The White Siberian Cat: Affectionate and Communicative
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The white Siberian cat is a mastodon with a gentle expression that has become a real domestic cat despite a "wild" past in the freezing climate of Siberia. Very friendly, he has an incredible ability to adapt and knows how to get along just as well with his congeners as with dogs or children, to the delight of the family that welcomes him.
The origins of the Siberian cat
The history of the Siberian cat is recent and belongs to our century: he was described for the first time in 1925, on the Brehms Tierleben among the semi-longhaired cats of the Caucasus. As far as origins are concerned, the Siberian Colossus is thought to be nothing more than a cross between the domestic cat brought by Russian settlers to Siberia, and the wild cat of the Ural Mountains and the Central Siberian Plateau. In Europe, the Siberian breed was discovered recently.
The first specimen was imported from Saint-Petersburg in Germany, in 1989, by two breeders: Hans and Betti Schulz; today, their breeding has many specimens of Siberians, who have become great champions. It is to breeder Elizabeth Terrel and David Boehm that the credit for having made the Siberian known as far as the United States, where he conquered the Guinness of the award-winning by "stealing" him from the American colossus, the Maine Coon.
The ideal cat
The white Siberian cat is a cat of imposing dimensions: the male specimens can reach 26.5 lb (but are mostly 13 or 15.5 lb), while the females weigh between 9 and 13 lb. They take about three years to reach these dimensions, and when fully developed, they look strong.
The body has a well-developed and heavy musculature. The head, of medium size and triangular, has rounded contours; the upper part is flat, and the muzzle is surrounded by circular lines, with not very prominent cheeks.
In general, at the tip of the ears, the hair ends in a tuft (as in lynx). The eyes, very large, are almost round, tilted towards the external base of the ears, and well-spaced; the typical color that characterizes them is an intense yellow-green. The legs are large, round, and very vigorous and end in giant, round feet; when extended, the hind legs are slightly longer than the front ones.
The back is arched and very long, and the rib cage is barrel-shaped. The tail is broad at the base, moderately long, and blunt at the tip. The coat can be medium or long, very full, and waterproof with an adherent and light undercoat. The hair appears shorter on the shoulder blades, and the ruff must be abundant and vigorous.
The character of White Siberian Cat
The Siberian cat is no longer the rustic mountain cat he once was. From now on, he is a very sociable cat, able to get along with everyone (cats, dogs, children...) on the condition of not rushing him and showing gentleness towards him. He can even be exclusive with his master or a little clumsy, very affectionate, demonstrative, and communicative.
He can sometimes have specific desires for independence and freedom, but that does not prevent him from living in an apartment, provided he can let off steam as he pleases with games, a cat tree, and other sources of distraction.
Behavior
Talkative: Simply by his size, the Siberian does not go unnoticed, so, fortunately, he does not feel the need to express himself verbally!
Greedy/gluttonous: His appetite is proportional to his size but also his level of daily activity.
Need for exercise: This domestic feline must exert himself to avoid boredom and the temptation to eat too large quantities of food. By varying his choice of activities that he can do on his own and by having him chase after a feather duster or a fishing rod, you are giving him the exercise necessary for his well-being.
Runaway: His fur is good protection against the cold or the rain, and this big cat can resist the bad weather of the outside climate very well. And with his large size, he can also have the strength to climb and escape from your garden. Vigilance is key!
- The Siberian and the Dogs: He will undoubtedly seek at the start to hide or to put himself at height to supervise this new animal that comes to shake up his daily life. But by introducing them gradually and under supervision, he will be able to adapt very well to life with a canine companion.
- The Siberian and other cats: This feline likes to live its life without the presence of its congeners. However, he can agree to live with another cat if the introductions are made with respect, and the layout of his interior allows everyone to have his own space.
- The Siberian and the Children: Given its size, children won't pass it by without noticing it. The quality of the time they share will depend a lot on how the children approach her or encourage her to come to them and how well they understand the cat's body language. Success, therefore, requires education and monitoring.
- The Siberian and the Elderly: His tranquility will make him a good companion for a calmer person. Being young, it is normal for the Siberian to be more active. It is therefore recommended to take good advice from the breeder to move towards the least exuberant individuals.
Maintenance
Grooming: Weekly brushing is sufficient, except during molting in the spring, when daily brushing may be necessary.
Hair loss: During the spring molt, this cat will lose a lot of his thick, protective winter fur, which he will no longer need during milder seasons.
Feed: It is advisable to maintain him in good health with food adapted to his living conditions and that this one is of good quality.
One brushing per week is sufficient for maintenance, except during molting periods when it is better to brush more frequently to eliminate dead hair. It is necessary to insist on the areas where knots can form: behind the ears, between the legs, the chest, and the buttocks.
Products For White Siberian Cat
Health
Life expectancy: The white Siberian Cat's life expectancy is between 15 and 20 years.
Resistant / robust: His coat and undercoat give it good protection against rain and extreme cold. And he also has a reputation for being in relatively robust health. However, the heat will be less appreciated, even if the density of its coat adapts accordingly.
Tendency to grow: His morphology is worth it to be already round at the level of the ribs. Be careful not to attribute these natural curves to weight gain mistakenly! It is, therefore, necessary to ensure that his diet is well adapted to his lifestyle to avoid being overweight, especially since it is not easy to spot weight gain at a glance, with such thick hair.
The Siberian can one day develop the same pathologies as any other cat, such as oral pathologies. Some other diseases may appear:
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Pyruvate kinase deficiency is an inherited condition that leads to anemia if the cat is affected. Its life expectancy can be short (one year) or long (about ten years), depending on the intermittent evolution of this disease. A DNA screening test can be performed to find out if the cat carries one or two alleles that can cause the disease.
The Siberian is described as low allergenic, that is to say, that he does not produce much of a protein, FELD1, whose amino acid sequence can cause allergies.
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