The Siberian, Russia’s native forest cat, first appeared in recorded history around the year 1000 and hails from the unforgiving climate of Siberia. This is a cat that nature designed to survive, with no extremes in type. The Siberian is a medium to medium large, strong triple coated cat with surprising heft for its size. The overall appearance should be one of strength, presence, and alertness, with a sweet facial expression. The breed is extremely slow to mature taking as long as 5 years. Females are generally smaller than males and allowances should be considered when comparing females and young cats to the standard. Size is secondary to type. The general impression is one of roundness and circles, rather than rectangles and triangles.