Neva Masquerade

Proposal for a Change to the Siberian Cat Standard

In concurrence with the developing breeding of Siberian cats (SIB) as well as the contemporary situation in SIB breeding, we file this Proposal for a Change to SIB standard:
Delete the article No. xx of SIB standard – coat colour – as amended:

“All colour varieties are permitted, including all colour varieties with white; except pointed patterns and chocolate and lilac, cinnamon and fawn
any amount of white is allowed, i.e. a white blaze, white locket, white chest, white on the belly, white on the paws, etc.”

Article No. xx of SIB Standard – coat colour – replace with the new amended version:

„All colour varieties are permitted, including all colour varieties with white; except chocolate and lilac, cinnamon and fawn and their colourpoint varieties. Any amount of white is allowed, i.e. a white blaze, white locket, white chest, white on the belly, white on the paws, etc.“

The Submitter of the proposal comes out from the original version of SIB standard of FIFé having deleted the pointed patterns from the original version in the new proposal.

Motivation:

1) The history of development, origin and existence of the “natural breed” of Siberian cat has neither been reliably documented nor proved by any evidence. Aboriginal cats originate in a restricted closed area, where they can develop independently of other regions; whereas the Siberian cat is the Russian domestic semi-longhair cat, encountered on the whole territory of Russia, which cannot be regarded as a restricted closed area. (Moreover, there is documented evidence of the presence of the colourpoint gene in Russian cats as early as the 18th century.)

2) The history of registered breeding of Siberian cats – as we know it today – started in 1980s in the big cities of the former USSR, such as Moscow and Leningrad (St. Petersburg), in particular, but also other towns of central Russia (e.g. Kuybyshev, later renamed Samara).
Primarily, it was the cats coming from these cities and their surroundings that were registered and included in the SIB breeding program. In 1990s, with the expansion of SIB breeding, cats from other areas of the USSR were registered and included in the breeding, while there were actually very few individuals that were brought from Siberia and Far East, (although some of the Siberians living in central Russia were claimed to be offspring of cats from these regions).
The type and coat texture of the Siberian cat as we know it today, required by the accepted standards of the Siberian cat both in FIFe and non-FIFe federations, are based on the first standards of the country of origin but not on any regional cat population of Russia, including the Siberian population. (This type and coat description reflected the look of SOME cats of the whole versatile Russian population. Cats of this type can be met in different places in Russia, including Siberia, but obviously the description written by authors from St. Petersburg and Moscow used the cats from big cities of central and Western Russia, and their idea of the Russian SLH cat. Cats have been since then selected and bred according to this description. Attempts to breed with cats exported from different parts of Russia PRIOR to organized selective breeding (East Germany, “Trassenkatzen”) resulted in a very different look and coat – see Rostock standard.)
It has been documented that cats with pointed patterns (colourpoints) were registered in pedigree books and used in breeding from the very beginning of the organized SIB breeding, which was also reflected in the standard of the country of origin. It has also been documented that the first (independent) Russian cat fancy Soviet Felinological Federation which was founded in 1989, registered both varieties of the Siberian cat as such at the end of 1989 with its certificates # 1 and # 2. Since 1990 documents show that the colourpointed variety of the Siberian cat is entered into Russian show catalogues as “Siberian Colourpoint”, with an additional nickname in brackets (Neva Masquerade).

Let us name at least several of those SIBx (Neva Masquerade) registered by the end of 1980s:
1. Foundation cp males found in Leningrad/St.Petersburg before 1991 and widely used in breeding
- Mars a 21 33 09 – 03.1988, sire not registered,
dam not registered, owner M. Kalinina, used in the majority of matings in Leningrad before 1991
- Ricky n 33 – 1987, sire not registered,
dam not registered, owner O. Diachenko
- Lucik a 21 33 09 - 08.1988, sire not registered,
dam not registered, owner S. Ivanova
- Max n 21 33 - 1989, owner E.Dudina, used in the majority of matings in St. Petersburg after 1991.

Males found at the same time in central Russia on the river Volga:
- Boys n 21 33 - 27.05.1988, sire not registered,
dam not registered, owner I. Gorinova, Kuybyshev (now Samara)
- Bayun n 33 - 1983, sire not registered,
dam not registered, owner M.Aryanin, Kuybyshev

2. Foundation cp females widely used in breeding
- Lizaveta n 21 33 09 - 1984, owner T. Dubovova
- Liana a 21 33 - 1986, owner M. Yunosheva
- Celina n 33 - 01.1988, owner T. Kozinskaya
- Tessy a 21 33- 05.12.1988, owner Y. Takidi

The foundation cats mentioned above had been registered in Russian pedigree books several years before the first Persian colourpoint was imported to Russia. Therefore, one cannot argue that Siberian colourpoints are the descendants of PER CP.

3. Some progeny registered before 1991:

- Kamilla f 33, Kotofey certificate of birth 25-88, 25.11.1988,
Sire Ricky n 33 (13SibNMSP)
Dam Katyunya, f 33 (13SibNMSTP)
- Argis n 33, Kotofey certificate of birth 84-89, Alberta-Tutsi n 33, Kotofey certificate of birth 14-89 (offspring below) - 02.01.1989,
sire Ricky n 33 (13 SibNMSP),
dam Celina n 33 (13 SibNMSP)
- Futur n 33, Kotofey certificate of birth 415-90,
Sire Lucik a 21 33 09 (13 SibNMBTbPw)
Dam Alberta-Tutsi n 33 (13SibNMSP)
- Marquis a 21 33 09 - 17.05.1989, Kotofey certificate of birth 29-89,
sire Mars a 21 33 09 (13 SibNMTbBPw),
dam Sima,
- Ofelia-Kassiopea, Olivia, Oleg, Olgerd - 01.03.1990, all a 21 33 (some 09),
Sire Mars a 21 33 09 (13 SibNMTbBPw),
Dam Kasya a 09 (carrier without registered parents).
- Truffel-Fox-U a 21 33, pedigree certificate POF 7/90, Tais-Fox-U a 21 33 09, pedigree certificate POF 20/90 - 24.11.1990,
Sire Mars a 21 33 09,
Dam Tessy a 21 33.

The first SIB cats registered in pedigree books in Russia come from the surroundings of Leningrad and Moscow of that time. Only after several years of registered breeding were the first cats from Far East and Siberia imported – in extremely limited numbers. (The real imports showed a different coat texture. Male "Amur" a 22 from Chabarowsk, sire Baron, dam Diana, was shown in St. Petersburg in 1992, at a seminar, where the judges described his coat as "without pronounced top coat, shorter, standing off from the body", which is explained by the climate. Amur is present in one of SPb lines (Gel cattery). The same observations have been made recently by Dr. Inna Shustrova concerning modern Siberian cat population in these regions. However, cats living in central Russia, descending from those brought from Abakan have a typical water-repellent coat characteristic of the Western population).

3) The contemporary registered breeding of Siberian cats. In spite of the growing interest in its breeding, Siberian cat continues to be a breed with a small number of individuals and a rather narrow gene pool. From the breeders point of view it is still regarded as a “young breed”, and hence it is struggling with isolated character faults as well as faults in the unity of type. In comparison with other breeds, Siberian cat is a rather healthy breed. However, proved healthy problems such as HCM, PKD and tail kinks within some breeding lines cannot be ignored.
At present, the breeder’s priority is to preserve lines healthy and to stabilize the type and character which is required. These main goals are preferred by all breeders around the world. In order to reach the characteristic signs of a healthy breed, breeding selection is absolutely necessary – and this is closely connected with the need for the gene pool being as broad as possible. Since non FIFe organizations (TICA, CFA, ACFA, WCF, GCCF) recognize the Siberian colourpoint as a colour variety of Siberian cats, the mating of classically coloured cats with colourpoints together has been practiced for many years, according to the breeding tradition of the country of origin.
This step leads to increasing the number of breeding lines, which is more than desired. At the same time the number of CP gene carriers is increasing as well. Moreover, it is worth noticing that Siberian colourpoints are gradually becoming very popular among cat-fanciers all over the world. Siberian cats with pointed patterns are being used in breeding together with those with classic colours for improving the type and character on both sides of the colour spectrum. As an example, the most successful American Siberian show male Irdy (Treskuchij Moroz Mur), a huge import from Siberia, descendant of both Siberian and Moscow lines, proved to be a colourpoint carrier. (Remarks based on breeding and judging experience regardless of colourpoint or not: Using colourpoints is beneficial for size and heft; black tabbies and seal tabby points are necessary to preserve coat texture in other colours; actually, the least typical body conformation and coat texture are consistently observed in silvers).

4) At present, lines of recognized colours and unrecognized colourpoints are being bred separately from each other in FIFe. However, the classic SIB breeders use in breeding cats that have been proved to carry CP gene, and colourpoint breeders include in breeding Siberian colourpoint, parents of which are both classic. They also include in breeding Siberian colourpoints imported from non FIFe organizations, no matter what colours of coats their parents have. There are also successful breeders who consistently use both varieties and carriers, keeping standard type and coat in all colours.

5) Conclusion
From the genetic point of view, all Siberian cats are of the same origin – no matter whether they are colourpoints, classically coloured cats, or classic CP carriers. They are born from the same parents and all are used in further breeding. With respect to the same genetic origin of Siberian cats, Siberian colourpoint is a colour variety of Siberian cat.