History

Records show that the Siberian breed has been around for over a 1000 years, making them one of the oldest breeds in the world. The Siberian breed comes from Russia, true to its name.

The breed can be seen in Russian paintings and writings hundreds of years old. Siberians are very new to the US, being introduced in 1990 this making them relatively rare, though very popular.

Siberians have won the hearts of American cat lovers in this short period of time.

Exactly how the Siberian made its way to Russia is unknown. The theory is that the breed arrived with immigrants, explorers or traders and has existed in Russia for hundreds of years.

This breed has a thick triple coat that gets thicker during the winter months. The coat is a bit oily and very water resistant, possibly an evolutionary trait that helped deal with the harsh Russian winters.

Personality

Siberians are a loyal, affectionate and playful breed. They make great companions to just about anyone, including children and the elderly. Siberians are best known for their intelligence, size, luxurious fur and devotion to their human families.

They are not normally a very vocal breed, yet express themselves with soft chirps when they are excited. Siberians will win you over with their charm.

They love to follow their humans around and greet you at the door. They are often described as very puppy like.

Hypoallergenic

Most people, who have allergies to other cats, have little or no reaction to the Siberian.

There are some who claim that Siberians are hypoallergenic, there is no such evidence to support these claims, there are however answers as to why these cats might be all right with allergy sufferers.

Siberians have a hypoallergenic "tendency" because their FEL D-1 count is very low. Keep in mind this is no guarantee that you will not have a reaction.
We cannot make any guarantees on the purchase of a Siberian kitten - each person and each cat is different.

 

What is FEL D1?

FEL D-1 is a scientist named protein found in feline saliva. When the cat grooms itself, the protein dries on the coat leaving dander (Contrary to popular belief, allergic reactions are not caused because of cat’s coat length).

Dander particles are so small that air filters can not remove them all from the air.

Recent testing results for FEL D-1 fur samples.

Indoor Biotechnologies, an independent lab in Virginia located at 1216 Harris St. Charlottesville, Va. 22903 performed the following tests in December of 1999.

Test subjects:

#1 male alter mixed breed had 62,813

#2 male alter Siberian had 2001

#3 female alter Abyssinians had 384.50

#4 female alter Siberian had 205.50

This would indicate that the Siberians have considerably less FEL D-1 than the standard house hold cat. Note the females have lower numbers than the males.

I have allergies, but I still want to adopt a Siberian.

Please understand we do everything we can to ensure our kittens are placed into forever homes. We try to accommodate placement into allergy homes, but there is a very strict process.

Here is what we require before placing any of our kittens into allergy homes. Please answer the following questions for us regarding the allergy sufferer(s) in your home: (please cut and paste this into your email)

1. Are your allergies mild, medium or severe?

2. Do you suffer from asthma?

3. Are you allergic to ONLY cats? Or are there any other allergies?

4. Once exposed to a cat, how long does it normally take before you see a reaction?

5. Are you on any medication for allergies?

6. If your reactions are delayed for a couple of months or a year, what will you do with your new kitty?

Once your responses are received, we will evaluate them and determine if one of our Siberian kittens is right for you. If we think that there might be a potential match, the next step will be a Cloth Test.

The test is at your expense.

Cloth Test: Please send/mail us an article of clothing or towel (pillow cases work best) which has been pre-washed (twice). Do not use fabric softener. Send $7.00 for return shipping.

We will allow one or two of our cats to sleep on your item for 24 hours. This will ensure it collects dried saliva, dander and oils from the coat.

Please NOTE: If your reaction causes your air passages to close, please do not attempt an allergy test this way. This could be dangerous; you should consult a specialist/allergist in these cases.

We are not responsible for any misuse of this test item; this test will be conducted at your sole discretion and risk.

If you have any questions please feel free to call or email me
(310) 637-3736
or
(310) 930-1965

Ask for Monica


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