Originally from Russia, this breed of Siberian cats is natural, rustic and large in size. Its thick fur and abundant undercoat allow it to withstand the cold Siberian forests. The first pedigree of the colorpoint cats called Neva masquerade breed was first seen in Russia in 1987. The Siberian is officially recognized by the International Feline Federation in 1997. This cat breed arrived in France in the mid-1990s/early 2000s.
Everyone agrees that this is a very slow growing cat (even slower than Maine Coon), it is mature, and therefore fully developed, only at the age of 5 years. Behind its stocky and muscular appearance, the Siberian cat is actually a big ball of soft and affectionate hair, with dimensions outside norms. It is an intelligent cat, lively and very attached to his master who makes him an ideal companion.
The weight of the males varies between 4.5 and 9kg. Females are significantly smaller (between 4 and 6kg).
The Neva Masquerade cat has little to do with his wild ancestors. He is a very sociable, intelligent and very affectionate cat who likes to communicate with his master to whom he is very attached. This breed of Siberian cat is keen and loves to play. That’s why he appreciates the presence of children. The Siberian cat also easily accepts the presence of other animals at his side.
The general impression given by this cat is all in curves and circles, rather than rectangles and triangles. They are semi-foreign type cats: a long and powerful body with a strong bone structure.
→ The body is massive, heavy and powerfully muscular, it has a form called “barrel”, characteristic because of the curve of its ribs and its musculature. The rump is rounded, higher than the shoulders. The neckline is round, short and muscular.
→ The head is wide, in the shape of a softened triangle.
The Neva Masquerade average weight and the cat size can be summarized to be;
- Size of the male: 35 cm
- Size of the female: 35 cm
- Male weight: From 5.5 to 7 kilos
- Weight of the female: From 4 to 5 kilos
Below, I am going to talk more on the Neva Masquerade general body structure;
Body
The Siberian Neva Masquerade is characterized by its barrel body, massive and round.
The Neva Masquerade is a large cat with medium long hair and semi-cobby type. It gives off an impression of strength and gentleness. The body is “barrelled”, that is to say quite round and massive. This is not a sign of obesity: it has a skeleton and a developed musculature. There is a large sexual dimorphism between males and females. The frame should never be thin.
The round and short neckline is powerfully muscular. The hindquarters are rounded and higher than the forehand. The abdominal strap is powerful. The legs are of medium length, powerful and muscular. High legs are a defect in competition. The feet are big and round, with many hairs between the fingers. The tail is bushy, rather broad at the base, it tapers on a rounded tip. Folded on the back, the end of the tail reaches the base of the shoulder blades.
Head
Profile of a Siberian. The muzzle is short and strong, the skull rounded. The head is round, with ” cheeks “, especially in males. The skull is rather flat, the nose moderately long and slightly hooked. The chin is rounded, without being a galoche, and the whiskers (vibrisses) long and thick.
Related article: The Neva Masquerade Cat Breed And Its History
The head, broad, is in the shape of a softened triangle. The cheekbones are neither prominent nor prominent. The skull is broad and flat. In profile, the forehead is slightly rounded. A straight profile is considered a defect, as is the presence of a stop. The flat nose is of medium size to short. The muzzle is round and strong, without pinch, although in females it is often finer. A pointed or narrow snout gives penalties in feline show. The chin is rounded without being prominent. Moustaches are long and thick.
The eyes are oval, slightly angled (lemon-shaped), alert and expressive. They are big, almost round, well separated from each other (at least by the width of an eye). They are placed slightly at an angle, without being of oriental type. All colors are accepted, except for the colourpoint where they are blue.
The ears are rounded, broad at the base, the hairs come out half-ears and fall down to the base of the ears, the ” lynx tips ” (plumes at the end of the ears) are desired.
Here is a very good post from wikiHow on how to identify a Siberian cat.
Medium in size, the ears are broad at the base and rounded at the end. They are implanted at a distance equivalent to one to one-and-a-half ear width. Ears too close together are considered a defect. They point forward. They are covered on the outside with abundant fur that almost completely hides their base. The inside of the ears is also lined with abundant hair. The plumes are appreciated but not mandatory.
Suggested article: Do Siberian Cats And Neva Masquerade Spray?
Fur
The fur is mid-long to long, with a collar and a lot of undercoat (with however strong variations according to the seasons, the hair being less supplied and shorter in summer). The neck, shoulders and back are covered with thick and shiny guard hairs that form a large collar. On the belly, the hair can curl slightly without this feature is sought. All traditional dresses and colourpoint are accepted for all colors except cinnamon, fawn, chocolate and lilac as well as amber.
Related article: Neva & Siberian Cat – Full List of the Different Colors
For the cat parts, all white proportions are accepted, without a specific request for the location of white spots. In classics, they can be green, golden, “grape” (green-gold) or copper-colored, with no absolute relation to the color of the coat; among the Neva, they are obligatorily blue (the most “glacier” possible).
The neck is wide and very muscular.
The chest is wide too, the belly is firm and very muscular, the back is long, slightly rounded, but horizontal when the cat walks.
The height of the legs is average, the hind legs slightly longer than the front legs. The feet are round and strong, with hair between the pads (this allows the Neva cat to walk easily in the snow, as if he had snowshoes).
The tail is shorter than the body, broad at the base and then tapering, but well supplied and thick.
The frame is strong and the musculature is powerful.
The hair is medium-long with three types of hair: hair guard, hair jar and undercoat. It is often longer around the neck and on the shoulders and forms a kind of collar. The undercoat is abundant, but in summer the hair is shorter and flatter.
Inasmuch as these Neva Masquerade cats are big and muscular in nature, it is important to remember that if you don’t feed them well, they won’t attain their full size and weight. For this reason, it is important you adopt healthy food for Siberian cats as the Neva Masquerade is a part of this cat family.
Other Factors to Consider About the Neva Masquerade Cat;
In addition to choosing a hypoallergenic breed of cat or a cross, you need to consider the following factors in order to reduce the production of allergens:
The production of Fel D1 protein is carried out through the stimulation of a series of hormones, testosterone being one of the main stimulants of this protein, it turns out that castrated male cats produce a smaller amount of allergen since their testosterone levels are significantly reduced.
Related article: Are Siberian and Neva Masquerade Cats Safe for Allergy?
One of the other main stimulants of this protein is progesterone, a hormone produced by the cat during ovulation and pregnancy. In the same way as for castrated males, castrated female cats produce far less Fel D 1.
Although the Siberian cat is characterized by its dense and long coat, you should know that it is considered the most more hypoallergenic of the world! This incredible feature is due to the fact that it is the cat that produces the least Fel D 1 protein.
Nevertheless, adopting a Siberian cat does not guarantee you 100% that allergic reactions will completely disappear, indeed, the quantity produced of Fel D 1 protein can be very well supported by some, and completely unbearable for others. A detailed and very in-depth post about Fel D 1 can be found here if you want to learn more about it.
Finally, the Siberian cat is a robust cat that does not have any particular health problems. Like most cats with medium to long hairs, they tend to swallow their hair when they wash. In addition to being an absolutely beautiful cat, the Siberian cat is a cuddly, docile and loyal cat who loves to spend long hours with his fellow humans to play. However, because of the characteristics of its coat, it is more than recommended to regularly brush its coat to avoid the formation of knots.
Now that you know the weight and size of the Neva Masquerade cat, and some of its characteristics, do you find it interesting to have one in your home? Let me know what you think.
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