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| Interview with Teija Virtanen Teija Virtanen is well known in the Finnish Siberian Cat circles as a breeder and as the President of the Siberian Cat Club of Finland and a cattery owner of FIN*Zigwan’s. She is respected by fellow breeders for her values and sense of justice. Family, Cats & Animal protection Teija
has always had cats - before Siberians she had house cats.Teija
grew up in the hometown of a legendary animal protection activist,
Anja Eerikainen (1933-2002). Inspired by the achievements of this
famous woman Teija got involved in animal protection and soon became
familiar with the cat world. Seeing a Siberian Cat for the first
time touched her inner core. Teija says that the cat possessed primal
strength and enchantment combined with artless sweetness. She had
finally found her breed. "Chili" FIN*Lumikissan Chilipippuri Her four children have always lived together with animals and they also kept a dog once. Cats shared the beds with the kids and welcomed them home from school. Two of her children are adults now, and both of them have Siberian cats. Becoming a breeder It wasn’t Teija's original plan to start breeding. She had been studying the Siberian Cat for quite a long time before buying her first queen, IC FIN* Lumikissan Chilipippuri. After a while she discovered that breeding Chili would be a valuable input to the breed in Finland. This triggered the plans to start a cattery. Teija is also an amateur linguist. Her support for languages under threat of extinction was expressed in her choice of name for her cattery: Zigwan (’s) is a Wabenaki word meaning spring. It was FIFe registered in December 2003. First FIN*Zigwan’s litter was born in June 2004. Fascinating breed - Its genuineness, naturalness, briskness and love for humans is touching. Vivid and smart, totally an irresistible creature! I have now four cats: Two Siberian girls Chili and Anni, neutered Maine Coon Osku and a house cat called Carmen. I am the owner of four additional Siberian Cats living with the co-owners: Paavo, Bel’skaia, Cholena and Netta. Cat personalities - Our family is ruled by the Queen Chili. Her self-conscious and sometimes even plotting trickiness keeps the other cats under total control. Chili has a captivating mixture of sacrificing maternal instincts and inflammable temperament. Intelligent, powerful and spirited female adopting all kittens around her. She is still very much attached to her daughter Anni. Likes to chat and purr on one’s lap. - Princess Anni is sweet, perhaps a little witless and always happy, a bit kitten-like. She is a good mom. An agile cat, climbs up to the highest places. There’s something of a dare devil in her!
Favourite foods Chili Anni Grooming and show preparation One of Teija’s mottos is that the cat should feel comfortable on every show table. Therefore, she starts handling the kitten at an early age. This way it gets used to washing, usage of a blow-dryer, grooming and handling. Also, a good tip is to let your guests “handle” the kitten on the table. Teija says that many of her guests become a bit surprised when her cats show off on the coffee table accompanied with purr. In
order to avoid a fluffy coat texture the Siberian Cat should be
washed a week before the show. The final touch is given the day
before with high quality products to restore the natural look of
the fur. This breed has to have its “rain coat”, it
should feel slightly oily with a light rise. Cat Shows Annually Teija attends about ten cat shows, domestic and abroad. She observes even other breeds at the shows, Maine Coon and the European Shorthair.
How to start breeding? - Well, I consider myself still too much of a beginner for giving advice to others. However, I have had wise mentors and I am delighted to pass on their advices to others. Firstly, before acquiring a breeding cat it’s advisable to study the breed, different foundation lines and to have discussions with experienced breeders. 1. It is preferable to observe the cats in a live situation by visiting the shows and breeders. Ask a cat owner if you can take the cat to your lap, feel its body (a Siberian has a special body structure), fur quality and observe the facial expression. 2. Learn the basic elements of genetics. 3. Check your bank account and access to free time. 4. Take care of health related matters. 5. Feel responsibility towards the breed by being observant for issues like the breed’s population and development. 6. Work closely with other breeders, it benefits you and the breed. 7. Know your foundation lines; do not expose yourself to uncertainty by taking risks. Therefore, study the pedigrees carefully. It’s safer when you know how many times a certain cat (s) appears in the pedigree and to which foundation line the planned litter inclines towards. 8. Have a clear idea what qualities you want to bring forward in your breeding. 9. An excellent way to start is to offer a breeder co-ownership, in this way you have the advice and support of a more experienced breeder.
The future of the Siberian Cat -
It would be the most popular breed in the world, because of its
good health, fantastic character and its brisk naturalness. According to Teija the present foundation is now heterogenetic and it’s time to stabilise the breed. The Neva Masquerade (NM) issue needs to be solved. In her opinion the best way is to separate NM from the Siberian Cat (SIB) breed. - We have the methods to choose traditional clean lines for breeding. If necessary, DNA tests can be made to identify a colour point carrier. This is the only way to remove the colour-point problem from the Siberian Cat breeding hobby. There are nowadays ambitious Neva Masquerade breeders who use only colour point cats in their lines and do not desire to connect the Neva Masquerade with the traditional Siberian Cats anymore. It is a logical and a peaceful solution to distinguish the two as different breeds. A tranquil coexistence between the Neva Masquerade and the traditional Siberian breeders is feasible if both sides wish it to happen.
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It lives in a lively family, it is loved and well taken care of.
The cat experiences closeness and numerous happy moments with cats/dogs
and children in the family.
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