Beside you is the Siberian way
If your picture of the perfect cat is one permanently curled in your lap, a Siberian may gently disappoint you. Most Siberians are proximity cats rather than lap cats. They choose the cushion next to you, drape across your feet, occupy the arm of the sofa, or stretch along the back of it behind your head. They are in the room, in contact range, and clearly keeping company, but on a surface they control, with the option to relocate without negotiation.
Being held follows the same pattern. Many Siberians accept being picked up calmly, especially by people they know, but signal within a short while that they would like the floor again. A large, heavy, warm-coated cat also has practical reasons: laps are hot under that triple coat, and a big frame does not fold neatly into a small space.
Why this is not aloofness
It is easy to misread, so look at the whole pattern of her day. The Siberian who declines your lap follows you to the kitchen, waits outside the bathroom, greets you at the door with a trill, and sleeps on your bed. She has chosen you repeatedly in every way except the one you were measuring. Affection in this breed is expressed as attendance: she spends her time where you are, and time is the honest currency of a cat.
Kittens are often more lap-inclined and become more independent in their positioning as they reach their large adult size. Some individual Siberians, often those raised with a great deal of gentle handling, do become committed lap cats, so ask a breeder or rescue about the specific cat rather than relying only on the breed tendency.
Handling a Siberian well
Support her properly when you do lift her: one hand under the chest, the other supporting her hindquarters, held securely against your body rather than dangling. A cat who feels her weight is safe will tolerate handling far better. Keep early sessions short, set her down when she shifts or pushes, and never let children carry her around the house, because a heavy cat dropped or squeezed will remember it and vote accordingly next time.
On the floor or sofa, offer the contact she prefers. Stroking along the cheeks, chin scratches, and long, calm strokes over the shoulders suit most Siberians, and long grooming sessions with a comb often become her favourite form of being fussed over, with the practical benefit of keeping that dense coat free of tangles.
Sharing what she actually likes
Households misread this breed when each person runs their own experiment: one keeps scooping her up and reports she is standoffish, while another, who lets her settle alongside, knows a devoted cat. Pool those observations. Note that she likes the chair arm rather than laps, tolerates a brief carry to another room, and loves combing on the rug in the evening, and the whole house starts handling her in the way that brings out her affection.
Her profile can reach the relatives you select through KinsLe Family Sharing, giving every one of them their own access to it.