Siberians are a breed with a voluminous and fluffy coat that is their charm point!
Many people may not have heard of Siberians before.
It is certainly one of the breeds that is not often seen in pet shops, but I would be happy if this page could help people learn about the cuteness of Siberians!

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～ Basic information. ～

Country of origin　Russia.

Length 60cm.

Weight male : 6-10kg, female : 4.5-9kg.

Siberians are said to have existed since about 1000 years ago and are said to have the same ancestors as Persian cats and Angoras, but there is no clear evidence.

Sometimes they are called “Siberian Forest Cat” or “Siberian Cat.”

Siberians are not a breed born from breeding, but are believed to have occurred naturally in the Siberian forest.

In 1871, it became popular after appearing for the first time at a cat show in England, but at that time Russia was at war and trade with other countries was restricted, making it very difficult to obtain Siberians.

After the war ended, Siberians began to be used as pets in the United States and Japan.

Then, in 1996, Siberians were officially registered as a breed. Although they are not as well known as other cats in Japan because they arrived later than other countries, there is a story that remains.

In 2011, Japan was hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake and suffered great damage.

At that time, Russia offered earthquake support, and Akita Prefecture Governor Satake, who is known for his love of dogs, presented “Akita Inu no Yume” as a thank-you for the support.

The following year, Putin presented “Mir-kun,” a Siberian cat, to Governor Satake as a return gift.

Indeed, Siberians have become representative cats of Russia. They seem to be living well even now, so if you like, you can see how Mir-kun is doing from the reference.

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Siberian’s Q&A.

Where does Siberian get its name?

It is called “Siberian” because it was born in the Siberian region of Russia, its country of origin.

What are the color variations of Siberian?

■Type of body color.

There are blue, black, cream, white, chocolate, red, cinnamon, lilac, and fawn.

■Types of patterns and color schemes.

・Solid color.
The entire body is a single color.

・Tabby.
There are overall stripes or spots.

・Silver & Golden.
Only the tips of the hair are colored, and the base is white or a light color.

・Smoke & Shaded.
Half of the overcoat is colored and the other half is white.

・Party color.
Two colors are randomly mixed.

・Calico & Bicolor.
Half or one-third of the body is white and the rest is composed of two or more colors.

・Tabby & White.
Half or one-third of the body is white and the rest is composed of stripes or spots.

・Pointed.
The head, ears, legs, tail, etc. have some color.

・Pointed & White.
Part of the body has color mixed with white.

■Types of eye color.

There are gold, green, and copper.

■Hairy species.

Siberians are only long-haired.

What does Siberian look like?

The head is a slightly large and round deformed wedge shape, and the body type is called the Long & Substantial type. The large and round eyes are slightly upward-slanted, and the ears are of medium size and slightly forward-leaning.

The sturdy legs are of medium length, with the hind legs slightly longer than the front legs. The characteristic feature is that it has a large and muscular physique, but above all, it is covered with a triple coat of dense and thick fur, which is the most prominent feature of Siberians.

Perhaps because of this thick fur covering its body, it seems to be okay even if it gets wet in some water. However, while it is not afraid of water, there is a possibility that it may enter places with water such as bathrooms without hesitation, so care must be taken not to leave doors open.

Also, Siberians with long hair require more frequent brushing than other cats. Although they are strong against cold weather, they have a weak constitution against heat.

Probably because they have more hair than other cats, they seem to feel hot more easily. In recent years, summers have been very hot, so air conditioning measures are essential not only for Siberians but also for other cats. However, please be especially careful with Siberians.

Why do Siberians only have fluffy long-haired breeds?

As mentioned in the basic information, the Siberian cat is a cat born in the very cold region of Siberia.

Especially in winter, Siberia often has negative temperatures, and it is believed that Siberians have very voluminous fur to survive such harsh environments.

How long does it take to buy Siberian?

If you buy from a breeder or cattery, it will cost around 200,000 yen. The advantage is that you can check what kind of environment it grew up in and what kind of cat its parents are.

Also, depending on the personality of the breeder, the reliability may change, so it is desirable to make a reservation and visit after that.

In the case of a pet shop, the price ranges from 100,000 to 300,000 yen, but in some cases, you can reduce the price slightly compared to buying from a breeder.

However, there are some shops that breed cats recklessly and without care, so it may be better to avoid purchasing from shops where the breeding source is unclear.

Since Siberians still have a small circulation volume, they cost at least tens of thousands of yen, but there are several conditions that further widen the price range.

・Being a kitten.
・Having excellent pedigree.
・Having rare colors or patterns.

There are other conditions as well, but mainly if they apply to the above conditions, the price tends to be higher. There were even Siberians with a price tag of several million yen.

As this breed has become popular recently, there are breeders and pet shops that try to sell fake Siberians.

Even kittens aged 1 to 3 months old often show triple coats of fur. If you can’t tell by looking at pictures alone, it’s recommended that you touch an actual cat and remember the difference between double coats and triple coats.

I want to know more about the personality and traits of Siberian!

①  To put it simply, “A cat like a dog!”

※When keeping an animal, it is necessary to follow the laws established by each country.

They are very friendly to their owners and have a docile nature. They are curious and love to play, so they can be described as active cats. They are also intelligent, so it is said that they are easy to train for things like litter box use.

However, they may turn away or run away from people who suddenly come to their house or people who they do not recognize as their own kind. In a sense, this cute side of them that is easy to understand is also attractive.

There are individual differences, but males tend to have a clingy and obedient personality, while females tend to have a sweet face and cool face both personality. However, it seems that they will also be affectionate towards their owners.

If you want to live with a lively cat, it’s better to choose a male. If you want to live with a cat with a quiet atmosphere, it’s better to choose a female.

② It gets bigger at a slow pace.

Generally, cats are said to grow quickly, but strangely enough, Siberians take five years to grow up slowly. However, it’s not that their bodies remain small for five years. Their body shape becomes larger and more solid around six months old.

In other words, it takes time for their hearts to grow. Although their appearance is the same as that of an adult cat, their insides are still like that of a lively kitten… It’s quite interesting to think about it that way.

③ Cats that are not prone to allergies.

Siberians are said to be a breed that is less likely to cause “cat allergies”. These types of cats are called “hypoallergenic cats,” and other breeds such as “Russian Blue” and “Bengal” are also hypoallergenic cats. In the case of Siberians, the sugar protein that causes allergies is low, resulting in less allergies.

However, there are individual differences in whether or not allergy symptoms occur, so it cannot be said that it is absolutely safe! It’s more like “less likely to cause allergies compared to other cats.” So if you have symptoms of cat allergies, it’s recommended that you consult with a hospital before keeping one.

What diseases are Siberian susceptible to?

The diseases that Siberians are prone to are “hairballs,” “heat stroke,” “hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,” and “polycystic kidney disease.”

①Folliculosis.

This is a disease in which hair swallowed during grooming accumulates in the digestive organs such as the stomach and intestines, causing symptoms such as vomiting. Normally, swallowed hair is excreted with feces in small amounts, but it becomes difficult to excrete when the amount of hair is large.

As a result, hairballs that cannot be excreted accumulate and can only be expelled by vomiting. Originally, cats vomit hairballs once a month to several months. This is a phenomenon that can be seen even in healthy cats, so there is no need to worry excessively. However, if you observe that “the frequency of vomiting hairballs has increased” or “the behavior of trying to vomit has increased,” there is a possibility that you have hairball disease, so it is better to see a doctor.

Especially long-haired cats like Siberians swallow a lot of hair, so be careful.

In addition, it is said that hairball disease can be prevented by brushing by the owner. It leads to important skinship, so please try to brush regularly. However, some cats hate brushing, so it’s best to do it little by little while watching their condition.

②Hyperthermia.

Many people may know about heat stroke because it is something that we can also get. As I mentioned earlier, Siberians, who are weak against heat, may suffer from heat stroke if their body temperature rises too much. However, it is a preventable disease by using air conditioning properly.

③Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

It is a disease in which the heart muscle becomes thick and the contraction of the heart does not work well. Since it is often caused by heredity, there is no specific prevention method yet.

Even if there are no noticeable symptoms after the onset, it may be complicated with thrombosis when noticed, and in the worst case, it may lead to death.

So how can we detect the disease early? The answer is to receive regular health checkups. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is difficult to cure because there is no groundbreaking treatment yet, but it is possible to slow down the progression of the disease by symptomatic treatment as early as possible.

④Polycystic kidney disease.

It is a disease in which many cysts are formed and may cause “renal failure” in the worst case.

There is no specific prevention method for polycystic kidney disease. Since the incidence rate is high in elderly cats, regular health checkups can lead to early detection. As with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, it is possible to slow down the progression of the disease by symptomatic treatment as early as possible.

What is the lifespan of Siberian?

The lifespan of Siberians is said to be 10-15 years. The lifespan of a typical cat is 12-16 years, so it’s a little shorter.

However, if you are aware of what diseases they are prone to and take care of them, they can live for more than 20 years.

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Bibliography.

まるごとわかる猫種大図鑑　監修：CFA公認審査員　早田由貴子

世界中で愛される美しすぎる猫図鑑　監修　今泉忠明

The Cat Fancier’s Association, Inc.
https://cfa.org/siberian/

猫との暮らし大百科
https://www.anicom-sompo.co.jp/nekonoshiori/

みんなの猫図鑑
https://www.min-nekozukan.com/

Pet Smile news forネコちゃん
http://psnews.jp/cat/

子猫のへや
https://www.konekono-heya.com/sitemap.html

シベリア猫ミール君　美の国あきたネット　秋田県
https://www.pref.akita.lg.jp/pages/genre/21599

ほけんROOM
https://hoken-room.jp/pet/7612

ねこちゃんホンポ
https://nekochan.jp/

公益社団法人　埼玉県獣医師会
https://www.saitama-vma.org/topics/猫の遺伝性疾患について/

アイキャッチ画像
https://pixabay.com/images/id-5729199/