Smart and sporty Siberians

Siberians are attributed with very unique physical characteristics which eventually make their appearance and endurance significantly standout amongst other breeds. Their strong hindquarters help them jump exceptionally high. Let’s find out more about these gentle cats who are smart and sporty in nature.
Defined to be sturdy cats with magnificently rounded body reminiscent of a barrel, paws of Siberians would surely do a heavyweight boxer proud! They always actively indulge in playing and clowning all around with their families. Siberians are considerably slow in maturing as they reach maturity at around five years of age.
Ancient traces
A flashback of the origin of Siberian cats traces back to the earliest known reference in 1000 AD. It has been in record that this breed was first appeared in cat shows during the 1870s. The International Cat Association (TICA) finds a reference to Siberians at a cat show organised at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1884. Mention of this breed are also found in books written by various cat fanciers, such as Harrison Weir’s Our Cats (1889), John Jennings’ Domestic & Fancy Cats (1898), among others. The first photo of Siberian appeared in Helen Winslow’s book titled Concerning Cats published in 1900.
From Russia with love
Though there have been references to the early Siberian cats, very little is known about documented information about them in history. The rise of fancy cats in Russia during the 1980s set the first record on this breed. Moscow-based Kotofei Cat Club introduced the first standard of Siberian using two cats as model for the breed, namely Mars (a blue lynx point and white) and Roman (a brown tabby and white). Later in the year 1989, All Union Cat Show marked the entry of 12 Siberians. Since mass imports of Siberians to the US began in the 1990s, TICA accepted the breed into the association’s New Breed Programme in 1992 and granted them ‘championship status’ in 1996.
Stunning features
Siberians are found in varied colours and rich coat patterns such as all traditional and pointed white or off-white on chin, breast and stomach which make them distinguished amid usual group of everyday cats. They are medium but strong cats with heavy boning structure and powerful musculature. Their hind legs being slightly longer than forelimbs give them an added advantage to lift themselves to reach high places. Almost rounded, their eyes appear rounder when they are alert or startled and there’s no relationship between the colours of their eyes and coats. Tapering slightly to a blunt tip, they have tail of medium length, always shorter than the body.
Coat variations
Though they are considered to be semi-longhair, coats of Siberians are ranged from coarse to soft textures and tend to shed heavily with the change of seasons. They grow thick, rich, full and triple coat in winter to protect from extreme cold like that of their original native place Siberia. But they shed it in summer which in turn gives them equally smarter look in less dense coat.
Smart personality
Siberians are smart enough to open a door and to trace
their favourite toys which their pet parents have cleverly hidden out of reach. They love to entertain everyone all around in the family or friends including children with their clown-like antics. Their purring has wonderful depth and they talk with a chirping sound while greeting their pet parents who come home from the day’s work.
(Source: The International Cat Association (TICA), Texas, USA).