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Persian Cats
The first documented ancestors of the Persian Cats were imported from Khorasan, Persia into Italy in 1620 by Pietro della Valle and from Angora (now Ankara), Turkey into France by Nicholas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc at around the same time. The Khorasan cats were grey coated while those from Angora were white. From France, they were transported to Great Britain.
The Persian once was traded for goods and valued for its beauty and temperament, aiding the beautiful, longhaired cat's journey across the world.
The Traditional Perisan cat also known as Doll Face Persian is considered as a true breed of persian cat.
The Persian was first registered with the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) in 1871 when the association first kept records. By the 1900s the cats were being exported to the United States and their popularity has spread throughout the world.
We are not sure what the first Persian Cats taken to Europe looked like and how they differed from the Angoras. What we do know at the end of the 19th century they were solid cats of rounded shapes featuring long, thick fur.
A Persian cat's face has a flattened apperance that has become more prominent over the years.
Persian Cat Appearance
This cat is muscular, has a cobby body, set on low on the legs, a deep broad chest, massive shoulders and rump and a short tail. The CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) describes the tail as carried without a curve and at an angle lower than the back. The cats legs are short and thick with large round paws.
The head is round and massive with good breadth, set on a short, thick neck. The short, broad snubis of even width with a stop or break centered between the eyes.
The forehead is rounded with full cheeks and the ears are small, round-tipped, set wide apart and low om the head to fit its rounded contour. The CFA standard specifies that they tilt forward.
The eyes are large, round, full and bold, far apart, not deep set, thus as the CFA says "a sweet expression to the face. The coat of the Persian Cat is its glory. Long, thick and standing from the body, it is fine textured and has an immense ruff which continues in a deep frill between the front legs. There are longear and toe hairs and a bushy tail.
Persians are highly sought for their beauty, but also suffer from some health issues. Their long silky double layered coat frequently gets matted and requires regular washing, drying and combing to prevent tangles and hairballs.
Modern flat-faced Persians frequently develop respiratory problems owing to their flattened nose that obstructs breathing as well as the tear ducts, meaning that their eyes and nose require daily wiping to clean away crusts. Some Persians develop Polycystic Kidney Disease as well.
Responsible breeders make efforts to preserve the health of this splendid cat above all.
The Persian Cat Temperament
These beautiful cats have a sweet, gentle personality, with a quite melodious voice. They make wonderful family pets because they adapt so easily to their environment. The Persians are tremendously responsive and communicate with their large expressive eyes. Their cobby body style keeps them from high jumping (usually).
This breed is the most calm and docile of all cat breeds but is also loving and affectionate. Playful but not demandingly so and although not shy, they do tend to be undemonstrative. Their gentle temperament allows then to adjust to new environments with ease, making them ideal show cats. Persians tend to be accepting of other animals in the family.
Persian Cat Colors
A Persian cat can have any color or markings including pointed, golden, tortoiseshell, blue and tabby. Tipped varieties are known as Chinchilla. Point varieties are called Himalayan in the United States and Colorpoint Persian in Europe.
In the USA, there was an attempt to establish the Silver Persian as a separate breed called the Sterling, but it was not accepted and Silver and Golden longhaired cats, recognized by CFA more specially as Chinchilla Silvers, Shaded Silvers, Chinchilla Goldens or Shaded Goldens are judged in the Persian category of cat shows.
Colorpoint
Seal, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac, Red, Cream, Seal Tortie, Blue-Cream, Chocolate-Tortie, Lilac-Cream, Seal Tabby, Blue Tabby, Chocolate Tabby, Lilac Tabby, Red Tabby, Cream Tabby, Seal Tortie Tabby, Bkue-Cream Tabby, Chocolate Tortie Tabby, Lilac Cream Tabby.
Persians and Angoras
The pedigree imported long-hairs of today are undoubtedly a cross of the Angora and Persian. The latter possessing a rounder head than the former, also the coat is of quite a different quality. The coat of the Persian consists of a woolly under coat and a long, hairy outer coat.
n summer it loses all the thick underwool, only the long hair remains. The hair is also somewhat shorter on the shoulders and upper part of the hind legs.
The Angora has a very different coat, consisting of long, soft hair, hanging in locks, inclining to a slight curl or wave on the under parts of the body.
The hair is much longer on the shoulders and hind legs than the Persian, this being a great improvement, but the Angora fails to the Persian in head, the former having a more wedge-shaped head, whereas that of the modern Persian excels in roundness.
Of course. Angoras and Persians have been constantly crossed, with a decided improvement to each breed; but the long-haired cat of today is decidedly more Persian-bred than Angora. Persian Cats Pictures
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