Siberian cat
The Siberian is a centuries-old landrace (natural variety) of domestic cat in Russia, and recently developed as a formal breed with standards promulgated the world over since the late-1980s. Since 2006, the breed is recognised for registry and championship status with all major cat registries.
| Siberian | |
|---|---|
Black sunshine Siberian adult | |
| Other names | Siberian Forest Cat Moscow Semi-longhair |
| Origin | Russia |
| Breed standards | |
| CFA | standard |
| FIFe | standard |
| TICA | standard |
| WCF | standard |
| FFE | standard |
| ACF | standard |
| ACFA/CAA | standard |
| CCA-AFC | standard |
| GCCF | standard |
| LOOF | standard |
| NZCF | standard |
| SACC | standard |
| Domestic cat (Felis catus) | |
The formal name of the breed is Siberian Forest Cat, but it is typically referred to as the Siberian or Siberian cat. Formerly, sometimes the names Moscow Semi-Longhair and Russian Longhair were also used. The colourpoint variant or sister breed, called the Neva Masquerade, is categorised as a separate cat breed by some registries, including FIFe, WCF and ACF.
The breed developed from an ancient, natural landrace from Siberia and is the national cat of Russia. While it began as a landrace, Siberians are selectively bred and pedigreed in all major cat fancier and breeder organisations. This means that all Siberian cats are purebred cats with a formally registered ancestry. It is a medium to large sized, muscular breed with a bushy tail.
The Siberian is often called hypoallergenic because it produces less Fel d 1 than other cat breeds. A research study of Siberian cats native to the area of Russia from which the breed stock originated confirmed the subjects produced less Fel d 1 (the strongest among the eight known Fel d 1 allergens produced in cat saliva, therefore, is deposited on their fur when they groom themselves) than non-Siberian cats.