Owning a Siberian cat is considered by some a form of investment. The hefty price tag usually starts at $1,200 and can skyrocket up to a whopping $4000 per kitten. So, why are Siberian cats so expensive?
This Siberian native breed commands a high price tag due to several factors, including high demand and low supply on top of breeding, registration, vaccination, and homing expenses.
High Demand and Low Supply of Siberian Cats
Outside of their native Russia, Siberian kitties are considered rare. It is pretty hard and complex to look for a reputable breeder. There are only around 68 TICA-certified Siberian Breeders in the US, Canada, Germany, and Singapore.
The average litter may only come up to less than 1000 new Siberians each year.
Responsible Siberian breeders usually set out high prices for healthy kittens in the cat market because there are a lot of processes and expenses that need to be undergone in raising purebred Siberian kittens with full registration.
Siberian cats are the national cat of Russia and have only just arrived in the United States around 1990.
They are incredibly expensive to import which makes them relatively rare outside of Europe. Despite that, the breed is immensely popular among cat fancier and breeder organizations.
Compounding the dilemma of low supply, cat lovers around the world are clamoring to own Siberian cats because of the breed’s undeniable majestic attributes with the rare and exotic status.
The demand is insanely high that many catteries and breeders have long waitlists for cat lovers attempting to own this ancient breed.
4 Reasons Why Siberian Cats Are So Expensive and Highly Coveted
1. Adorable Appearance
The Siberian is a strong and agile jumper coupled with medium/large ears, broad foreheads, stocky build, and large eyes.
The large round eyes which are typically green or gold lend an overall sweet and friendly expression that can make any cat lover’s heart swoon.
The thick, three-layered coat comes in a variety of colors and patterns such as tabby, solid, colorpoint, and tortoiseshell.
2. Hypoallergenic
While there is no scientific evidence, most cat enthusiasts laud the decreased dander qualities of the Siberian coat.
Because of this, there is a claim that allergy sufferers can safely own one.
Although not totally hypoallergenic, allergic families are often advised to adopt or own a Siberian instead of other breeds, racking up the price for the opportunity to own one of these coveted creatures.
3. Temperament
The breed is also popular due to its athletic ability, fairly high intelligence level, and affectionate personality. Siberian cats are social animals who get along with nearly everyone.
Siberians are devoted to pet parents and usually get along well with children and other pets, including dogs.
Because it takes a long time for them to reach adulthood, a major portion of their life is spent like kittens. They are also quite adventurous and excellent mousers.
4. Healthier Than Other Breeds
Unlike other purebred cats that face more health consequences than mixed-breeds, Siberians have a lower risk of obesity and few health concerns.
They can survive up to ten years old with others even lasting up to 20 years.
High Breeding Expenses
The expense of breeding these precious Russian kittens can rack up the final price tag which can be over four times more expensive than any run-of-the-mill shelter cat.
The price of breeding a cat will normally vary depending on the location. For Siberians, getting cats from outside the country will likely be steeper due to high importing costs.
The potential parents need to mature first to at least 12 months old. During the entire period of waiting for both the dame and the tom to fully develop physically, the breeder needs to feed, care and purchase all their essential needs.
After successful mating, a pregnant Siberian cat would need high-quality food and diet to ensure that the baby kittens would have the complete nutrition they need while still being inside their mum’s tummy.
In addition to that, she will also be gradually increasing her food intake which culminates in around 50% more than the usual amount of meals.
The risk during labor is great because a lot is at stake, including kittens who don’t survive and mothers who weren’t able to endure the process.
Although the rate of successful cat birth is high, sometimes they undergo cesarian, which increases the expenses even more.
Expensive Vaccination and Registration
As with other full breed or mixed-breed cats, registration and vaccinations would be a prerequisite. The cost of vaccination shots and other treatments such as deworming would vary from location.
Spaying, neutering, and microchipping might contribute to the lofty price tag, but these are important factors.
Registration in an organization such as The International Cat Association (TICA) will further increase the expenses. Cat associations are very strict when it comes to complying with the desired breed quality.
Full registration is not easily granted unless all demands including details of the cat’s parents and even great-grandparents are satisfied.
This is the reason why some Siberian cats command a higher price range than others. Fully registered Siberians can cost up to $4000.
On the other hand, cats that resemble the breed but have no evidence of breed ancestry, are granted limited registration. The price range for these cats is usually around the $500 to $900 range.
Raising and Homing Expenses
After delivery, the dame will continue having large portions of food. Sometimes, some kittens will be unable to feed well by the mother, which will mean that the breeder will have to wean them by using kitten formula milk. That’s another cost that will last a few weeks.
When the time comes for homing the Siberian kittens, legitimate breeders resort to forms of advertising, the most common of which is creating their websites to advertise their available kittens. Advertising costs will add up to the final price of the kittens.
Conclusion
Many factors contribute to why Siberian cats are so expensive. In addition to the exotic breed’s limited supply and very high demand, expenses incurred by breeders further rack up its final hefty price tag. However, a Siberian cat is always worth the price due to its many desirable qualities.
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