PERSONALITY

Our Siberian cats have personality plus. They are wonderfully affectionate and not at all shy. In fact, they will greet your visitors at the door and expect to be acknowledged and petted just like a dog. They have a triple purr, and unlike other breeds, they speak with a chirping sound. They love children, playing, warm laps and endless amounts of cuddling.

ALLERGIES

Contrary to popular belief, allergic reactions from cats are not the result of hair length. The problem, in fact, is caused by a protein known as FEL D-1 that is produced in the sebaceous glands of the cat's saliva. Cats are notorious groomers. After a grooming session, the saliva dries on the cat's fur. The tiny particles become airborne, landing on carpeting, furniture, drapes, etc. Once they come in contact with a human, either on the skin or by inhalation, an allergic reaction can be triggered if that person has a sensitivity to the protein. Symptoms come in many forms. Some people develop a red, itchy rash on their skin. Others have difficulty breathing. However, the more common reactions include sneezing, watery bloodshot eyes, a scratchy throat, and/or an itchy runny nose.

The Siberian cat produces lower levels of FEL D-1 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).

However, the only definitive testing, knowing if your allergies will tolerate this wonderful breed, is exposure to the fur of an adult Siberian cat. We strongly advise that, for those people with cat allergies and/or asthma, especially those purchasing from long distances away, to avail themselves of our fur sampling service. For a minimal fee of $25.00, a bandana which has been exposed to adult Siberians, as well as a fur sample, can be made available to you along with instructions on how to test your reaction.

Our goal at Katlina Siberian Cats is to produce kittens with the lowest possible FEL D-1 levels. Samples of saliva are collected from our adult Siberians and forwarded to an international biotechnology laboratory which specializes in measuring levels of FEL D-1 allergens. The results of this testing is reviewed at our cattery and our breeding program is then modified so that only cats with the lowest FEL D-1 will be bred.

We want you to be happy with your purchase of one of our Siberian kittens and feel that the extra trouble and expense to test allergen levels is necessary if we are going to produce the best quality Siberians kittens with the highest possible hypoallergenic qualities.

IN DEFENSE OF THE SIBERIAN MALE

I feel I have to speak up here in defense of the Siberian male. An astonishing number of people initially choose a female because they have read somewhere that females have a lower allergen level.

This is true - in a certain regard. If you take the overall population of Siberians then yes, I agree that the un-neutered male is the highest, followed by the neutered male, un-neutered female and then the neutered female but that is really over simplifying things.

The Fel D1 level which is what Siberians are low in and what most people are allergic to in a cat is measured on a scale of 1 to 35. Anything over 6 I would personally consider to be totally unacceptable when dealing primarily with people with asthma and cat allergies. I would concur that an un-neutered male in my cattery could possibly average a point or 2 more on this scale but this small amount is really not a lot considering the scale goes to 35. More importantly, it has been found that levels run in different lines of Siberians. One line can certainly be much higher than another and this is the important factor to consider. All our cats have been tested and no one scores higher than a 5 - males included. Mishinka, our main stud and father of all the upcoming litters scores lower than some of our females.

One thing that can be done to keep the allergen level as low as possible is to sterilize a kitten as soon as possible. We do try to do that as long as there is a competent veterinarian available.

While I am on the subject, I do not find any relationship between colour point Siberians and traditional Siberians nor do I see any pattern with darker colored cats vs lighter ones.

I hope this clears up some of the mystery surrounding this terrific cat.

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, to this day, 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 in the world 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 whole lifetime and does no harm whatsoever. There are, however, cases where 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.

All responsible cattery owners try as much as possible, prevent its occurrence in their catteries. In the breeding world there is a saying that if you bred 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 report back to them promptly any health issue they incur. That way a cattery has a better understanding and can take steps to irradiate a problem as it occurs. It is also a source of information for others who have also purchased from that cattery.

We at Katlina try our utmost to produce the healthiest kittens possible. It is our policy to openly discuss any health issue that may arise and we will willing share with any of our buyers problems that are current in the cattery, especially in the litter the buyers purchased from and past history of the kitten’s lines.

FIP is not a genetic problem and so therefore does not fall under the genetic guarantee as written in many contracts. It is for this reason that many catteries will not cover FIP should a problem arise. Katlina’s two- year genetic guarantee specifically states - “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.

We ask that should you think your kittens is sick for any reason whatsoever that:

1. You provide prompt veterinarian care.
2. If time permits, that you notify us of the situation. This can sometimes assist with the making of a diagnosis.
3. If there is a question as to the cause of death, we will ask for a necroposy (post mortem).

Many people think that when you spend hundreds of dollars on a kitten this guarantees them a perfect cat that will live a very long time with no developmental or behavioral problems whatsoever. This is untrue. What you do get from Katlina is the very best possible kitten we can produce. We constantly strive to produce kittens that come from lines known to have the smallest amount of problems possible. That is the best that a cattery can offer.

Please remember that when purchasing a cat or for that matter any animal, 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 a breeder provides you with the best quality animal possible, that he or she is available to answer questions, give guidance, information and help and willingly backs up a contract if the purchaser has met his obligations as outlined in the contract.

To contact us:

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Telephone: 972-442-3810