Traditional Cats
For breeders of Traditional Cats
Recently the Polish Cat Club has written a very persuasive proposal to FIFe concerning the Neva and the Siberian cat (See Appendix A for the full text of their proposal). In short, they wish to have Nevas recognized as either a separate breed in FIfe, or as a sister breed to Siberians. They are even having a show Dec 15 2007 in Warsaw to present the Neva for consideration. We believe that at this show the proposal will be attempted to be passed into FIFE. They have also not distributed this proposal widely or publicly, we believe in order to only alert those who are in favor of this move and to close out opposing viewpoints or concerns from Siberian breeders. The proposal was not shared with Siberian breed clubs, or other proper venues. Instead, it was kept fairly hidden. At this time it is important for all Siberian breeders to be concerned and educate themselves about this proposal and what can be done to stop it.
Why would it be bad for Siberians if Nevas were recognized by FIFe? First, if Nevas are recognized as a sister breed, then Siberian cats could always be used by Neva breeders to stabilize type. Any breed that cannot maintain type without outcrossing is not an independent breed and does not deserve to be recognized.
Furthermore, a large number of Siberian lines have already been outcrossed to Neva lines to give the Nevas better type, and now many Siberians carry the cs gene. The outcrossing to gain the cs gene does not only bring in the colorpointed pattern, but outcrossing to the Siamese related breeds brings health risks, such as PKD, into the healthy native Siberian lines.
Second, if Nevas are recognized by FIFe as a sister or separate breed, then the support given only by FIFe to traditional Siberian breeders is gone. There are cat breeders from other countries where FIFe is not recognized who have joined FIFe just for this protection and support for their breeding efforts. If the Neva is recognized by FIFe, not only is this protection lost, but many other breeders may leave FIFe and its more restrictive breeding and showing regulations for the less restrictive cat organizations such as GCFF, TICA or ACFA.
Third, At this time only FIFe protects the original Siberian cat as it was developed by nature in Russia. There are very few natural breeds of cats. Most have been created by human intervention - such as the Neva. Protecting and researching natural cats can lead us to many understandings about all cats. If the Siberian "disappears" into the Neva, this chance will be lost. If
Finally, the restrictions proposed by genetic testing int eh Polish proposal will weaken the Siberian gene pool. By removing the ability to mate to Foundation cats, the natural type and healthy genetic contribution of natural Siberians is lost. Second, by needing to remove all traces of CS from their lines, the Siberians will lose a large number of breeding cats, while the Nevas will lose nothing. They are not being asked to "test out" Siberian blood.
As you can clearly see, the problems created by accepting what appears on its surface to be a solid proposal to solve the Neva problem actually creates significant genetic, breeding, and support issues for FIFe Siberian breeders today.
