The Persian cat is a long-haired breed of cat characterized
by its round face and short muzzle. In Britain, it is sometimes called the Longhair or Persian
Longhair. It is also known as the Shirazi cat or Iranian
cat, particularly in the Middle East. The first documented ancestors of the Persian
were imported into Europe from Iran (Persia)
around 1620. Recognized by
the cat fancy since the
late 19th century, it was developed first by the English, and then mainly by
American breeders after the Second World War. Some cat fancier organizations' breed standars subsume
the Himalayan and Exotic shorthair as
variants of this breed, while others treat them as separate breeds.
The Persian is the most popular pedigreed cat in North America, if not the world. He first came into vogue during the Victorian era, but he existed long before then. Little is known about his early history, though.
The Persian comes in two types: show and traditional. The show Persian has a round head enhanced with a thick ruff, small ears, a flat nose, big round copper eyes, a broad, short body with heavy boning atop short tree-trunk legs, and a thick, flowing plume of a tail. The traditional Persian, also known as the Doll Face, does not have the extreme features of the show Persian, and his nose is a normal length, giving him a sweet expression. Both types have a long, glamorous coat that comes in many colors and patterns, and both share the same wonderful personality.
The Persian’s sweet, gentle face turns up to gaze at his favorite people the way a pansy turns its face to the sun. He communicates with his expressive eyes and his soft, melodious voice. The Persian is the epitome of a lap cat, with a restful and undemanding personality. He loves to cuddle, but he’s also playful and curious. He’s not a jumper or climber, instead posing beautifully on a chair or sofa or playing with a favorite feather toy. Persians prefer a serene, predictable environment, but they can be adaptable enough to weather a loud, boisterous family as long as their needs are understood and met.
Most people carry an image of a white Persian in their heads, but the Persian comes in numerous striking colors and patterns. The long, flowing coat must be combed daily to prevent or remove mats and tangles. The Persian needs regular baths to stay clean and sweet-smelling. Introduce a kitten to bathing as soon as you bring him home so he will hopefully learn to accept it readily.
A show-quality
Persian has an extremely long and thick coat, short legs, a wide head with the
ears set far apart, large eyes, and an extremely shortened muzzle. The breed
was originally established with a short muzzle, but over time, this
characteristic has become extremely exaggerated, particularly in North America.
Persian cats can have virtually any color or markings.
The Persian is
generally described as a quiet cat. Typically placid in nature, it adapts quite
well to apartment life. Himalayans tend to be more active due to the influence
of Siamese traits. In a study comparing cat owner perceptions of their cats,
Persians rated higher than non-pedigree cats on closeness and affection to
owners, friendliness towards strangers, cleanliness, predictability,
vocalization, and fussiness over food
There is variants of Persian cat :
Himalayan
In 1950, the Siamese was crossed with the Persian
to create a breed with the body type of the Persian but colorpoint pattern of
the Siamese. It was named Himalayan, after other colorpoint animals
such as the Himalayan rabbit.
In the UK, the breed was recognized as the Colorpoint Longhair. The Himalayan
stood as a separate breed in the US until 1984, when the CFA merged it with the
Persian, to the objection of the breed councils of both breeds. Some Persian
breeders were unhappy with the introduction of this crossbreed into their
"pure" Persian lines.
Exotic Shorthair
The Persian was used
as an outcross secretly by some American Shorthair (ASH) breeders in the late 1950s to
"improve" their breed. The crossbreed look gained recognition in the show
ring but other breeders unhappy with the changes successfully pushed for new
breed standards that would disqualify ASH that showed signs of crossbreeding.
Toy and teacup sizes
A
number of breeders produce small-statured Persians under a variety of names.
The generic terms are "toy" and "teacup" Persians (terms
borrowed from the dog
fancy), but the individual lines are often called
"palm-sized", "pocket", "mini" and
"pixie". Currently, they are not recognized as a separate breed by
major registries and each breeder sets their own standards for size.
Chinchilla Longhair and Sterling
(SACC)
registers cats with five generations of purebred Chinchilla as a Chinchilla
Longhair. The Chinchilla Longhair has a slightly longer nose than the Persian,
resulting in healthy breathing and less eye tearing. Its hair is translucent
with only the tips carrying black pigment, a feature that gets lost when
out-crossed to other colored Persians. Out-crossing also may result in losing
nose and lip liner, which is a fault in the Chinchilla Longhair breed standard.
One of the distinctions of this breed is the blue-green or green eye color only
with kittens having blue or blue-purple eye color.
Few interesting facts:
- As any Persian cat owner can attest, owning one of these cats doesn’t come easily. Grooming is a major requirement for a Persian, and requires daily attention to keep them looking fresh and tangle-free. To manage all that fur, some Persian owners opt to keep their cat’s hair short for less routine maintenance.
- Due to their ability to be inactive for long periods of time, the Persian breed rightfully owned the nickname “furniture with fur” due to their inherent laziness. Although many Persians can be lovable and playful at times, they are not a hyperactive breed by any means. Looking that good must require lots of beauty sleep. The plus side is that this breed makes the ultimate lap kitty companion.
- A Persian is the perfect cat breed for anyone that might be worried about their cat running amuck and destroying their home while they are away. Not overly curious or adventurous by nature, the Persian is trustworthy in that it won’t be caught shredding your curtains or sabotaging other things inside your home. This breed is calm and quiet and if it wasn’t for all that fur, you might not even notice they are there half the time with their kitty manners always intact.
- Persians tend to be a bit shy and this breed does not do well with loud noises or lots of disruption in the home. Kids have a tendency for being unpredictable at times and a home with small children may not be the ideal environment for this cat breed that is a bit reclusive and shy.
- The Persian has a sweet, gentle personality and is a quiet companion.
- The Persian has a long, flowing coat that must be groomed daily.
- The Persian is an old breed, but little is known of its history.
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