Adopting a cat will change your life for the better, so it was also for Federica, the owner of Levante, a beautiful Siberian Neva Masquerade cat, that some of you may have already known being one of Ferplast’s most loved ambassadors!
Hi Federica, how long have you lived with Levante? Was it love from the beginning between you?
Levante will turn five this year even if it seems yesterday when he arrived here! I went to Grosseto in Tuscany to take him in December 2015, but he came from a breeding of Siberian Neva Masquerade located in Cosenza, in the South of Italy. I had always wanted a cat like him and when a friend suggested this breeding I immediately looked at their website, to gather information … a photo was enough to fall in love with Levante: he was a white ball, with nose, ears and tail all red and two eyes as blue as the sky. A true love at first sight!
What are Levante’s favorite pastimes?
Levante is a very habitual cat. It has some rituals that I have become accustomed to, which still make me smile! For example, in the evening when we return home, he always claims to go out on the landing to go for a ride down to the ground floor, I know he has no bad intention, but simply wants to give vent to his nature as an inspector!
Another thing that amuses me about Levante is that every day he spends at least a good half hour looking at nothing outside the bathroom window, sometimes I wonder if there are presences that only he, with his sixth sense, can perceive. And then, like all cats, he loves to play and climb on his perch to observe what is happening in the living room from above!
Speaking of leisures, what are your favorite games?
Levante is a great fan of feathers and fringes: he is crazy about the classic canes with the feather fluttering on the tip, you should see how he runs around the house to catch it and how he has a good time when he manages to catch it with his paws. Lately I see him very interested in Ferplast’s Turbine circuit, I still haven’t understood if it is thanks to the two soft plumes that swing here and there or to the luminous ball, but he is really interested and amused by this game. I must admit that he also loves to torture shopping bags, it must be a small mania!
Why did you choose a Siberian Cat Neva Masquerade?
Because I love long haired cat breeds! Moreover my husband is allergic to cat and that before convincing him to adopt a kitty it took a lot of time and energy, but when I explained him that Siberian cats are hypoallergenic, he surrendered and went along! So, if any of you do not want to give up the idea of having a feline, despite an allergic roommate, I suggest you opt for this breed.
Is it easy to take care of a Siberian cat? For example, how difficult is it to groom his long hair for people not familiar with cats?
As for the maintenance of the hair of a Siberian, in practice it is not a complex or time-consuming job. Levante, however, is a tough guy and does not accept willingly that you brush it! I would like to do it every day, but I would risk finding myself without my fingers: he is calm for a few minutes, but then he ends up meowing or I would almost say screaming! Luckily, he doesn’t have many knots, if not a couple behind the “butt”.
How do you do when you have to go on holidays? Is Levante coming with you? Does he love traveling?
When we leave Levante always comes us with great enthusiasm, he loves traveling a lot and is good. We have a camper, so we can call him a “camper cat”: we put it in his carrier and it remains quiet, obviously we stop from time to time to make him stretch and feed him. Just be organized and bring everything you need. We always have his favorite game with us, a blanket and his favorite snacks (he is superfine taste cat: he has a big passion for chicken and pomegranate biscuits!).
When we are in the camper heis exhilarating: if someone unknown goes up he is frightened and runs to hide, if instead the same person is beyond the window, then he put himself belly up to be pampered!
Special thanks to our ambassador Levante and Federica, follow their adventures on Instagram @ levante_siberian_cat