The Siberian Forest cat is a largish breed, with a muscular build and a barrel shaped torso. The coat is long and dense and the head is a modified wedge shape with rounded contours and very expressive eyes. The overall physical appearance is one of strength and power. The longer hairs of the triple coat are pale near the skin, darkening toward the outer end. This makes the coat shimmer as the cat moves. Although brown tabby is the most common colour, a Siberian Forest Cat may be any pattern or colour or combination of colours, solid lilac or solid chocolate.
- Playful and curious cat
- Sociable and dependent cat
- Somehow talkative cat
- Larger stockier cat breed
- Requires grooming
- Hypoallergenic breed
- Needs some out-door space
- Living with children
Origin
The Siberian Forest cat is the national cat of Russia. This natural breed has existed in Russia for hundreds of years. There is documented history of Siberians as early as the year 1000 and it is rumoured to be the ancestor of most modern longhaired breeds. After living in the cold Russian climate for many generations, the breed has developed a hardy constitution and a dense triple fur coat that is water resistant.
A few Siberian Forest cats were imported into Britain in the late 1800s but its popularity waned in favour of the heavily coated Persian. Interest in the breed is now rising again in the UK.
Country of Origin
Russia
Other Names
Siberian Forest Cat or Neva Masquerade
Personality
The Siberian Forest cat is an affectionate pet and loves attention, so make great companions. The breed is said to be loyal, sociable and confident. Siberian Forest cats are very intelligent and seem to ‘problem solve’ to get what they want; they are also said to love to play in the water, water bowls and dripping kitchen sinks. They like to climb and are excellent hunters. They purr readily but also squeak and chirp. Most Siberian Forest cats will ‘shimmy’ their tails when they are happy.
Nutrition
Every cat is unique and each has their own particular likes, dislikes, and needs when it comes to food. However, cats are carnivores and every cat must obtain 41 different and specific nutrients from their food. The proportion of these nutrients will vary depending on age, lifestyle and overall health, so it’s not surprising that a growing, energetic kitten needs a different balance of nutrients in her diet than a less active senior cat. Other considerations to bear in mind are feeding the right quantity of food to maintain ‘ideal body condition’ in accordance with feeding guidelines and catering to individual preference regarding wet or dry food recipes.
Grooming
While the long hair of the Siberian Forest Cat does not mat easily, it does benefit from regular grooming to keep it in top condition. The long coat is at its thickest in the winter months.
Siberian Cat – Neva Masquerade | ||
| Body | The medium to large sized cat is muscular and heavy. The legs are also muscular and of medium length. The paws are large, compact and round with toe tufts.The tail reaches to the shoulder blades, it is slightly tapering and bushy. The neck is short and solid. | |
| Head | The head is short and broad with deep set, broad cheek bones, rounded muzzle and slightly rounded chin. The forehead is slightly arched. The nose is equally broad from the base to the nose leather. The contours are gently rounded, the profile slightly curved. | |
| Ears | The ears are of medium size, broad at the base with a slightly rounded tip. They are set wide apart and slightly tilted forwards. | |
| Eyes | The eyes are large, slightly oval and rounded at the lower edge, set at a slight slant and wide apart. Eye colour shall be even and corresponds with the coat colour. All shades from yellow/golden to green are permitted. In bicolour and other patterns with white also blue or odd eyes. In pointed patterns blue, the darker the better. | |
| Coat | The coat is of medium length. The very dense undercoat is soft and fine, under a coarser, firm top coat. The dense, loosely falling top coat is water repellent, has a firm structure, firm to touch and glossy. It covers the back, the flanks and top of the tail completely. The under parts of the body and the back of the hind legs have only undercoat. The coat is particularly long on the neck, the chest, the trousers and the tail. | |
| Colour varieties | The colours chocolate and cinnamon, as well as their dilution (lilac and fawn) are not recognized in any combinations (bicolour, tricolour, tabby) for the Siberian and the Neva Masquerade. The Burmese-factor is also not recognized. All other colours and patterns are recognized. Any amount of white is permitted. The description of colours is listed in the general list of colours. The pointed variety with Siamese points is called Neva Masquerade. | |
| Source | WCF | |
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