The Siberian Forest Cat is one of the oldest domestic cat breeds in the world.
breed description
The Siberian Forest Cat is a strong semi-longhair cat. It is one of the oldest breeds of domestic cats. The long, lush coat is distinctive for a Siberian forest cat.
Origin and breed history
The name is no coincidence: in fact, the Siberian forest cat has its origins in Russia and Ukraine. However, she was hardly known outside of Russia until the late 1980s. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that more and more people in the West became attracted to the Siberian Forest Cat and it established itself as a popular breeding cat. The World Cat Federation recognized the Siberian Forest Cat as an official breed in 1992.
In the large areas of northern Russia, it is said to still be widespread as a house cat. There she is known by the name “Sibirskaja Koshka”, which simply means Siberian cat, but actually, it is just a collective name for cats with lush and long fur. The African wildcat or wildcat are known as ancestors because, like all domestic cats, the Siberian domestic cat is descended from them. Until the 19th century, long-haired cats were considered a rarity. Accordingly, they caught the eye of travelers and traders in particular. In 1884, the animals were first described in an issue of “Brehms Tierleben”, after which they appeared again and again in European publications.
Today, the Siberian Forest Cat is bred worldwide. However, their name was changed to the Siberian cat to better distinguish them from the Norwegian Forest cat. However, she is known by both names.
The appearance of the Siberian Forest Cat
The Siberian Forest Cat is known for its long, water-repellent, and robust outer coat and for its dense undercoat. She needed this especially in her home country to adapt to the cold weather there. The so-called “snowshoes” also help here: This means small tufts of fur between the pads, which are intended to make it easier for the cat to walk through the snow.
There is a similarity to the Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest Cat, so it is often confused. However, it is smaller than the Maine Coon and, above all, longer-legged than the Norwegian Forest Cat.
The Siberian forest cat cannot deny its origins: its fur, which is double-layered in winter, is water-repellent and its dense undercoat always keeps the animal warm. However, the cat loses its undercoat in summer. Therefore, it is also significantly shorter and lighter.
According to the umbrella organization TICA, the Siberian Forest Cat can wear all traditional colors. However, most breeding organizations see it differently. These exclude the colors cinnamon, fawn, chocolate, and lilac. These technical terms describe reddish and brownish fur colors, as well as their dilutions, i.e. a weakened variant of the actual color.
character and essence
A friendly and loving nature stands for the Siberian house cat. She is a very social animal who always likes to be in company. It would therefore be advisable if you kept her with another cat. There is no problem with other animals either. The Siberian forest cat can be kept as a house cat without any problems, but due to its urge to move, it needs sufficient opportunities to climb and play.
They are extremely curious and would love to explore everything around them. The animals are considered adventurous and intelligent, but they also have a mind of their own. Therefore, a good upbringing is a be-all and end-all.
posture and diet
As already mentioned, it is not a problem if the Siberian Forest Cat is kept as a house cat. However, you should definitely make sure that she always has enough space to play, as she has a very lively nature. It is ideally suited as a house cat, with sufficient freedom of movement being important. Due to her great urge to move, she would not be able to let off steam in the apartment in the long term.
When it comes to nutrition, opinions differ. Some believe that only special food can provide cats with all the vitamins and nutrients they need, while others are firmly convinced that raw feeding is the most natural thing to do. But what is really best for your pet? Unfortunately, there is no general statement for this. Because every animal has its own needs, and also can not tolerate everything. We know that from our diet. If you want to continue the discussion about the best food, you could think about the choice of brand, the meat content, and the price. Because we all know that expensive does not always equal good.
So it’s really not easy to form your own opinion when you’re influenced by so many views. Because in principle everyone wants the same thing, namely to offer the best possible to the beloved pet.
One piece of advice would be to simply see what your cat tolerates best. The important thing here is: Pay attention to variety and avoid pure dry feeding!
Basically, you can also note the following: Cats should be fed about four times a day, and smaller cats more often. Wet food with a strong smell should be discarded if it has not been eaten after 30 minutes, but individual pieces of meat can be left for a little longer. You should feed your cat as early and as late as possible, with a meal between noon and at dusk. In order to provide variety, you should always make sure that meat and canned food are not mixed.
Read Also: Turkish Angora
upbringing and care
Due to their uncomplicated character, the upbringing itself is not a problem. However, Siberian cats are always curious and want to explore everything around them. Consequently, consistent training is extremely important.
If you take a look at the fur, you might think that caring for it is particularly complex and time-consuming. But this is not the case! Fortunately, the Siberian Forest Cat manages to keep its own fur clean to a large extent on its own. It should only be brushed when the fur is changing. If you get your cat used to this “ritual” early enough, she’ll even enjoy it as a little stroking!
Feeding the cat is not particularly difficult or expensive. Conventional cat food is therefore the right choice, you won’t go wrong with it. An advantage: Due to her strong urge to move, she has a high energy requirement and therefore hardly tends to be overweight.
Health and typical diseases
The Siberian Forest Cat’s long coat can get knotted easily, so regular brushing is very important. You should pay particular attention to this during the coat change phase. A secretion can accumulate in the eyes, which you should always remove. Otherwise, this can lead to inflammation.
The Siberian cat is a fairly robust pedigree cat and is therefore not prone to illnesses. You can easily tell the health of your pet by its fur. If it shines, the cat is healthy. However, if you find bald spots, or notice that she has a generally shaggy, lackluster coat, a trip to the vet may be necessary.
The life expectancy of the Siberian Forest Cat
Unfortunately, life expectancy cannot be generalized across the board. Of course, it depends on the living conditions and the health of the animal. However, if your cat is completely healthy, it can live to be 12 to 15 years old. If your cat grows up well, has no hereditary diseases, and is fed healthily, you can look forward to a long time with your pet. If you find that your cat is not doing well, behaving erratically, or refusing to eat, a visit to the doctor is always helpful. This can detect any diseases early enough and counteract them. The following applies here: Better too often than too little.
FAQs
How old does a Siberian forest cat get?
The life expectancy of a Siberian Forest Cat is 12 to 15 years.
When is a Siberian Forest Cat fully grown?
The Siberian forest cats grow very long and are therefore only fully grown at the age of about 3 years.
