A beautiful Siberian cat on it's owners lap

Siberian cat with different coloured eyes wrapped in blankets

Siberian Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Warm, playful, affectionate, Siberian cats are often referred to as &lsquo;dogs of the cat world&rsquo;. Highly agile, you&rsquo;ll often find them sitting on the highest shelf they can find.&nbsp;From soft cuddles on the sofa to playtime in the bath, if you&rsquo;re looking for an energetic cat with a big heart, a Siberian could be the perfect pet for you.

Domestic

Type

11 - 15 years

Lifespan

Medium

Size

3.5 - 7 kg

Weight

23 - 28 cm

Height

Affectionate, loyal and playful

Temperament

15 mins 2x a day

Exercise

Low maintenance

Grooming

This fluffy breed of cat is native to Russia, and they&rsquo;re often referred to as a Siberian Forest Cat. Siberian cats have a long, thick coat, which helped them survive subarctic conditions. They became domesticated relatively recently &ndash; arriving in the UK in 2002.

Siberian cats mature more slowly than others and often don&rsquo;t reach their full size until they&rsquo;re 5 years old. At which point they could weigh between 3.5kg and 7kg and be between 23cm and 28cm tall.

What is the average Siberian cat’s lifespan?

Usually Siberians live between 11 and 15 years &ndash; but have been known to celebrate their 18th birthday with the right care and diet.&nbsp;

Siberians do shed, but most of the year this will only be in small amounts and brushing once a week will be all that&#39;s required. However, they&rsquo;ll shed large clumps of their fur during spring and autumn, when they&rsquo;ll need daily brushing.&nbsp;

While no cat is entirely hypoallergenic, Siberians are one of the better breeds to have if you suffer from allergies. This is because they have a lower than average level of the allergen in their saliva that causes cat allergies.&nbsp;

What is the Siberian cat’s temperament like?

Siberian cats have a friendly, affectionate, and playful temperament. They are known for their loyalty, intelligence, and adaptability, making them excellent companions for families and other pets.

<ul>
	<li>Karen Lawrence, Vetstream Ltd (online) Siberian. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/siberian" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's Siberian cat guide">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/siberian</a></li>
	<li>Serena Brownlie, Phil Fox, Philip K Nicholls, Penny Watson (online) Heart: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat heart hypertrophic cardiomyopathy page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy</a></li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Cardiomyopathy in your cat. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/owner-factsheets/cardiomyopathy-in-your-cat" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat cardiomyopathy factsheet">https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/owner-factsheets/cardiomyopathy-in-your-cat</a></li>
	<li>Michael Day, Urs Giger (online) Pyruvate deficiency. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/pyruvate-kinase-deficiency" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat pyruvate kinase deficiency page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/pyruvate-kinase-deficiency</a></li>
	<li>Martha Cannon, Rachel Korman (online) Kidney: autosomal dominant polycystic disease. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/kidney-autosomal-dominant-polycystic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/kidney-autosomal-dominant-polycystic-kidney-disease</a></li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/owner-factsheets/polycystic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease factsheet">https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/owner-factsheets/polycystic-kidney-disease</a></li>
	<li>Mark Thompson, Matthew Oxford (online) Periodontal disease. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/periodontal-disease" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat periodontal disease page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/periodontal-disease</a></li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

Content provided from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis%C2%A0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat information">Vetstream&#39;s Vetlexicon Felis</a>.

Vetlexicon is the world&rsquo;s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world&rsquo;s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

That’s All You Need to Know About Siberians

Siberian cats are fun and loving companions. Intelligent and playful, they&rsquo;re known for having &lsquo;dog-like&rsquo; traits. They&#39;ll be sure to win over any dog-lover in the family. Their laid-back personality makes them good around children and they&rsquo;ll also get on with other cats and dogs in the household.

Siberians love to be around people. Generally, calmly composed, they&rsquo;ll happily live alongside other pets, including <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dogs</a>. Siberian cats are also friendly towards children, combining plenty of energy for playtime with their easy-going nature.&nbsp;

This breed is renowned for being lively and best <a href="/all-things-pet/letting-your-cat-outside" title="Link to Everypaw's article outlining the concerns of letting a cat outside">suited to the outdoors</a> (as long it is safe for them). However, when their day of exploring is done, they love to curl up on your lap and bask in your attention

Siberians love to be around people. Generally, calmly composed, they&rsquo;ll happily live alongside other pets, including dogs. Siberian cats are also friendly towards children, combining plenty of energy for playtime with their easy-going nature.&nbsp;

This <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Breed Guides">cat breed</a> is renowned for being lively and best suited to the outdoors (<a href="/all-things-pet/letting-your-cat-outside" title="Link to Everypaw's to concerns around letting your cat outside">as long as it&#39;s safe for them</a>). However, when their day of exploring is done, they love to curl up on your lap and bask in your attention.

Siberian cats don&rsquo;t fully mature until they&rsquo;re 5 and even then, remain playful and energetic. Early socialisation with people and other animals in their first <a href="/all-things-pet/kitten-development-1-8-weeks-old" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to kitten development in the first 8 weeks ">8 weeks</a> will help them develop into a confident, happy cat.

Majestic-looking Siberian sitting on the floor in a trendy room

Siberians have a well-rounded personality that&rsquo;s active and playful, even-tempered and affectionate, loyal and patient. Whichever household Siberians are introduced to, they adapt extremely well.&nbsp;

However, be warned, the concept of personal space doesn&rsquo;t exist in a Siberian&rsquo;s mind. Wherever you go, you can be sure these faithful furballs are only two steps behind. Open your home and heart to this breed and they&rsquo;ll be your best friend for life.&nbsp;

Siberian Cat Insurance and Health Advice | Everypaw

Siberian

Siberians can take up to 5 years to fully grow, so it&rsquo;s important you keep an extra-close eye on their diet during this time. Males can easily reach up to 11 kg in weight , and like <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everrypaw's cat breed guides">all cats</a>, they benefit from an active lifestyle as well as a balanced diet.&nbsp;

If you&rsquo;re unsure how much to feed, a guide can be found on the packaging or you can ask your vet or vet nurse for advice.

Despite their thick, long coat, Siberians don&rsquo;t need as much grooming as you might think. Their fur rarely tangles, so you&#39;ll only need to brush them once or twice a week. You should also give them a bath a couple of times a year but luckily Siberians love water!&nbsp;

Twice a year (usually just before and after winter) Siberians go through a shedding period which sees them lose large clumps of their coat. At these times, you&rsquo;ll need to <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's cat grooming guide">brush them daily</a>, so it&rsquo;s best to get them adjusted to the hoover while they&rsquo;re still a kitten!

Siberian cats are prone to <a href="/all-things-pet/unhealthy-cat-teeth-spotting-the-signs-of-dental-disease" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to dental disease in cats">gum disease</a>, so take care to look after their dental hygiene. Regularly check inside their mouth and clean their teeth. Watch our in-house vet explain <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/all-things-pet/how-to-keep-your-cats-teeth-clean" target="_blank" title="Link to Everypaw's blog on cleaning your cat's teeth">how to clean your cat&rsquo;s teeth here</a>.

Siberians are intelligent. They pick up new tricks quickly and can even be trained to play &lsquo;fetch&rsquo; and walk on a leash. In some ways this makes them more similar to dogs than their fellow felines. They&rsquo;re skilled climbers, so they&rsquo;ll love agility courses and perching shelves.

Siberian cats rarely get riled up, thanks to their laid-back personality. Whether you&rsquo;re gone for the whole day or a few minutes, they&rsquo;ll be running to the door to greet you. They also love to know what you&rsquo;re up to, so expect to find your new buddy following you from room to room. They might even attempt to help you with the housework.

Link to get an Everypaw Cat Insurance quote

The Siberian breed may be as tough as they come, but it&rsquo;s still important to think about protecting your new family member with Siberian Cat pet insurance. <a href="/cat-insurance">Everypaw&rsquo;s Lifetime Cat Insurance</a> offers a range of cover levels so you can find one that fits with you and your cat.

The Siberian breed may be as tough as they come, but it&rsquo;s still important to think about protecting your new family member with Siberian Cat pet insurance.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/cat-insurance">Everypaw&rsquo;s Lifetime Cat Insurance</a>&nbsp;offers a range of cover levels so you can find one that fits with you and your cat.

Siberian cats can be affected by a serious heart condition known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. <a href="/all-things-pet/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-hcm-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's article about HCM in cats">HCM in cats</a> means the heart muscle becomes thick and this prevents the heart from working properly. An echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) can confirm if a cat has HCM. Many cats remain stable with medication but if thromboembolisms (blood clots) occur, the outlook is poor.

HCM is inherited in many breeds of cats and Siberians should be screened for the condition before breeding.&nbsp;

Pyruvate Kinase (PK) Deficiency is an inherited disorder that can affect several cat breeds including the Siberian. &nbsp;Pyruvate kinase is an enzyme found in red blood cells. If this enzyme is lacking, the lifespan of red blood cells is reduced, and this can lead to anaemia.&nbsp;

As it is caused by a genetic mutation, there is no treatment or cure, but most cases of anaemia can be managed. A diagnosis of PK deficiency can be confirmed by a DNA test. 
&nbsp;

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a common health problem in middle-aged and <a href="/pet-insurance-for-older-pets" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance for Older Pets">elderly cats</a> and has been seen in some Siberians. Also known as <a href="/all-things-pet/autosomal-dominant-polycystic-kidney-disease-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to AD-PKD in cats">autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease or AD-PKD</a>, it can be inherited in certain breeds of cats.&nbsp;

The condition causes cysts to form in the kidneys. The cysts can be identified by an ultrasound scan. Some treatments may help to improve the quality of life of an affected cat but there is no cure and kidney failure results.

Dental problems can affect many cats and Siberians are no exception. Regularly check your Siberian&rsquo;s teeth for any signs of gum disease. Bad breath and difficulty eating can also indicate dental problems.

Toothbrushing is the key to prevention and it&rsquo;s best to start this from an early age. This will help plaque from forming and leading to periodontal disease, <a href="/all-things-pet/cat-bad-breath" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to the common causes of bad breath in cats">bad breath</a>, tooth decay, pain, and tooth loss.

Common Siberian Cat Health Problems by Vetstream

Siberians are generally a healthy breed with no known chronic health problems. Here are a few <a href="/all-things-pet/10-common-cat-illnesses-and-symptoms" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to most common cat conditons">common cat conditions</a> that have been seen in the breed.

Get a quote for your Siberian cat's insurance

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The benefit values featured in the table may vary across the different levels of cover and will depend on the cover you choose. Please check your cover before purchasing. Be aware, for some breeds of dogs we do not provide our &pound;8k and &pound;10k Lifetime cover. 
 
All policies and features are subject to special conditions and exclusions of the insurers, please click the link to read about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance Exclusions page">our policy exclusions.</a> 
 
Excess is applicable to all vet fees claims. When your pet reaches a certain age, the excess payable may change. The excess will be your set excess plus a percentage of your claim amount.

Getting your furry friend covered shouldn&#39;t just come down to cost. There&#39;s a lot more to it than that, so take the time to do a pet insurance comparison. Think about their breed, the level of cover they might need, and what would be important to you. After all, insurance is there for both of you.

One of the best ways to do that is to compare cover levels. This will give you an idea of how much your pet insurance will cost, how much you can claim against vet bills, as well as the policy benefits. It&#39;s all about finding the Lifetime Pet Insurance that works best for you and your pet.

*Based on Everypaw claims data from February 2024 to March 2025

Deciding which pet insurance your furry bundle of fun needs can be tricky, especially if you&#39;re a new fur-parent. That&#39;s why here at Everypaw.com, we&#39;re trying to keep things simple, we&#39;re all about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/lifetime-pet-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Lifetime Pet Insurance page">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>.

Our Lifetime cover is available for your cats, dogs and rabbits. And if you&#39;re looking to cover your cat or dog, there&#39;s a range of cover levels to choose from. Lifetime covers your pet up to a set vet fee limit, and the limits reset for every year of cover.

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As our furry companions age, they&#39;re more likely to suffer from ailments and illnesses here and there. And we want you to be able to look after your pet well into retirement. That&#39;s why we don&#39;t have age limits on our policies. Our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-for-older-pets.html">pet insurance for older pets</a> can help you do the most important thing &ndash; looking after your pet.

What about younger pets? We also offer <a href="/cat-insurance/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kitten</a> and <a href="/dog-insurance/puppy-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Puppy Insurance page">puppy insurance</a>, covered by our cat and dog insurance. No matter how old or young your purr-fect pet is, our pet insurance can give you all-important peace of mind.&nbsp;

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Whether you are looking for a playmate for your pet or if your house is more like a <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dog</a>, <a href="/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">cat</a> and <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Rabbit Insurance page">rabbit</a> smallholding, you need multi-pet insurance that works for you. Everypaw&#39;s policies are just that and give you a discount on every pet too. No matter how many pets you have, from glorious <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides/golden-retriever-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Golden Retriever Dog Breed Guide page">Golden Retrievers</a> and majestic <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides/maine-coon-cat-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Maine Coon Cat Breed Guide page">Maine Coons</a> to lovely <a href="/rabbit-insurance/rabbit-breed-guides/lionhead-rabbit-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Lionhead Rabbit Breed Guide page">Lionheads</a>, it&#39;s there for every single paw.

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How Does Pet Insurance Work: Getting a Quote

Our pet insurance quote form takes just 3 minutes to fill out. Here&#39;s how it works:

<ul>
	<li>Select which type of pet you&#39;re looking to insure and enter their age, breed and sex</li>
	<li>Enter basic personal details about yourself including your email and home addresses</li>
	<li>Select your vet fees limit</li>
	<li>We&#39;ll give you a pet insurance price! And we&#39;ll show you what the cost is for the year, plus what your monthly instalments will look like if you choose to pay that way</li>
</ul>

Will my pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Ever found the urge to discover what the best dog breeds to train are or maybe you want to get to the bottom of your pet&#39;s worm problem.&nbsp;<a href="/Home/all-things-pet.html" title="Link to Everypaw's All Things Pet blog">Everypaw&#39;s All Things Pet blog</a>&nbsp;has the content to keep you informed.

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For that extra peace of mind when your pets get up to mischief, there&#39;s Everypaw. Our pet insurance is for cats, dogs and rabbits, and every policy comes with unlimited 24/7 access to vet nurses and vets. So, if you ever feel a bit &#39;for pet&#39;s sake&#39;, know Everypaw is here for you and your pet when you need us most!

Why Choose Everypaw for Pet Insurance in the UK?

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Choosing the right pet health insurance isn&#39;t always easy. We know that. And we also know that a key part of deciding is knowing what&#39;s not covered. That way, at least there are no nasty surprises in terms of coughing up for bills that you thought were going to be taken care of by your policy.

So, here are a few of the main exclusions on our pet insurances:

<ul>
	<li>Treatment for any pre-existing conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment for poisoning or any accidental injury that occurs in the first 3 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment for any illness that occurs in the first 14 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment related to vaccine-preventable conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment related to breeding, pregnancy or birthing</li>
	<li>Treatment on baby teeth if your pet is over 16 weeks when your policy starts</li>
</ul>

*Switching to Everypaw Pet Insurance? If you can prove your previous insurance runs up to the policy start date, we can waive this for you.

Please see our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Policy Exclusions page">exclusions page</a>&nbsp;for further details.

Fingers crossed, you never have to! We want to reassure you that claiming on your pet health insurance is as hassle-free as possible. That&rsquo;s why we have Vet Pawtal. A direct platform for vets so they can submit claims and leave you to care for your pet.

Vet Pawtal is the fastest and most efficient way to claim. There&rsquo;s no more paperwork for you, and we&rsquo;ll keep you updated every step of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If your vet can&rsquo;t submit the claim, don&rsquo;t worry; you can still submit it in the <a href="https://petportal.everypaw.com/register#login" target="_blank" title="Link to the Everypaw Pet Portal">Everypaw Pet Portal</a>. It&rsquo;s straightforward; just log in and follow the instructions. Alternatively,&nbsp;you can <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/downloads-2020/everypaw-claim-form.pdf" target="_blank" title="Link to download an Everypaw claim form">download a claim form</a>, but this can take longer.

Please refer to the guidance in your policy documents for Third Party Liability claims.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For more information, head to our <a href="/Home/claims.html">Pet Insurance Claims information page</a>.

We know pets are just as much a part of your family as any human. So, we know how important it is to you that they&#39;re protected. Choose Everypaw for pet insurance in the UK and give yourself that priceless peace of mind.

We know things can be tough right now, with many people facing money worries. If you have such concerns, please get in touch with us, as we may be able to offer some options to help, which could include reducing your cover or increasing your excess.

If you wish to find out more and your eligibility for any options, please call <a href="tel:03445431009" title="Call Everypaw Customer Services and Claims">0344 543 1009</a>.

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Everypaw is proud to sponsor David Baddiel: Cat Man, a brand-new Channel 4 series that celebrates everything we love about cats. Hosted by David Baddiel, Cat Man explores the quirks of cat behaviour, shares heartwarming stories from cat owners across the UK and brings you fascinating feline facts you won&#39;t want to miss.

Don&#39;t miss out and join us in celebrating the wonderful world of cats! Episode 3 airs at 8pm on Channel 4, Friday 30th January. You can stream episode 1 and 2 on Channel 4 now.

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Siberian Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Siberian Cat Facts

Is a Siberian Cat Right for Me?

What Are Siberian Kittens Like?

Life with a Siberian Cat

Caring for Your Siberian

Dinner time

Grooming time

Training & exercise