A Concise Summary of the History of Siberian Cats with Links
Pre-Recognition as an Official Breed
The true origin of the Siberian cat remains shrouded in history. All that we do know is that the Siberian cat developed its unique qualities while living on the streets, farms and forests surrounding various Russian and Siberian cities. Because of the harshness of the climate, and the difficulties of surviving as feral populations, a land race developed. This race of cats had unique features not seen in other regions, including the rare triple layer coat to protect the cats from the cold and wet, smaller and rounded ears to prevent heat loss, and a unique intelligence and personality that is often described as "dog-like".
There are instances of these unique cats in paintings and literature dating back as far back as 1000 AD but they may have existed long before. There is some speculation that these cats are the ancestors of the other two forest breeds, the Maine Coon and the Norwegian Forest Cat.
In modern times they were commonly referred to as “street cats”. There wasn’t much interest in them as a breed until the first cat show was held. Suddenly interest burst forth and many of these cats even caught the attention of foreigners who worked to import them to their home countries.
Breed standards were developed based on some of the top cats that were shown at the time; this included the much disputed color-point (Neva Masquerade). The CFA, WCF and TICA organizations recognize these cats but include the color-point as an accepted color where FIFe does not.
For more information on how the breed was created, including the writing of the breed standard and the influence of the Neva Masquerade cats please refer to this great article: THE SIBERIAN CAT - the history of love and public recognition.
More great articles include:
“A Siberian in Exile” By Alex Kolesnikov, PhD in molecular genetics, Sibaris cattery, Russia.
(More Coming Soon!)
After Recognition
(Coming Soon!)
Siberians in the USA
The Siberian cat first made its debut within the United States thanks to the efforts of Elizabeth Terrell and a few others. She worked out a cultural exchange of U.S. Himalayan lines for Siberian lines and brought them into the USA. Her cattery, Starpoint, figures heavily in many American lines including our own through Archibald Boris of Pendraig and now his grandson, and our current stud, Pendraig Aslan SunFire. To read more on the Siberian Cat's introduction into the United States:
Links for More Information
- THE SIBERIAN CAT - the history of love and public recognition.
- SiberianCatWorld.com's section on breed history
- The Siberian Cat - A Novel Approach. by Phil Maggitti
We are located near Austin, Texas USA