Part I

Siberian cats and other breeds of “forest type”

There is a group of breeds that can be referred as to cats of “forest type”. These cats have no relation to forest, though wild European forest cat, the most common inhabitant of forests in Central and Western Europe possibly took part in their emergence. Most evidently, it is due to his genes, that cats of “forest type” have acquired their specific color. Most widely spread colors in this group are all variants of agouti and agouti with white; tiger blotched and spotted color patterns. In addition to Siberians this group includes American Maine coons (or coon cats of Maine state), Norway forest cats (or skogcats), which are claimed in their countries to be national property. Maine coons were called coon cats because they resembled coons by their color. However, some time ago Americans were almost serious when telling that Maine coons come from American coon.
A lot of legends exist concerning the emergence of these cats in Norway and North America. Some of their roots are certainly found somewhere in north Russia. Surely all American domestic cats originate from Europe.
Common problem for all cats of the “forest type” is that each of the mentioned breeds has individuals of average breed quality, lacking clear manifestations of distinctive breed characteristics. They are similar at the first glance, and possibly can be joined into one breed. However, it is obvious for the specialists, that these breeds have formed independently and carried specific differences. Only years of targeted selection allowed the development of certain characteristic in future representatives of these breeds. These characteristics distinguish them from the others even prima facie of non-prepared spectator.
Siberian cats are the most massive among all forest cats, a little bit stocky, with wide oval muzzle and ears of the middle size. Maine coons have longer legs, longer muzzle, large ears and very long always magnificent tale. Norway forest cats partially resemble maincoons, but they are smaller and lighter.


It is the point of view of Mironova on forest breeds.
Some things in this text are funny, some can raise surprise, but she was right for her time, this was written about 5-7 years ago, that time the cats were less extreme in type. You can imagine the main positions named for Siberian standard by Mironova, but the same you feel that she has not seen much of extreme Maine coons and Norway forest. That is quite easily explained – fine and extreme representatives of these breeds have commonly emerged in Europe only within the last years and in Russia only during the last 3-4 years.
Next part will be about Nevas

Neva Masquerades

Cats are free of race prejudices and they do not keep to any of limits of selection. It happened so, that Siberians have mixed with multiplied descendants of Siamese cats, brought to Russia from abroad by Sergey Obraztsov (Note - The notable Chief Director of Moscow Doll Theater). Even in the second generation from these matings wonderful kittens have emerged – they were massive and fluffy as Siberians, but with “overseas” color of Siamese cats and surprising extremely blue eyes. Sometimes the kittens were striped; sometimes they had white “socks” and “gloves”.
This color happened to be absolutely non-peculiar for cats of European part of Russia and Siberia, though in all other respects they have inherited all the properties of Siberian cats. This miracle has emerged on its own, without any targeted selection. Sympathies for challengers were guided by Nature and we had to agree with it.
These animals are a variety of Siberian cats. If following the terms accepted by felinologists, they should be called colorpoints (from English color and point – tip, distant part of the body, such as nose, ears or paws). It was found unreasonable to separate colorpoints into distinct breed only on the basis of color. By the way, some time ago similar separation of colorpoint Persians into separate breed called “Himalayan” cat was not justified also. However, dry and formal determination “Siberian colorpoint” has not suited these variegated blue-eyed creatures so much, that we have called them Neva Masquerades. This way we have expressed our admiration about their dresses. Cat fancies should not forget that it is not a separate breed, but a color variety, a variety of Siberian cats.
First these cats were noticed by members of “Kotofey” club in Leningrad, they have identified the studs and obtained the first litters. Today, without any hesitation the best studs and show-winners are Iv Morris (cattery “Zhemchug Nevy”), Arseniy (“Dobraya skazka”), Gannibal (“Golubaya Krov’”), Antony from Moscow and Ostap and Filimon form St.Petersburg.
Color of Neva masquerades is allowed in all color combinations of colorpoint with white along with bright blue eyes. Though, some colors of Neva masquerades are not permitted since they are variety of Siberian breed. These colors are chocolate, lilac, sepia, Abyssinian and their pointed variants. The thing is that neither Obraztsov’s cats nor modern Siberians had the genes, conditioning these colors. Carriers of gene b which is responsible for brown and chocolate color (or lilac in its diluted variant) are real Siamese or Balinese cats, which have been brought to Russia after official emergence and recognition of Neva masquerades and have never been used in breeding. Abyssinian and burman color genes are also absent form genotype of Siberian cat.
Recenlty Moscow and StPetersburg felinologists have found certain published facts, that cats of “Siamese” color were found from time to time on Volga (Povolzhye) and surrounding territories. Most likely the cats of this unusual color have appeared as a single animal and very rare. Only in our days, thanks to the descendants of Obraztsov’s cats an outbreak in quantity of indigenous colorpoints has occurred, both in longhair and shorthair variants.
Sometimes in common life Siberians are considered as longhair cats. In fact, according to felinological regulations only Persians can be called longhair cats. They have overdeveloped thin and downy long fur. Siberians, as all other cats, having half-long fur are regarded as semilonghair cats.
Domestic semi longhair cats of Siamese type were registered for recognition of the breed at the first Russian shows. Then they have obtained the title Neva masquerade. Sometimes the owners of these cats have determined them on their own as “Balinese”. Real Balinese cats that time were known here only by their description. The standard of Balinese, implying semi longhair, elegant, long-body colorpoint cats, was understood in accordance with the inner feeling of their owners – how can a cat be non-elegant? I happened to see numerous Balinese like this at the shows, and transferred them into domestic cats, if they had not correspond to any standard of the breed, or into Neva masquerade if they were worth it. Closing the “Balinese” theme, I can state that there were no crosses with pure Balinese conducted by fancies of Siberian colorpoint.
Smartness and high popularity of Neva masquerades inspires cat fancies to perform new outcrosses with Siberians. Of course, Persian cats, real Siamese and Thai cats turn to be the first candidates for these experiments. However, new selectionist should remember, that first Obraztsov’s Siamese cats were healthy animals of rather thick composition. They carried blood of European shorthair cats. That is why main features of Siberian breed have not suffered due to these matings.
However, if Siberian bloods are mixed with Persians, the there will be quite another result. Persians have tendencies to osteomalyatsia (softening of the bone tissue), deformation of the head and muzzle, overdevelopment of thin and non-functional fur, loss of hunting instincts and low adaptation to life difficulties. All these qualities taken together will cancel the main advantages of Siberian cats.
Experimentalists should also consider is it worth to lighten the boning of massive Siberians by crosses with real Siamese and Thai cats. Descendants of these crosses will surely fall out of standards of the initial breeds. Experimentalists then should be satisfied either by mixtures or follow the difficult pathway of the recognition of a new breed. But in the latter case success and recognition are possible only having a clearly established goal.
Some more words are to be spoken about Neva masquerades. The first page of the book displays the pictures from the book after famous traveller P.S.Pallas “Travellings through different provinces of Russian State.” The traveller was intrigued by some unusual cats, which he had seen in 1793-1794 not far from the town Mokshan in the province of Penza (The emblem of the town is shown on the etching).
The story is about three similar cats from one litter. Their mother, simple black cat has found herself a groom somewhere outside of the host’s estate. Her children, who have attracted the attention of the scientist-traveller, happened to be colorpoints according to the modern appreciation. As the cats of that places are similar in type to modern Siberians and Siberian colorpoints are Neva masquerades, we could say that the picture of XVIII century displays the prototype of Neva masquerade: a shorthair variant, known today as a European shorthair colorpoint. It looks as if Neva masquerades could be obtained two centuries ago!



“That’s all folks” concerning Nevas (as Onofre says on his site)
Now a few comments to the text from me personally.

I do not know if the text is the same as published by Olga Khalikina, but it is a word-by-word translation form Olga Mironova’s book “”Native cats of Russia” published by “Tuskarora” press in 2003, pages 29-33. Mironova is one of the most constant defenders of Neva masquerades as Siberians in Russia, and she is one of the most notable experts in this field, who dealt a lot with the formation of breed. Later I will translate some more texts from this book to prove this. She is very straightforward person, never lies and tells in what she believes. She is sure that Nevas are one of the most serious advantages f Russian cultural cat breeding, that is shy she protects them due to patriotic feelings and pride for Russian felinological achievements. I can partially understand her. However, she admits that Nevas have a lot of foreign blood and her text is rich with notions that color is not native for Siberians. I can be too young in felinology, breeding Siberians only for 5 years, but I am not so young as not to remember what was called Siberian cat in my childhood and what was called Siamese. These considerations of Mironova improve my confidence in it. She told about outbreak of colorpoints in Russia, it is true, though, you will see later even from her book that Thai cats and Thai bobtails were already known in Russia in the middle of XX century. That is why I am a little bit skeptical about Mironova’s praising only Obraztsov’s cats for these cs genes. If speaking about Balinese, it is exactly true. I saw a cassette form one of Moscow shows at the beginning of 90ths, where hosts showed a huge and massive Neva and told to the camera, that it is a rare Balinese cat. Mironova’s reminiscences concerning the first Nevas recognized at the shows clearly tell us what a mixture they are. Of course, most of the mentioned catteries and studs do not exist to the time, though I know, that Zhemchug Nevy still works, I am well acquainted with this breeder. They always told, that they faced a lot of difficulties in stabilizing the type of their cats as Siberians and every show she comes to us to show some new cat of her breeding and asks “Is it closer to the type? Nice paws, rough fur…” As if she is going to make some excuses…
Concerning chocolate and lilac colors – some nevas of these colors have emerged not so long ago in Association of Siberian Cat Fancies (OLSK) headed by Pavlova, and they were even found interesting by their experts for further work (!!!) Experimentalists, shit happens… It means, that inspite of what Mironova tells, there were some later mixtures with Siamese or Persians. By the way, we can ask Siamese or Persian breeders how long ago chocolate and lilac colors were spreaded among these breeds. I will not be surprised, if not so long ago, just a couple of decades…
Mironova is also an experimentalist, you can she is rather cool about mixing Siberians with other breeds. She tries to justify Nevas, though speaks against mixtures with Persians and Thai cats. It is not logical.
And finally, all this stuff about Pallas is no more than another stupid fairy tale. Who knows about the type of cats near Mokshan in the 18th century? What relations they have to Siberians and colorpoints? Of course, some colorpoints could be born, but this information is of no logical essence and no value, to my mind. Resembles a joke concering a crouch:
Experimetalist has torn out one leg of a crouch, than he made a loud sound and a crouch ran away. He has torn two legs – the same result, three legs – the same result, then four legs – the crouch stays on his place. Experimentalist is satisfied and writes in his lab records “Crouch has ears on the legs.” Similar situation to Pallas.