The Persian Cat

The Persian cat is one of the most, if not most popular breed of cat. Persians are also known as the Longhair cat in Britain. Persians are believed to have originated in Persia, which is present-day Iran and neighboring areas before being brought to Europe in the 17^th Century. Although since Persians have been around for so long some people suggest the cats are actually from Russia or other areas. It ended up that travelers would send the Persians to Europe as they came across them. The cats were often sent to French and Italian nobles who kept them as pets. The Persian cat made it to England in 1871 where it would eventually be one of the first cat breeds recognized there. 

Persians typically weigh between 7-12 pounds with the ideal weight needing to be determined by a vet, as Persians vary in bone size, which is why they are heavier than most cats to begin with. Persians live for 10-18 years but with good care, most Persians can easily live 15 years or longer. Many Persians can even live into their early 20’s. A Persian can also have a litter ranging from 1-14 kittens but typically litters average about 3-5 kittens.

Persians come in many different colors and classes, and are often show cats if documented with a pedigree. To keep it short, Persians are recognized by the Cat Fancier’s Association as Solid Color, Silver and Golden, Shaded and Smoke, Tabby, Parti-Color, Calico and Bicolor, and finally Himalayan. Solid colors range from white to blue to cream to red to black, with many of these and other colors represented in the non-solid cat patterns as well.

Persian cats are easily recognized by their very long, thick coats, flat faces, little noses and large eyes. They also have short necks and legs. Persians are playful yet have a calm personality and charming nature. They are friendly and make great pets.

However, there are several pet care issues that need to be addressed with Persian cats. Persians typically need grooming once a day with a metal comb as they have so much hair that it can easily form knots. It is impossible for the Persian to fully groom itself and if the knots become too tight then the knots will have to be cut off which can leave an uneven pattern on your cat. Also due to the shape of the head and face of a Persian, sinus problems are not uncommon. Usually a warm washcloth will need to be used once in the morning and again at night around your cat’s eyes if there is a lot of eye gunk there that the Persian can’t get rid of him/herself.

[CaRP] XML error: not well-formed (invalid token) at line 9