breed dates back at least a thousand years. There is mention of a cat similarly described in written accounts from around 1000 AD and may be the ancestor to all modern longhaired cats.
It may be that the Siberian, a natural semi-longhaired breed, developed because of interbreeding of the local wild cats and the domesticated cat. There is some discussion and speculation that this was the case with the Bukharan cat which was transported from Bukhara, Uzbekistan along trade routes.
Some speculate that they interbred with one or more of the Felis Silvestris (European wildcat) subspecies found across Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. Because the phenotype of these wild cats is so like the modern Siberian breed, it is plausible that the Siberian descended from outcrossing with one or more wildcats from the area from which they lived.
However they originated, for many years before the Cat Fancy era of the 19th century and later, they were the backyard, domestic cats of Russia. There are Russian fairy tales of “Kotofey the Cat” and tales of them living in monasteries for companionship and keeping the mice and rat population down. Additionally, it is documented that the Siberian cat participated in early cat shows, specifically in 1871 at the Crystal Palace in London, England.
The Siberian Forest Cat made its official debut at the first USSR cat show in 1987. It was first recognized as a sanctioned breed by the Registry Kotofei Cat Club of St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1990, the Soviet Felinology Federation (SPF) confirmed the first breed standard and coded the sign “SIB”. Also in 1990, the first Siberian cats were exported from Russia to the United States. In 1997, the first color point Siberians were imported. By 1992, in the US, the breed had been accepted into the New Breed program in TICA and awarded for Championship in 1996. The CFA awarded Championship status in 2006.
Personality & Temperament
Many people agree that the Siberian Forest Cat is the “dog” of the cat world. They are loyal and affectionate companions and happily follow their people from room to room, never aloof or unfriendly. Some learn to play fetch and even enjoy going on walks or hikes on a leash. In the same light, they seem to be happiest snuggled up in your lap or enjoying a nap at your feet. Being where the human action is sums up the personality of the breed.
Although they look powerful and intimidating due to their often-large size and muscular build, their mellow and sociable demeanor make them excellent family pets and patient with children. Siberians also tend to get along easily with other animals, even becoming loyal friends with the family dog. When its family leaves the house, they watch patiently for their return and cheerfully give a welcome greeting. They are intelligent and playful but not overly active. Some say that the Siberian is a problem-solver, able to open doors to find their human or favorite treat. They are very agile and great jumpers. Because they are a slow-to-mature breed, they will retain their playful, kitten-like antics well into adulthood. They may not reach full maturity until five years of age.
They are not overly vocal, but have sweet little mews, chirps, chortles to voice their opinions about things. Most importantly, they love to purr contentedly whenever they are with their humans.
Physical Appearance
The Siberian Cat is a medium-large breed with an athletic, strong build. Its overall appearance is one of roundness; a modified wedge-shaped head with rounded contours, a sweet rounded facial expression, round eyes, round small wide-set ears, rounded muzzle and round, barrel-shaped belly on sturdy legs, large, round paws with tufts sticking out between their toes and a bushy medium-length tail. The breed sports all colors and fur patterns with and without white as well as a variety of eye colors.
As a natural breed that developed in the harsh Northern climate of Siberia, they have a thick, semi-longhaired coat that consists of three distinct layers, the outer guard hairs that are water repellent, the visible awn hair which regulates the cat’s temperature and protects the third, insulating down undercoat layer in the winter months.
Hypoallergenic
An important benefit of the Siberian Cat breed is its propensity to be hypoallergenic, meaning having little likelihood of causing an allergic reaction. Cats are second only to dust mites as the major source of indoor allergens. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5891966/) Additionally, the rate of sensitization from cats has greatly increased in the general population of Western countries. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5891966/)Cat allergies tend to be due to a specific protein found in the fur and saliva of cats, the Fel d 1 protein. To date, eight different proteins have been registered as cat allergens (Fel d 1 to Fel d 8) but the Fel d 1 accounts for most cat allergies. https://aacijournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13223-018-0239-8 It is secreted by the sebaceous glands and saliva of cats.
Many Siberian cat lines produce cats with relatively low levels of the Fel d 1 protein. All cats produce Fel d 1, so no cat will be 100% free of the potential for causing an allergic reaction. However, research indicates many Siberians produce relatively low levels of the Fel d 1 protein. While not guaranteed to be 100% symptom free, many owners who have allergic reactions to other cats can co-exist with Siberians and have little to no reactions.
All this is good news to the cat allergy sufferer. If you find a cat which is known to produce low levels of Fel d 1 and you physically test the reaction to the cat, you likely will be able to live relatively symptom free. However, there is no guarantee.
Many Siberian cat lines produce cats with relatively low levels of the Fel d 1 protein. All cats produce Fel d 1, so no cat will be 100% free of the potential for causing an allergic reaction. However, research indicates many Siberians produce relatively low levels of the Fel d 1 protein. While not guaranteed to be 100% symptom free, many owners who have allergic reactions to other cats can co-exist with Siberians and have little to no reactions.
All this is good news to the cat allergy sufferer. If you find a cat which is known to produce low levels of Fel d 1 and you physically test the reaction to the cat, you likely will be able to live relatively symptom free. However, there is no guarantee.