This breed originates in Russia, and was first imported into the USA in 1990.

Colour varieties of the Siberian vary and all colours are genetically possible, such as tabby, solid colours tortoiseshell colours and colour point varieties.

There is some depute as to the origins of the colour points in the breed but as long as records have been kept in Russia colour points have been noted to have been produced. The Russian believe that the feral pointed cats mated with the other colours along the Neva River region in Leningrad (which is now named St Petersburg) in the 1960’s.Soon Russian breeders were including this pattern into their breeding programs and created the nick name for them “Neva-Masquerade”. Neva for the river, and masquerade, for the mask. These are not a separate class of the Siberian but another colour. Some countries still do not accept the colour pointed version in the breed acceptance standard. No outcrosses are permitted for this breed.

Breeders

1. Siberian cats, Australia