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BREED STANDARD |
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| General | medium to large, females mostly smaller then males | |
| Head | Shape | a little bit longer than broad, softly rounded, massive |
| Forehead | broad, just slightly rounded | |
| Cheeks | cheekbones well developed | |
| Nose | medium length, broad, in profile shows a slight identation, but without stop | |
| Chin | slanting slightly backwards, in profile creating a curve from the upper line of the nose | |
| Ears | Shape | medium size, well open at the base, tips are rounded with well developed hairs on the inside and tufts |
| Placement | with good width between, tilting slightly forward | |
| Eyes | Shape Placement |
large, slightly oval shaped. A bit oblique, set widely apart |
| Color | Any colour is permitted. There is no relationship between eye- and coat colour. Clear eye colour is desirable | |
| Body | Structure | well boned and muscled, powerful neck, broad chest, body in proportion to create a rectangular appearance |
| Legs | medium high, to form a rectangle with the body, strong | |
| Paws | large, round, well tufted between toes | |
| Tail | long, thick, rounded tip. Covered on all sides by dense hair with no hairs trailing down | |
| Coat | Structure | semi-long, well developed, very dense, undercoat not lying flat, overcoat water repellent, slightly hard to touch. Summer coat is distinctly shorter than the winter coat. The winter coat shows a well developed shirtfront, full frill and knickerbockers |
| Color | All colour varieties are permitted, including all colour varieties with white; except pointed patterns and chocolate and lilac, cinnamon and fawn. Any amount of white is allowed, i.e. a white blaze, white locket, white chest, white on the belly, white on the paws, etc. | |
| Remarks | Novice class only accepted for cats born in the former USSR. Any crossing with other breeds prohibited. | |
Origin
The Siberian cat is native to Northern Russia where its existence has been known of for over a thousand years. The first written proof of this dates back to 1925 and can be found in the “Brehms Tierleben” where a stocky, long-haired red cat, named Tobolsker, coming from Caucasus is mentioned. This breed of cat has been exported out of its native Siberiaonly for the past few years. With the fall of the Berlin wall some specimens were exported into Germany, the United States and a few East European countries. In the following years more Siberian cats have been brought into Europe. The official arrival in the feline shows is due to the intervention of Hans and Betty Schulz, owners of the Newskij’s cat farm . In 1987 they went to Saint Petersburg (former Leningrad) to get two cats (Tima and Mussa). The male, Tima, made an impression in the first feline showsreaching the highest levels and allowing the recognition of the breed by the major feline associations.
Appearance
The Siberian is a medium-large size cat, strong and muscular, the body is moderately elongated, with large and strong legs, large round paws with conspicuous tufts between the digits. The head has rounded contours; medium-large ears which are well spaced, wide at the base, rounded at the tip and quite fluffy on the inside. The eyes are well spaced, slightly oval and oblique, with their colour varying from green to amber. The nose is wide, of medium length and slightly concave. The coat is impermeable, it is thick on the back and bristly to the touch, finer and soft on the flanks. The fur is short on the shoulders but very long on the neck, chest and upper part of the legs knickerbockers. The tail is long, wide at the base and always quite fluffy. All fur colours are admitted. The fur of the Siberian cat does not need special care. Every hair is covered by a water-repellent film, so it does not felt/mat and rarely becomes knotted. Accustomed to an unforgiving climate the Siberian cat has a very thick skin, and adequate structure to allow it to be agile in the snow, an accelerated circulation of the blood that guarantees a perfect thermoregulation.
Nature
It has a lively, alert and strong nature and is a very good swimmer and good hunter. The Siberian has inherited many of its positive qualities from the wild cat. Whilst still maintaining a strong and independent nature, this cat has become by now a perfect animal to keep company: sweet, sociable and docile. It has a rather reserved nature. The Siberian cat creates a very strong bond with its owner, behaving similarly to a dog.
The ideal companion
It is ideal for someone who wants a beautiful, lively, dynamic pussy-cat, intelligent and very affectionate. It loves open spaces and freedom but at the same time does not at all turn its nose up to the role of “cat that keeps company” and easily adapts to life in an apartment. It interacts very well with children, and often becomes a playing companion for them.
