Persian Cats Trivia!
Persians are instantly recognisable, with their long
coats, large expressive eyes and sweet temperament.
They are well suited for both breeding and as pets.
Persians are relatively undemanding of your personal
time, as they are quite content to laze around for
most of the day sleeping. They enjoy playful games,
but will not demand them in the same way that other
breeds such as the Foreign shorthairs or Orientals
would.
However, when deciding to become the proud owner of a
Persian, please bear in mind that they will require
adequate time for grooming (minimum of 10 minutes daily).
Failure to meet this simple requirement, will lead to
discomfort or pain for your cat and extra expense
for you (in the form of grooming fees).
During the history of Persian cats, their appearance
has changed quite dramatically. For example, during the
Victorian period they had quite elongated faces and,
while their coats were long, they were neither as thick
nor as luxuriant as they are today.
Current standards call for a well muscled, medium
sized, elegant cobby cat. A short face with full, round
cheeks and large eyes (most usually of deep copper
colour, although other hues are required for some
varieties), which give the Persian its appealing
expression. The legs are short and stocky and the tail
should be short and bushy.
By far the most distinctive feature of the Persian is
the coat, which should be long, thick but fine in texture,
with a fullness around the neck and chest.
A vast variety of colours and patterns exists, but they
can generally be summed up as either self (or solid),
non-self (patterned, colourpoint, and shaded) or
shorthaired (Exotic).
Caring for your Persian Cat
Persian cats are fantastically beautiful cats, but in
order for these animals to be in perfect condition, a
lot of hard work is needed. Before buying a Persian
cat you should question yourself if you have at least
15 minutes everyday to groom & care for your Persian.
First of all you need to set a schedule for the
grooming & care of your Persian cat. I groom all of my
Persians daily, giving them each 15 minutes of brush &
play. Then every three or four weeks they have a bath
& a blow-dry. Two shampoos & conditioner.
You must make sure that the products you are using are
hypo-allergenic & specifically made for felines. Do not
use just any product, especially products that are used
for canines or for humans. It may very well damage their
coats.
I have a special preference for Ring 5 & Biogroom
products. While bathing my Persians, I am very careful
not to let any water or shampoo into their eyes or ears.
I clean the face separately with a wet cloth that I
especially keep for this occasion. I start training my
kitties for their bath at the age of six weeks, so that
they get used to the bathing process from their very
early stages of life.
None of my cats give me any problems with their
baths. They all love & enjoy every minute of it. I never
have to struggle with any of my babies while bathing or
drying. It is a very pleasant procedure for them as well
as for me.
Bathing is a very important step of grooming, but
there are other steps also. Anyone who buys a Persian
should know that another part of the grooming procedure
is also the daily cleaning of their eyes. Because Persian
cats are flat faced, their eyes will be formatting tears.
If you donÕt want your beautiful Persian cat to have
stains under their eyes, you have to clean them daily
with a soft cotton tissue. I am currently using BeapharÕs
Oftal eye cleaning lotion. I have found it to be the most
effective eye lotion, especially with whites. If you
cannot find Oftal you can always use Optrex contact
lense cleaner, since it will not irritate your catÕs eyes.
Ears should also be cleaned once a week, and of course
last but not least, do not forget to cut your Persian cat's
nails once every two weeks.
At the end of the day you & your Persian cat should
enjoy all of this process, and look at it as an opportunity
to spent some quality time with each other.
The History of Persian Cats
Longhaired cats, so-called because of their long,
luxuriant coats, were unheard of in Europe until the mid
16th Century. The first ancestor of the Persian was imported
to Italy from Persia (now Iran) in the 17th Century, by Pietro
della Valle.
Later, an advisor to the parliament of Aix-en-Provence
(Nicholas-Claude Fabri de Peiresec) brought two cats to France
from Turkey (Probably Angora in type, named after Ankara,
Turkey, where they were first sighted). These cats were
highly prized by the European aristocracy; in fact King Louis
XV himself had a white angora Persian, while the blue Persian
was reputedly a particular favourite of Queen Victoria.
In the first part of the 19th Century, Persians bred
in Italy, were brought to France & England. These animals
were cross bred with Persians of Turkish origin (Angoras)
and were first shown at Londons Crystal Palace in 1871. It
was then that the British breeders organised a selective
breeding program. Crosses were made between Persians & Angoras
to improve the quality of the coats and then they systematically
experimented to increase the range of colours and patterns (which
stands at over 200 varieties today).
The following, are just a small selection of what was
achieved by this breeding program:
The smoke Persian
using a combination of black, white & blue Persians
(first shown in Brighton in 1872).
A cat named Silver
the first chinchilla Persian (Shown in London in 1888).
Colourpoint Persians
PersianÕs with a Siamese patterned coat, known as
Himalayans in the United States (and considered a
separate bred by T.I.C.A & Kmher in Germany) appeared
around 1920.
Exotic Shorthair
a relatively new variety, it has the same form &
type as a Persian, but with a shorthaired coat.
© Copyright Kings Persians 2011-2012
