The forest cat, which comes from cold Siberia, has an extremely friendly and active nature. She needs plenty of exercise and variety to satisfy her inquisitive and intelligent nature. Find out everything about the history, nature, and many other interesting facts about the “Siberian cat” breed in this article.
Size: medium to large;
Weight: cat 3-6 kg / 4.5 – 8 kg;
Life expectancy: 13 – 18 years;
Build: muscular and heavy;
Coat Colors: All colors are recognized except chocolate, cinnamon, lilac, fawn, Burmese point, and Tonkinese point;
Special features in appearance: The medium-length, very lush fur, and the large and muscular appearance;
Breed type: semi-longhair breeds;
Country of origin: Siberia (Russia);
Cat breed recognized by FIFE, WCF, GCCF, TICA, CFA;
Typical breed diseases: none known.
The nature of the Siberian cat
The forest cat, which comes from cold Siberia, has an extremely friendly and active nature. She needs plenty of exercise and variety to satisfy her inquisitive and intelligent nature. In addition, the Siberian cat is extremely cuddly, friendly, and loves regular petting. Once she feels connected to a person, she shows it.
Although she develops a very close bond with her human, she also loves to roam for hours alone in nature, to hunt and to discover the world around her. This independent, but also affectionate nature makes them a pleasant companion. As a good hunter, she is also a popular mouse catcher.
Since the Siberian cat is very sociable, it is advisable not to keep the cat alone. The Siberian cat is also ideal for small families with children: It is extremely playful and friendly, which is why children can have a lot of fun with the forest cat. In addition, the fluffy cat has nothing against cozy cuddling hours on the couch.
In addition, the Siberian cat is very easy to care for: they usually clean themselves and their lush fur. However, you should brush them regularly to prevent matting. The forest cat is also extremely robust and not very susceptible to diseases.
History and origin
Originally, the Siberian cat comes from northern Russia, where it is called Sibirskaja Koschka. It has been known here for several centuries, but has not been deliberately bred for a long time. As a good hunter, the cat breed is still a popular domestic cat in Russia, as it likes to take care of unwanted visitors, such as mice.
The Siberian cat was mentioned as early as 1864 in the zoological reference work “Brehms Tierleben”, which described a long-haired cat from Siberia, but it was only recognized much later. The robust forest cat only made it to Europe in 1984, when Russian construction workers brought it with them from the cold north. Here she enjoyed rapidly growing popularity. The Siberian cat was recognized worldwide as a separate breed for the first time in 1987 in the GDR. There she was first bred under the name “Siberian Forest Cat”. Today, the active cat is popular around the world and is bred in 35 countries.
Like the Maine Coon and the Norwegian Forest cat, the Siberian cat belongs to the forest cat breeds. The Siberian cat was officially recognized by the World Cat Federation (WCF) in 1992, followed by the Fédération Féline (FIFe) in 1998.
Interesting and worth knowing
Known from film and television
In the film Voll Verkatert, a Siberian cat embodies the main character Mr. Kuschelpuschel. Tom Brand (played by Kevin Spacey) is a billionaire daredevil who struggles to spend time with his family. To make up for his constant absences, he buys his daughter a cat from a strange salesman (Christopher Walken). However, on the way home, he gets into a car accident and finds himself in the cat’s body. A journey begins that makes him think. Mr. Kuschelpuschel was played by the Siberian cat Jean from the Sineglazka Siberian Cats breed.
Although not known from film and television, this cat does have a few fans: Gandalf is a real star on Instagram with almost 26,000 followers. The account shows the adventurous life of the Siberian cat between camping and forest walks.
