The Siberian Cat

The Siberian Cat is a domestic cat native to Russia. Although they are furry cats, they are also said to be hypoallergenic, and thus a good choice of cat for people with allergies.

Siberian Cats are strongly built, and are stockier than many other cats. They are exceptionally good at jumping. They are also known for their distinctive triple purr.

Having evolved in the harsh Russian climate, where weather ranges from blazing hot in the summer to 50 degrees below in snowbound winters, the Siberian Cat has three natural types of fur – down, awn hairs and guard hairs. It’s coat is genuinely glossy, but not textured, not sleek, which ads to the Siberian’s powerful, stocky look. As with other cats, the Siberian’s fur can be a variety of colours, including my favourite, tabby.

Siberian Cats are similar to the Norwegian Forest Cat breed, and are sometimes referred to as the Siberian Forest Cat.

Hypo-Allergenic Siberian Cats

If you browse the internet looking for Siberian Cats, you will find a lot of pet stores and siberian cat breeders who advertise the Siberian’s hypo-allergenic properties. Hypo-allergenic doesn’t, as is commonly believed, mean that Siberian Cats are allergen free – but it does mean that they carry around lower amounts of allergenic dusts than many other cat breeds. This, it is believed, makes them suitable cats for people who have allergic reactions to many other cats.

Claims that the siberian cat allergy free have been circulating for at least a decade. Basically, the claims stem from testing that showed Siberian Cats had lower levels of Fel d 1 (a protein that is the main allergen you’ll find on cats) than a mixed breed of cat. However, the claims seem to have been exaggerated markedly by siberian cat breeder after breeder, in search of the perfect lifestyle pet. Our view is that, because only a few scientific studies have been undertaken so far (and not particularly conclusive studies at that), you should treat all claims from breeders with due caution.

Siberian Cat – Russian National Cat

Although an extremely rare cat in the United States – it was first imported into the country in 1990 – the Siberian Cat is, as you would expect, an extremely popular cat in Russia.

Although records of this particular breed of cat date back to 1871, when it was exhibited in an early English cat show, the cat was only officially registered as a breed in Russia in 1987. Since ten, though, it has massively increased in popularity, and is owned by current Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, as well as the last Soviet Premier, Mikhail Gorbachev,

There are also a number of celebrity Siberian Cat owners in the US – notably Steve LeVeille, who runs a Boston based talk radio show on which he regularly mentions his Siberian cat called Max.

Where to buy Siberian Cats

In the past twenty years, the popularity of Russian Siberian Cats has increased massively in the United States. Originally imported from Russia, there are now many cat breeders who specialize in breeding Siberian cats. In particular, there are many who try to breed them to reduce the breed’s hypoallergenic properties even further than current levels.

A quick search of the internet will pull up plenty of examples of online Siberian Cat stores and breeders where you can buy siberian cat. Or, if they’re too far away from you, they can point you in the direction of a reputable local pet store or breeder who may be able to help you out and find a local breeder who has siberian cats for sale.

Mostly you will be able to buy Siberian Kittens, but some adult cats are also available. If you are going to buy an adult Siberian Cat, though, I would urge you to carefully consider going to one of the organizations listed below who rescue Siberian cats.

Siberian Cat Rescue

Sadly, as with all cats, there are owners who fail to take care of the Siberian Cats, or who abandon their Siberian Cat. Often times though, it’s not maliciousness or neglect on the part of the owner – sometimes people’s circumstances change and they find that they are no longer able to care for a siberian cat.

While any cat rescue group will be able to look after and re-home a Siberian Cat, there are also a few specialist Siberian Cat Rescue organizations that have been set up. One particular organization is the, aptly named, Siberian Cat Rescue Group. The SCRG were founded in 2002 as a non-profit organization, dependent on the time of volunteers and on donations received from cat lovers.

SCRG take unwanted Siberian Cats and attempt to rehome them with suitable a suitable family. They do charge a small fee for those who want to adopt a siberian cat – this is currently $175, to cover the required medical expenses.