Persian Cats

Persian cats are one of the most popular breeds of cats. Persian cats are thought to originate from Iran, Turkey, and nearby countries. From there, they were introduced to Europe during the seventeenth century. Persian cats have become popular in cat shows since their debut in a London cat show in 1871.

Persian cats have stout bodies with short legs and a straight, short tail. Possibly the most well-known characteristics of Persian cats are their long hair and flat facial features. Persian cats have small, flat noses and round eyes. Persians have short, thick necks. Persian cats tend to have a nonchalant, but sweet temperament and are generally good with children. They tend to be laid back and somewhat aloof.

Unlike some breeds that have very few variations of colorings, the Persian cat has numerous different colorings. Persians can be solid colors, silver or golden, tabby, bicolor, shaded or smoke, parti-color such as tortoiseshell, or Himalayan. Tabby coloring can be classic, mackerel, or patched tabby. The shaded or smoke Persian cats have a white undercoat with color-tipped hair.

The Himalayan coloring is marked by colored points. This variety of Persian cats was created through the breeding of Persians with Siamese cats. Seal-point coloring means that the body is one color, while the face and extremities are another. In the case of Himalayan cats, the body is white. There is a large variety of seal-point colors including chocolate, blue, red, and chocolate-tortie lynx.

Grooming is a necessity for a Persian cat. The long hair can get matted if it is not brushed regularly. Daily brushing is strongly recommended. Due to normal tearing of the eyes, a Persian cat should have its face washed every day. The flat face can cause a problem with the buildup of residue if the face is not washed daily.

Breeding and the health of the parents affects the cat’s genetic vulnerability to disease. Though some cat organizations say that Persians are not prone to any diseases as long as long as the cat has been the product of responsible breeding, some organizations claim that Persian cats have a higher incidence rate of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). One study showed that forty percent of Persian cats carry the genetic predisposition for polycystic kidney disease.