Photo: Satu Touru

"The smallest feline is a masterpiece." 

Leonardo da Vinci 

Siberian breed is quite new cat breed, it has been approved in FIFé in 1998. Origins are alleged to be in Persia and Transcaucasia, and from there it has spread to North Russia. In harsh conditions cat developed to be tough, strong and adaptable.

The body of a Siberian cat is strong and massive. The cat is fast, agile, good climber. The cat develops quite slowly, especially males can grow until the age of four years. Males are bigger than females. The coat is semilong and triple layered. Cat has a distinguishable mane and "knickerbockers", the tail is bushy, the top layer of the coat is water-repellent. The fur is supposed to be crispy and requires quite low maintenance, brushing every now and then is enough for most of the cats. 

Siberian cats are playful, curious, friendly, cats have a fast temper. Siberian cats are described as dog-like cats; they are active and sociable, intelligent and can even learn tricks like fetching. Cats participate in every household chores. As social cats they are not comfortable being alone for a long time, that is something you need to be aware of when considering having a cat. Siberian cats love the company of humans, other cats or even dogs.

More about Siberian breed (in Finnish): siperiankissat.net