siberian manx?

My cousin is getting some Siberian kittens. I--an amateur cat fancier--thought I knew a lot about different breeds, but was not familiar with the Siberian. So I did some research.

OMG!

Mijo and HoneyBoy, our two no-longer-little Manx boys sound just like this. I think we have a Siberian-Manx mix.

Here are some of the traits that make me think this is so:

~ very dog-like

~ loyal

~ will come to greet you

~ unique triple purr (kind of like those throat singers)

~ friendly

~ good with dogs (HB runs out to the street to greet the dogs...and walkers going by in the neighborhood)

~ energetic

~ smart

~ talkative, commenting with short soft mewing sounds

~ agile jumper

~ strong and powerfully built, with strong hindquarters

~ large, well rounded paws (that's Mijo!)

~ barrel chests

~ gentle, laid back, good with children and other pets (Misi may not think so, but they really just want to play...and when HoneyBoy hears the 3 year old neighbor boy outside, he goes running to greet him--likewise, the little boy asks to see HoneyBoy when I am outside and HB is inside)

~ semi-longhaired

~ thick, plush, luxurious coat that is much fuller in the winter than the summer

~ full neck ruff

~ tight, water-resistant undercoat

~ back legs slightly longer than their front legs

~ cheerful, good-natured appearance

~ good problem solvers

~ quite trainable

~ like to play fetch with their toys (and food! Mijo plays "pinball" in the bathtub when we throw food for him)

~ chirp and trill when excited

~ sweet-tempered

~ amenable to handling, even by young children (see above)

~ friendly, tolerant, easy-going, and pleasant

~ fascinated with water, showing curiosity about bathtubs, playing with water dripping from sink faucets, and purposely dropping toys into water dishes

~ exhibit protective qualities

~ back is long and very slightly curved or arched

~ convex muscular waist and round, compact belly (apparently, they will grow into this)

~ hind legs, when straightened, are slightly longer than the forelegs

~ facial expression is quite sweet

~ tail is medium length, wide at the base, blunt at the tip without thickening or kinks, evenly and thickly furnished (obviously, the tail length doesn't apply, but the part about being "evenly and thickly furnished" and "blunt at the tip" does apply)

~ hair may thicken to curls on the belly and britches (after being out in the Oregon drizzle or sitting on the damp deck while watching squirrels, they come in with frizzy britches and chests)

~ tend not to be shy with strangers

~ very personable and want to be near their owners

~ play with just about anything

~ male typically weighs between 15 and 20 pounds; may not reach full size until it is 5 years of age (Mijo currently weighs 16 pounds and HoneyBoy weighs 13--wonder what we have to look forward to in the next 4 years....)

~ intelligent and learn quickly and even "problem solve" to get what they want

~ love to be spoken to and will come running if called by name

~ large bushy tail that stands at attention and does a shimmering effect when happy, that may look like they are spraying to some which is not what they are doing (true of Mijo--HoneyBoy only has a button tail)

~ sharp wit along with their robust athletic bodies enable them to be good hunters / mousers (if you have read previous posts on this blog, you are familiar with their budding hunting prowess)

~ slow to develop breed, retaining their kitten personalities their whole life (oh, good!)

~ like high places (definitely seeking out the highest accessible place in the room)

~ easily trained to do simple tricks such as how to stay off tables, off counters, play fetch, and be leash trained (we've managed to confine them to a box on the table--not so good with staying off counters, and we haven't tried a leash yet)

~ without regular physical and mental stimulus they can become bored and mischievous (when the weather was bad and they didn't want to go out, they drove us crazy)



[As you see, I didn't provide citations. However, I simply Googled the breed and copied relevant information. Since I am not using any of this for my own profit, it didn't seem necessary to footnote. If you want citations for any of the info, head to Google. You'll find it all there.]