Choosing a pet, regardless of species, is a very important decision that you should never take lightly. You're essentially looking for a new child, a new member of the family that you get to choose (and if you don't see a new pet as a family member, I would discourage you from getting one for the animal's sake!). You'll be responsible for its care and feeding, giving it lots of love, and enjoying the fun times as well as dealing with the bad. And in return this animal will show you its own love as it develops its own unique personality and place in your life.

When considering a new cat - or even if you've never thought about owning a cat, but traditionally have been a dog lover - Siberian cats should be at the top of your list.

Different folks have different ways of evaluating what sort of animal they want for a pet. Some are very shallow, for lack of a better term ("Let's get a cat!" - and off they go to the local pet store), while others have very specific criteria.

Having been raised in a household that was literally filled with animals (dogs, horses, ducks, chickens, salamanders, gerbils, and a goat!), I've had quite a bit of experience with pets, and here are just a few of the things that I would recomend that you consider and research before buying or adopting a new non-human member of your family, particularly with an eye toward determining if a Siberian cat is for you!

Disposition

Disposition is basically how the breed behaves toward humans and other animals. A breed's general disposition, and the disposition of the specific animal you are thinking about bringing home, is terribly important. Consider your family situation - single, married, married with children - and look for a breed that has a complementary disposition. If you have animals already, look into whether the breed you're considering will likely get along (and the same for your current animals: will they accept a newcomer?).

In the case of Siberian cats, they have what I would consider a warm disposition, are very friendly toward humans (thus the oft-quoted "dog- like" personality references), very tolerant of children, and - though I have only read this from other sources - generally very tolerant of other animals as long as they don't fall into the prey category. In other words, if you have a beloved parakeet or two, don't expect that your new Siberian kitten is going to respect the bird's right to life!

Using our own Siberian cats as an example, I would also say that they are very friendly toward visitors, and don't run away to hide in a closet. My parents arrived yesterday to stay with us for a week, and our two kittens - Nina and Sasha - immediately warmed to them: circling around their legs looking to be petted, jumping up on the couch and sitting next to them, playing in their luggage, and so on. These are not shy "fraidy cats"!

They're also very gentle and forgiving with our two boys, ages 8 and 11. Granted, the boys are old enough to know not to pull the cat's tail or do other things that a younger child might not really understand yet. But it's hard for me to believe that either Sasha or Nina would do anything more violent than run away if a child got a little too rambunctious. The only time that I would advise some serious caution is when the kittens are young and haven't yet developed full control of their claws: you (and anyone else playing with them) can expect to come away with some scratches from playful young kittens!

Breed-Related Health Issues

Health issues related to a given breed of animal is also terribly important, both for the sake of the animal and your own pocketbook. Many animal breeds - cats, dogs, and otherwise - have a host of potential problems passed through the genes from one generation to the next (congenital defects). For example, some breeds of large dogs have a high incidence of hip dysplasia; other breeds of dogs or cats may often have allergies that can be serious enough to make the animal (and you) completely miserable. Some of these issues are treatable and the animal can live a long and healthy life; some are not.

These defects tend to occur in very popular breeds, and within bloodlines that are maintained through poor breeding practices.

With Siberians, I haven't read about any congenital issues for the breed, which doesn't surprise me at all. Despite the cloudy early history of the Siberian breed, the fact that they come from animal stock that survived a very harsh environment and that they are still relatively rare outside of Russia (and so are not as "in-bred" as some lines of popular breeds) suggests that kittens from a reputable breeder are very unlikely to have congenital health problems. This should be the case with animals from any reputable breeder, but it's something you should look into for whatever breed of animal you're considering.

Animal Size

A BIG Siberian Cat from www.murlyki.ru

So, the bottom line here is to take into account your lifestyle and expectations for a cat. Siberian cats aren't exactly Great Danes, but if you look around the web at some of the photos showing larger Siberian cats, you'll see how substantial they can be! So if you're just looking for a petite fluffball, a Siberian cat may not be for you. But if size is not a major consideration or, like me, is seen as advantageous (I grew up amidst a milling swarm of big dogs), then the size of the Siberian cat should be a definite plus. They're very substantial, solid animals that are a joy to be with.

Cat Allergies

If you're allergic to cats, then Siberian cats should be at the top of your list for consideration. While many sites claim that Siberians are hypo- allergenic cats, there is as yet no scientific study to support this claim.

However, there is consistent and considerable anecdotal information supporting the claim that individuals who are allergic to cats have either greatly reduced reaction or no reaction at all to Siberian cats.

I can personally testify to this with our own experience. Our 11 year old son is very allegic to both cats and dogs, among other things. He's on enough medication for his non-animal related allergies to mask the reaction to incidental contact with cats, but if he's exposed to a "regular" cat for any length of time he starts to exhibit symptoms (puffy eyes, congestion, etc.) that, in his case, would likely become quite severe if left unchecked.

However, with Siberian cats, he has shown no symptoms whatsoever. This is the case both with our two cats, Nina and Sasha, and also with another Siberian cat an acquaintance introduced him to in order for us to see if he would have a reaction. But after about a half hour of playing, sticking his face in its fur, rubbing his eyes after petting the cat, etc., he was just fine!

While he is still on medication to cover his other non-animal allergies, he has absolutely no problem with our Siberian cats, even after long periods of close contact (petting, playing, etc.). And we don't bathe the cats, constantly vacuum the floor and furniture, or do anything else special to minimize the amount of dander in the house. It simply isn't a problem.

So, while I can't verify the claim the Siberian cats are truly hypo- allergenic, I can testify that they definitely do not induce the same level of - if any - allergic response in people.

Reputable Breeder

Once you've done a bit of research into the above issues (as an absolute minimum!) and settled on the cat breed you want, the next thing is to find a reputable cat breeder.

This is absolutely the most important part of adding a new furry member to your family, regardless of whether you want an animal to show, breed, or have as a pet. I plan to put together another article going into more detail on selecting a breeder, so I'm not going to get too deep here. But - in brief - a reputable breeder's overriding concern is with the animal's welfare, not the money you're paying the breeder. This should be manifestedin everything the breeder does prior to and after the sale of the kittens. This is also true with rescue organizations: their primary concern is for the cat and finding it a home where it will be loved and cared for properly.

And while Siberian cats are, as far as I know, not appearing (yet) in any "pet stores," I'll also say that I very strongly discourage you from purchasing an animal - any animal - from these stores. I say this because many of these animals come from "kitty mills" (or "puppy mills" for dogs), where animals are bred and raised in terrible conditions with the sole goal being profit. Please, if you want an animal, find one from a good independent breeder or a rescue organization - don't buy an animal from a pet store and encourage this so-called business to continue.

Is A Siberian Cat Right For You?

I hope you found the above information useful in determining if a Siberian cat is the right animal to become a new member of your family. They are very loving, bright, lively, and friendly animals who should be in great health (given good care by you, of course!), and who can live in harmony with those of us two-legged animals suffering from allergies.

If you think a Siberian cat is right for you, please feel free to check our growing link directory or surf the web for Siberian cat breeders and Siberian cat rescue organizations.

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