ALLERGIES

Sensitivity to animals, especially to cats, is one of the most frequently seen allergies. In fact, millions of North Americans suffer from cat allergies. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, chronic sore throat and/or scratchy throat, coughing, wheezing, itchy skin, red, itchy, watery eyes, nasal congestion, itchy nose and sneezing. We ship to Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, British columbia, B.C., Nova Scotia.
Research has revealed that Fel D1, a small protein found only in cats, is produced in the sebaceous glands of their skin and saliva and is responsible for 60% to 90% of allergic responses to felines. The biological function of this protein is completely unknown at this time. Cats groom themselves constantly and spread their saliva across their fur in the process. There, the saliva ladened with Fel D1 dries, and because it is several times lighter than air, floats throughout the cat's environment. The Siberian produces lower levels of Fel D1 and, therefore, provokes less allergic reactions than do most other cats and can be said to have hypo-allergenic qualities (having a decreased tendency to provoke an allergic reaction).The only definitive testing, knowing if your allergies will tolerate this wonderful breed, is to spend some time in a home which has an adult Siberian. We ship to New York, Ohio, Michigan, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Newfoundland.
Multiple factors cause variations in Fel D1 levels in cats. The highest levels are found in breeding males followed by breeding females. Neuters of both sexes have considerably lower levels, as do kittens. Early sterilization is highly recommended to prevent the rapid increase of the allergen as the cat approaches maturity.

HISTORY

Siberian cats are considered to be the national cat of Russia, and mention of Siberian cats can be found in Russian history dating as far back as 1000 A.D. Despite their name, Siberian cats are believed to have originated in Northern Russia, where their long fur and triple undercoat allowed them to survive the harsh winters. They later migrated toward Moscow and St. Petersburg, where the majority of today's lines originate. Please visit our other web sites at www.siberiancatscanada.com and www.siberiancatsonline.com.
During the Second World War, Russia experienced a significant decline in the cat population, resulting in a horrendous overpopulation of rats. In an attempt to control these vermin, thousands of cats were brought into the cities by train from all over Russia, including Siberia, to repopulate the breeds and hunt the rats. The cross breeding that naturally occurred in the streets between these new additions resulted in many different phenotypes emerging from amongst the street cats. We sell Siberian kittens and cats on our other web sites, Mindeelyn Siberian Csts and Siberian Cats Canada.
Later, the Russian people again began to appreciate cats as domestic animals and in the 1980's cat shows were introduced. This resulted in a significant increase in public interest. Following the end of the cold war, these shows became more widely accessible to breeders and the categorization of new breeds began to emerge to distinguish between the various long hairs available at that time. It was during this period between 1988 and 1990 that the Siberian became recognized as a distinct breed. Our Siberian kittens can be shipped to Vermont, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Rhode Island.
Elizabeth Terrell of Starpoint Cattery in Baton Rouge, Louisana was the first person to import Siberian cats to the Americas. In 1990, three Siberian kittens were sent to her in exchange for several Himalayan cats from her cattery. Mr. David Boehm of Hackensack, New Jersey was the second person to import Siberians into the United States. Around the same time the first three Siberians arrived at Starpoint Cattery, Boehm flew to Russia and returned with 15 cats. He is recognized as being the second importer of Siberians but the first to actually have Siberian kittens born on American soil. It wasn't long before a select number of breeders began to recognize the value of the Siberians' loyal and loving personalities and hypo-allergenic qualities and the breed has been gaining popularity ever since.

PERSONALITY

Devoted and attentive, Siberian cats are often heralded as the dog of the cat world. Highly intelligent, Siberians will come when called and will often seek out their owners for lengthy conversations with their chirp-like voices. They are friendly and highly adaptable, confident, and good natured. Traditional cats, traditional cat, hypoallergenic cats, hypoallergenic fur, hypo-allergenic fur and hypo-allergenic cats are words describing our business.
Siberians love human contact and, in general, are particularly fond of children. They adore affection and are often underfoot, waiting to have their ears scratched or their bellies rubbed. Siberians consider themselves to be lap cats and are happiest curled up on their owner's lap having their chin's scratched. They reward their owners by letting them know how much they are loved with a long, low purr.

FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS

In this section of the website I would like to talk about a subject that is very common in the world of cat breeding and one which a lot of catteries try very hard to conceal. The subject is FIP or more fully, Feline Infectious Peritonitis.

This disease has been recognized as a major feline health issue since the early 1950’s and although a tremendous amount of money and effort has gone into research since that time, FIP still does not have a cure nor is there even a complete understanding of this complicated disease. One thing that we do know is that FIP almost always occurs in a young cat or those that are very old.

Almost every cattery is infected by the corona virus. It is passed from mother to kitten at a very early age. In most cases, the corona virus is present in the cat throughout its lifetime and does no harm whatsoever. There are, however, some cases when a weak immune system allows the corona virus to mutate into FIP and the results are always fatal. FIP can be very difficult for a veterinarian to diagnose. There is no test for it, and as FIP can attack many different organs it can display many different symptoms.

Responsible breeders try as much as possible to prevent its occurrence in their catteries. In the breeding world, there is a saying that if you breed long enough, you will have FIP kittens. There is also another wise saying in the everyday world: "It is not the problem you have, but what you do about it that counts".

Responsible catteries ask that their purchasers promptly report back to them any health issue their kittens have. That way, a cattery knows of any problems and can take steps to correct the situation. We believe that it is a breeder’s role to act as a source of information for others who have purchased from our cattery.

We try our absolute best to produce the healthiest kittens possible. It is our policy to openly discuss any relevant health issue that may arise, and willingly share with buyers any problems that we feel are current in the cattery, especially any involving the litter the buyers purchased from.

Many people think that spending a large amount of money on a cat ensures that they will receive an animal that is perfect in every way. Just because a cat comes from champion lines does not guarantee there will be no hereditary problems or defects. Cats are like every other living being - they all have genetic problems. The breeder’s job is to do the absolute best he or she can with the lines that are out there; to use the gene pool to help breed out problems, hereditary diseases and weak links.

FIP is not a genetic problem and so therefore does not fall under the genetic guarantee as written in most contracts. It is for this reason that many catteries will not cover FIP should a problem arise. Our two year genetic guarantee specifically states that "FIP is considered by the breeder to be of a genetic origin". In other words, if you follow a few requests, we will replace a kitten that dies of FIP in the first two years of life. To our knowledge, we are the only cattery whose contract states that we will replace in the sad event that FIP occurs.

If you think your kitten is sick for any reason whatsoever, we ask that:

Please remember that when purchasing a cat, or any animal for that matter, there are chances that you take. No matter how careful or caring, a breeder will eventually have a problem in one respect or the other. What you should expect is that the breeder provides you with the best quality animal possible, that she/he is available to answer questions, give guidance, information and help, and willingly backs up the guarantee if the purchaser has met his obligations as outlined in the contract.

To contact us:

Fill out the Kitten Enquiry Form
or
E-mail
or
Telephone: 905-735-2112