An ordinary cat, so the story goes,
Was off to a masquerade ball.
She slipped on a mask and a fluffy coat,
And ever since then, above all,
She’s been no ordinary cat at all:
They call her the Neva Masquerade,
A soul of the gentlest kind!
History of the Breed
The Neva Masquerade got its name from the dark mask that mysteriously covers its charming face. The name was given by cat experts in St. Petersburg (the Neva is the river that runs through the city).
The breed stepped into the spotlight in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) in the winter of 1988, remarkably at the very first cat show held in the country. The cat-hungry public admired Siberians in an unusual color. The experts noticed the debutante too, and proudly named it after the city where the breed made its debut.
The Neva Masquerade was officially registered in 1992. Since then, the St. Petersburg-born breed (also called the colorpoint Siberian) has grown more popular every year, winning fans around the world.
Neva Masquerade Breed Description
The pride of Russian breeders came about naturally. Siberians had romances with Siamese cats, and the fruit of that love is the Neva Masquerade.
From its Siberian father, the Neva inherited a strong, sturdy body, a very dense coat with special properties, and robust health (with a few caveats). Its Siamese mother gave it the masquerade costume: a light body, a dark mask, darker shading on the legs and tail, and remarkable, very bright blue eyes. This dressed-up look never goes unnoticed!
Here are the main features described in the Neva Masquerade standard:
- Head
These cats have a large head shaped like a short trapezoid. The forehead, the standard says, is broad and rounded, with a smooth transition to the bridge of the nose. There’s no stop. The chin doesn’t jut out but is strong and powerful. The cheeks are full.
The ears are set wide apart (the distance between them is greater than the width of one ear) and tilt slightly forward. Ear furnishings and tufts are welcome.
The eyes are round and set wide and at a slight slant. The lower lid is semicircular and the upper lid is arched. The eyes are blue, and Nevas can have many shades of it: lavender, Mediterranean blue, deep blue, sapphire and more.
- Body
The Neva Masquerade is considered one of the largest cats in the world, only slightly smaller than the giant Maine Coon. Its ancestors gave it heavy bones and well-developed muscles.
Nevas have strong legs that, together with the body, form an almost perfect rectangle. The paws are large and round, with fur growing between the toes. The tail is broad and strong at the base, with a rounded tip and a magnificent plume. Females weigh about 13 lb, and males can top 18–20 lb.
- Coat
Neva Masquerade kittens are born with a coat that has unique qualities: owners say it repels dirt and water and doesn’t mat!
The classic Neva has a medium-long coat. It gets longer from the shoulder blades to the rump, and it’s softer on the sides than on the back. The colorpoint Siberian has lovely “britches,” a luxurious ruff, a plumed tail and a double undercoat all over the body. Interestingly, when the cat sheds, the ruff and britches almost completely disappear.
IMPORTANT! Thanks to its coat, the Neva Masquerade is often said to be one of the few longhaired cats that many allergy sufferers tolerate well. No cat is truly hypoallergenic, though, so spend time with the breed before you buy. See also our list of hypoallergenic cat breeds.
- Color
At first glance, the breed’s colors may seem rather uniform, but that’s not so. There are at least 6 color variations! The most common are seal point and seal tabby point. A kitten in these colors has a light body with dark points on the legs, tail, ears and face. Black-and-white (bicolor) versions are possible too.
Another Neva color is red point, with points shading into red. Blue point has bluish tones. Tortie point usually occurs only in females. More and more Nevas also come with silver shading in any of these point combinations.
White socks on the paws and white patches on the face are allowed in all color variations. The Neva Masquerade bicolor doesn’t require symmetrical or orderly patches. Chocolate and lilac colors, however, are not allowed.
IMPORTANT! Kittens of this breed are always born white. That’s because the Neva’s coloring comes from a special temperature-sensitive gene that prevents pigment from reaching the hair at higher temperatures. In other words, the colored areas (ears, face, legs and tail) are the coolest parts of the cat’s body.
The breed’s faults include even slight darkening of the coat on the body.
Personality
The stern-looking Neva Masquerade is actually a balanced, sensitive creature. Breeders know that kittens become very attached to people from birth. Later on, Nevas truly love their owner rather than their house.
But it isn’t servile love; it’s a partnership. The Neva doesn’t tolerate overfamiliarity and likes to be treated as an equal. Otherwise, it stays offended for a long time. But it won’t take revenge: that’s beneath the dignity of this refined St. Petersburg lady.
These cats have no shortage of stubbornness, so dealing with one is a battle of wills, won by whoever is wiser and more patient. The Neva Masquerade is quite talkative, and if its endless songs start to wear on you, consider that it might be reciting poetry from memory.
The Neva quickly finds common ground with children, but don’t bother introducing it to strangers: Nevas don’t warm up to outsiders. Overall, good, aristocratic manners are built right into the Neva Masquerade’s genes.
Care and Living Conditions
Caring for a Neva Masquerade differs little from caring for any house cat. The coat, of course, needs special attention. A Neva owner’s toolkit should include a slicker brush, a special massage brush and shampoo for longhaired cats.
This beauty sheds twice a year, and cleaning up fur won’t become an exhausting routine if you brush your cat regularly and bathe it a couple of times a month.
Please note: don’t comb out the Neva Masquerade’s tail! A careless stroke can easily pull out tail hairs, and that fluffy beauty takes a very long time to grow back.
Cleaning the eyes, ears and teeth and trimming the nails regularly should become familiar routines for both the cat and its owners.
Health
The Neva Masquerade is a natural (native) breed, and like all naturally developed breeds, Nevas are quite healthy. The main genetic diseases have passed them by.
The exception is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Behind the complicated name is a heart disease in which the heart muscle thickens. It can lead to heart failure, fluid in the lungs and even sudden death. It often has no visible symptoms, but if it’s caught early (your vet can screen for it with an echocardiogram), the right treatment can extend your cat’s life.
Otherwise, the Neva’s best helpers are a strong immune system and a proper diet. The Neva Masquerade can live up to 20 years!
Feeding
What should you feed a Neva Masquerade so it lives a long life? Despite their size, these cats aren’t prone to obesity. Feed them twice a day, about 4 oz per meal (a premium commercial food or a homemade diet).
The main part of the diet is meat and organ meats. Beef, rabbit and poultry are excellent protein sources. Offer liver only occasionally: it can change the coat color for the worse. Seafood affects the color too. In fact, you can skip fish entirely: scientists long ago debunked the myth that cats need fish and seafood.
Some breeders also give fermented dairy. If your cat tolerates it, small amounts of plain, moderate-fat cottage cheese or kefir are fine; avoid fat-free and overly rich versions. If you feed homemade, add a few drops of vegetable oil to raw or cooked vegetables and grains at each meal, and check with your vet that the overall diet is complete and balanced.
Photos
The Neva Masquerade has its own stars. One of the most famous is Dorofei, the cat of former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Dorofei is known as a true fighter: he reportedly once got into a fight with the cat of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Medvedevs’ neighbor, and spent about a month licking his wounds.
A photo of a Neva that fell asleep in a plate during a holiday dinner also went viral. So if you’re wondering what to name your Neva Masquerade kitten and dream of stardom for it, call him Dorofei!
Kitten Prices
In the US, the Neva Masquerade is registered as a colorpoint Siberian by both the CFA and TICA, so you’ll usually find these kittens through Siberian breeders. A colorpoint Siberian kitten from a registered US cattery typically costs about $1,500–3,500, and breeders often charge a little more for colorpoints.
If price isn’t the deciding factor, go to a well-established cattery. Ask for registration papers, HCM screening results for the parents and a written health guarantee.
Find a Neva Masquerade (Colorpoint Siberian) Cattery
- CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association) Find a Breeder – https://find-a-breeder.cfa.org/;
- TICA (The International Cat Association) breeder listings – https://tica.org/find-a-cat/find-a-cat-breeder-listings/;
In either directory, choose “Siberian” and ask breeders whether they have colorpoint (Neva Masquerade) kittens. Read more about the breed’s parent, the Siberian cat.
The Neva Masquerade: a refined lady with good manners in her blood!
