Taiga Cats

• History
• Articles
• Information
• Gallery
• Links
• Contact

History of the
Siberian Cat 

The Siberian Cat originates from the Taiga forest in Siberia, Russia. It is truly a natural bred cat because it began from domestic cats mating with wild cats unintentionally by humans. This is their story told by native Russians on how they came into being:

Around the beginning of the 16th century domestic cats were first brought into Russia by Nobles who considered them exotic pets. At the end of the 16th century, Russians (Ukrainians and Moscovites) immigrated to Siberia enticed by the land and fur. These Pilgrims brought their cats with them to the country to reside. The domestic cats mated with the European and Asian wild cats (Felis Silvestris) that were already there. Only a few of those cats who were strong adapted to the harsh Siberian climate and survived.

To protect them from the elements the aboriginal Siberian cat naturally developed semi long-haired fur that has a dense undercoat with a fairly long slightly oily outer coat. The layered coat ensured that the wind would not reach their skin and the oiliness gave them water repellent fur so that their skin could stay dry. Also to help insulate them from the cold, they developed a thick ruff around the neck, tufted ears, large paws with fur underneath and a big bushy tail. The Siberian cat became hardy with a very good resistance against infectious diseases. They developed a heavy build that is well muscled and takes up to five years to reach full maturity. In order to survive in the forest, the Siberian cat progressed to be avid hunters, astounding leapers, excellent climbers and good swimmers. Genetically these cats have been separated from the European cats for more than 100 years.

Under the Soviet Union the citizens of Russia did not think of breeding the Siberian cat. Life under Communism was very tough, and their only thought was survival. Therefore, cats were considered functional pets for purposes such as rat control. Cat breeding was not taken seriously until recently.

As more of the Siberian breed came back over the mountains of Ural to Moscow and St. Petersburg, the breed clubs discovered the fantastic qualities of the Siberian cat. The first cat show held in Russia was in 1987 and thus the registered breeding of the long haired Russian country cat had begun.

Rembo in Tjumen Siberia

It was still not easy developing the Siberian into a breed with a consistent standard since they had mated with an assortment of natural cats. A Siberian cat was pronounced a foundation cat by bringing it to the cat show and letting the judges decide if they thought the type matched their developing standard of a thought to be typical Siberian.

It is quite difficult finding written information on the Siberian breed's history. The familiarity of the breed allowed it to be taken for granted rather than worthy of note in Russian literature. The recorded history shows that Siberians have been around for at least one thousand years. They were first mentioned in Harrison Wier's book "Our Cats and All About Them" which included information about one of the earliest cat shows held in England in 1871. The second written proof was in 1925 from the book "Brehms Tierleben" where a stocky longhaired red cat named Tobolsker coming from Caucasus is mentioned. Siberians can also be found in Russian paintings that are hundreds of years old.

In 1990 the first three Siberians were imported into the U.S.A. from St. Petersburg. The Siberian was first recognized by T.I.C.A. (The International Cat Association) in 1998 who published a standard for the cat. The breed remains relatively uncommon even today outside of Eastern Europe and the U.S.A. In recent years their popularity has continued to grow especially since studies have shown them to be hypoallergenic to most people with cat allergies.

Currently, in the early 21st century one can expect to pay around $1,000 or more for a quality bred Siberian and wait several months up to a year for a Siberian kitten from the breeder of their choice.