Siberians are a large and very loving breed. They come to us from Russia and are reported to be one of the oldest breeds of cats. They have beautiful thick coats, impressive muscular bodies, and an over-all attractive appearance. They look like a regular furry kitty, yet we have shown much of the breed are also low in feline allergens!
We at Siberian Research adore the Siberian Cat and have devoted much of our free time to keeping this purebred cat healthy. We offer support to breeders making decisions on which cats to use in breeding programs, to pet seekers as they look for the perfect kitten and to allergic individuals seeking a Siberian for their low allergy qualities.
In an effort to keep the breed healthy, SRI has monitored and records cases of genetic diseases and worked with universities studying population genetics, allergens, and genetic diseases in the Siberian breed. SRI has studied the hypoallergenic qualities of the Siberian, and created standardized laboratory tests to measure Fel d1 levels in the Siberian’s saliva and fur. Identifying cats with naturally low levels helps reduce guesswork in selecting cats and kittens.
September 2010
Siberian Research, Inc.
Message from the Board of Directors
In an effort to provide more information to breeders and pet owners, SRI has elected to make all research projects available to the public. Records held by SRI as "closed" or "research only" are never released. New cattery memberships in SRI will no longer be accepted, and the cattery listing will be removed by December 2010. The primary goals of Siberian Research were to:
1) increase breeder awareness of Siberian HCM, and understand what lines were impacted.
2) create a standard to measure the Fel d1 allergen levels in Siberian cats and kittens
3) provide required documents and DNA for universities to study allergen and HCM issues.
Three universites are studing Siberian HCM, and searching for the genes that cause the disease. Dr. Leslie Lyons from UC Davis has studied the Fel d1 gene, and is working on genetic tests to measure allergen levels in kittens. We would like to thank the breeders who have participated in these studies.