Sunday, May 20, 2007

Siberians got to Australia


Waw! Siberians got to Australia - at least on the web. On this site they say that Siberian were imported to Australia only in 2003. Which is really strange since this breed is old and popular.

They will watch TV with you, go to the bathroom with you, try to take a shower or bath with you, and then go to bed with you. And if you are trying to do something, they will insist on helping.

This is very very true. Following the owner is favorite thing to do. I wonder - and what would happen in the woods where there is no owner at hand?

Anyway - I'm very pleased that even in far away Australia Siberians are known.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Siberian Cat Breeders Showcase

Siberian Cat Breeders Showcase is a place where you can easily find a Siberian Cat breeders, look at Siberian pictures, or even find a kitten. Breeders contacts and cat photos can be found there. Design might be not the best (a little old fashioned - you know, 1999 style). But content is interesting.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Zissou buring his food

This Zissou is playing again. We cats try to bury the food all the time. We try to save it for harder times. We'd prefer to stay hungry for a while but to force THEM gives us better food. If THEY don't - we can always eat buried food. Clever we are.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Zissou is playing again



Look at this Zissou - he's playing again. Kitten like to play - and this is good for their health. They're training their bodies and grow strong. Good for Zissou to play that much!

Monday, May 07, 2007

Cat got your nose?: Siberians may be the answer for some allergy-riddled pet lovers

Another article about Siberians being a cat breed suitable for those who suffer from cat allergy.

Cat lovers, this is nothing to sneeze at.

The Siberian breed has become hot news among allergy sufferers who have always wanted a cat but feared the resulting wheezes, sneezes, hives, watery eyes and other problems. But some breeders and allergic owners say that many people who react to other cats can cuddle a Siberian without trouble.

Melissa Young of Arlington has a 2 1/2-year-old nephew, Keegan, whose immunodeficiency disorder makes him allergic to dogs and cats. He's even been hospitalized a couple of times after reacting to cats.

Yet Keegan, who spends a lot of time at the Young house, plays with the Youngs' 6-month-old Siberian without any problem.

"[Keegan] loves the cat, and he cries when he has to leave," Ms. Young says.

Or take 6-year-old Zach Mays of Wylie, who would normally react strongly if he held a cat. But he can play with his 3-month-old Siberian kitten with nothing more than occasional slightly reddened eyes, says his mom, Denise Mays.

Allergy sufferers don't love their Siberians just for the non-sneezy benefits. Siberians are handsome, round-faced, shaggy cats, and breeders and owners even ones without allergies cherish the cats for their affectionate natures.

Pet Lenhard of Melbourne, Fla., said her Siberian, Grigori, seemed "to know I'm sad right now" after her husband died in May 1997. Writing to Florida breeder Lynda Nelson, who sold her Grigori, Ms. Lenhard said: "He washes my arm or face and gives massages in the early hours of the morning when I can no longer sleep."

A Nelson client who does have cat allergies, Ernie Sherman of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., wrote in 1997: "It is still somewhat difficult to explain how these beautiful creatures have changed my life. They have provided me with a special feeling of companionship and responsibility. They have all the qualities associated with cats, yet show traits usually attributed to dogs. They exhibit a loyal and protective behavior which other people also notice." Mr. Sherman, who has had lifelong asthma and could not have pets before, now owns four Siberians.

The cats are said to have regal bearing; they also carry a pretty majestic price tag. Breeders charge , depending on age and other factors. However, that price may include not only the cat's basic vaccinations, but spaying and neutering too.

Why many allergy sufferers can own Siberians without swelling like the Goodyear blimp remains a mystery. Ms. Nelson says the cat lacks the allergy-triggering Fel d 1 protein usually found in feline saliva and skin secretions. (Cats spread the allergen around mostly via their dander.)

Not likely, says Dr. James R. Richards, director of the Feline Health Center at Cornell University's highly regarded veterinary school. "I am unaware of any studies that show that any one breed is less allergenic than another, or that one breed produces lower levels of Fel d 1," he says.

A prominent immunologist agrees: "In every cat species that's been looked at, there's been this major allergen [Fel d 1] lions, tigers, Sphinx [hairless house cats]," says Dr. Peyton Eggleston, a researcher in pulmonary immunology and urban asthma at Johns Hopkins University's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center.

The fur is flying

Georgia breeder Kathy Wade cites tests done by an independent Virginia laboratory in 1999. Indoor Biotechnologies, which does sophisticated tests for the presence of allergens, sampled fur from four cat breeds sent to the lab. Ms. Wade says the tests revealed much lower levels of Fel d 1 among Siberians and Abyssinians than typical house cats.

Not so fast, the lab says. In its most recent Web posting, the lab says breeders have misinterpreted the test results and that the Siberian fur actually showed high levels of allergen.

"The company would not provide recommendations on pet ownership based on the results provided under these circumstances," the lab states. "The results do not provide convincing scientific data that Siberian cats are 'hypoallergenic,' and it is unfortunate that they have been widely disseminated on the Web and used by breeders of Siberian cats to promote the breed."

Minnesota's Dvorovoi Cattery offers another theory: "Siberians produce less dander than most cats, probably due to their oily base fur. Since dander is just dry skin, the oils in the fur keep the skin from drying out."

"Interesting thought, but it still seems far-fetched to me," says Cornell's Dr. Richards. And Dr. Eggleston flatly rejects the notion: "One of the sources of dander is the sebaceous glands, which produce the oil."

Some breeders, such as Audrey Oliver of Arizona, scoff at the whole nonallergenic business: "There's no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat. ... It's something that has created a lot of problems for those of us who are trying to be very honest with people."

She advises allergic customers to bathe the cat at least once a week, bar it from the bedroom, vacuum and dust religiously and comb the cat frequently to reduce shedding.

Dallas allergist Dr. Gary Gross further suggests using air cleaners with HEPA filters (and using a HEPA-filter vacuum cleaner as well). He also suggests calling the Allergy Control Products toll-free line (1-800-422-DUST) for detailed information on allergen reduction.

So what's happening?

Can anything, then, explain why Ernie Sherman can have four Siberians and still draw a breath?

Dr. Eggleston offers a couple of possibilities.

"There's a very significant emotional component to allergic disease," he says. "It's not that people are crazy, but in any therapeutic trial for asthma, there's about a 30 percent placebo rate.

"People have done 'challenge' studies where allergy sufferers are given allergen solutions to inhale. With suggestion, you can markedly influence that response." If you believe strongly enough that you won't be allergic, he says, you may still have symptoms. They just won't bother you as much.

He warns, though: "We see a lot of people who are attached to cats who have lots of chronic illness that we are absolutely sure is related to their ownership of cats."

Dr. Eggleston also cites research done by Tom Platts-Mills of the University of Virginia medical school. Dr. Platts-Mills' data shows that "at higher levels of cat allergen exposure, you may actually have less sensitization. He's suggesting that maybe this is why people say they can tolerate their cat. ... I'm not sure about this, but the data is there."

To help allergic prospective customers decide, some breeders will send them a snip of Siberian fur to put inside their pillowcase for a few nights' trial if they can't visit the breeder.

But Dr. Gross calls the pillowcase trial "ridiculous."

"The best way would be to go and spend some time with a person who owns one or to go to a breeder and spend the day there," he says. "Unfortunately, some illnesses such as asthma are worse at night, so even a negative daytime trial might not be definitive."

It may all boil down to this: If you hang around a cat for a few days and it doesn't make you sneeze and wheeze, that's all you need to know.

"If it works for you, it's fine," says Dr. Eggleston. "You don't need lots of explanations."

It worked for Lynda Nelson's client Georgi Brochstein, who sent the breeder this e-mail about his family's new Siberian:

"She has fit in beautifully and has such a place in our hearts. Everyone who comes in contact with her is charmed by her friendly manner and patience around small children. One small child in particular is my 2-year-old grandson, Logan, who has had problems with asthma since he was an infant. The look of pleasure on his face when he has the kitty in his lap and pets her gives us such joy because he couldn't understand before why he couldn't be around animals."

By Steve Steinberg / The Dallas Morning News
Source

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Zissou - Playful Kitten



Just found another nice movie with siberian color point cat. It's a blue point - he has blue nose and points (tail and legs). It's very very beautiful!
Kittens are sooo cute! I think I should have kittens again. Though it was tiresome, but it was so nice to have kittens. And I hope I was a good mom.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Siberian Cats at Answers.com

At big site Answers.com there is a page about Siberian Cats.
The Siberian is a recognized breed of cat, with most cat organizations accepting Siberians of any color (including color points) for competition. This includes recognition in the major cat registries such as TICA and Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), as well as acceptance in the CFA Championship class beginning on February 6th, 2006.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Siberian Cats Are Nothing to Sneeze at

Even though they have beautiful fur, Siberian cats are not only great for allergy suffers, but will give your dog a run for its money

Do you feel that cats can't compete with dogs? Think again. In 2003, Rachel Tucker of Baker City, OR, entered her two hundred strong Siberian cat sled team in the Atta Boy 300 sled dog race as a publicity stunt. Much to the amazement and embarrassment of the Husky competitors, Tucker's cats ran the three hundred mile course in just over twenty-two hours, not only winning the race, but beating out the nearest dog team by about an hour. No one thought she had a prayer, except for Tucker of course. "I told the puppy lovers to watch out, that these cats were for real, but they thought I was joking," said Tucker. Centuries ago, Siberian cats were initially bred as watch cats and used in Russian monasteries.

Siberians are beautiful breed large cats that are a natural product of Russia, typically found in Leningrad and St. Petersburg. They did not have it easy, either. Not only did they have to endure the harsh Russian climate, but for a number of years it was against the law for Russians to own and feed pets. These cats had to run the streets surviving 'underground' and eventually finding refuge in the local monasteries. They weren't introduced into the United States until the 1990s.

Siberians are semi-longhaired cats with thick undercoats and come in all color patterns, usually taking up to five years to mature. As illustrated above, they have powerful muscles and are great leapers, with hind legs, when extended, slightly longer than the front ones. Their paws are large and powerful as well. But in spite of all this strength, they are extremely agile, and have the sweetest facial expressions. They are very vocal and can be heard giving off a soft chirping sound. Siberian cats have quite a regal bearing.

But one of the most fascinating things about Siberians is that people who are typically allergic to cats, who experience sneezing, wheezing, hives, and watery eyes as well as other symptoms, have absolutely no allergic reaction to a Siberian. For a shaggy cat, that is quite an astounding fact. People who in the past have even been hospitalized because of an allergic reaction to cats can comfortably cuddle with a Siberian and suffer not a single sniffle.

Siberians have wonderfully affectionate natures and are quick to give a kitty massage or bath to their owner when they're feeling sad or down. They also have been said to have dog-like qualities, especially when it comes to protective behavior. For all of their power and protectiveness, Siberian cats are absolutely wonderful around children. So if you happen to have children with allergies or asthma, but you would love to give them a pet, a Siberian Cat is just the ticket.

Via The Feline Cart

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Siberians are 7th most popular cat breeds

According to that article Siberians are the 7th most popular breed:

7. Siberian Cat

Siberian cats are known for their proportioned bodies and their furs. Some even claim
that their furs are hypoallergenic, although this is still subject to be confirmed.

These cats are intelligent, loyal and very affectionate. They are almost dog-like in their personality.


Yes, I can confirm - I am like that. :)
Purrr...

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Sibaris

Sibaris is a website of Moscow based cattery. Owners are Arina Kozyr and Alexander Kolesnikov who are PhDs in molecular biology.


We are doing our best to apply our knowledge in biology and genetics to the Siberian breed development. Our main task in breeding is to establish stable lines of Siberian cats with “wild-type” colors and outstanding breed characteristics.

Visit their photo gallery to see their nice cats.