We easily recognize the Persian cat by its broad, flattened face and abundant fur, which can be of different colours. They were introduced in Italy from ancient Persia (Iran) around 1620, although the true origin is unknown. The current Persian standard, as we know it, was set in 1800 in England and comes from the Turkish Angora. Do not hesitate to continue reading this complete file on the Persian cat and its characteristics, its origin and curiosities, among other things, in order to have more complete information about it.
Origin of the Persian cat
As we mentioned in the introduction, the origin of the Persian cat is quite unknown and inaccurate The ancestors of this cat are the we go back to the year 1620, in Italy, where they were imported from Persia and Khorasan by Pietro della Valle. On the other hand, Nicholas Claude Fabri de Peiresc also exported the Angora cat (present-day Ankara, the capital of Turkey) to France. From here it passed to Great Britain and spread to other countries. The Persian cat has long hair and, thanks to history, it is known that 19th-century aristocracy already requested cats with these characteristics. It was thanks to a hybridization with Pallas's cat that they were able to have cats with long hair.
Characteristics of the Persian cat
So that we can better understand the physique of this cat, we are going to briefly mention the characteristics of the Persian cat. Next:
- Flat Face: A rounded head along with prominent cheekbones and a short snout give shape to the flattened face of this breed. His cheekbones are prominent and strong, as well as having a rounded forehead. The snout is short and flat, in contrast to its strong chin.
- Big eyes: full of expressiveness in contrast to the small rounded ears. They are very round in shape, and the further apart they are from each other, the better.
- Ears in "V": the ears of the Persian breed must be in symmetry with their head, so they must form a "V" from the ends where they are located to the chin.
- Medium/Large size: In addition, the Persian cat is very muscular and round. Its weight ranges between 6 and 7 kilos, depending on whether it is a female or a male, respectively.
- Thick legs: has a compact body, Corby style.
- Short tail: it should not exceed more than half of its body, so we are talking about a short tail. In short, these cats stand out above all for being rough and solid.
- Long and abundant fur: in addition to being thick, it is very soft to the touch. A curiosity about Persian cats is that they have hair between the toes of their paws, something that makes them a highly sought-after animal.
Persian cat colors
The colors of the Persian cat's coat are very varied:
- White
- Black
- Chocolate
- Reddish
- Cream
These are some of the colors in the case of solid fur although there are also cats of the bicolor breed, Tabby and even tricolor in the case of females. On the other hand, the cat Himalayan Persian fulfills all the characteristics of the common Persian although its coat is similar to that of the Siamese, the pointed. These always have blue eyes and can be shown in chocolate, lilac, cream, flame, tortoiseshell or blue.
Persian cat character
The Persian cat is a calm family cat that we will find on many occasions relaxing on the sofa, as it spends long hours of day resting. In fact, a very common way to call Persian cats is to call them sofa tigers because they are always stretched out or sleeping. It is an extremely domestic cat that does not show typical attitudes of its wild relatives. We will also observe that the Persian cat is very conceited and ostentatious: it knows that it is a beautiful animal and will not hesitate to strut in front of us several times to get caresses and attention.
He likes to be accompanied by people, dogs and other animals. He also behaves wonderfully with children if they don't pull his hair and behave appropriately with him, as he has a gentle and domestic temperament. It should be added that he is a very greedy cat that we will easily convince him to do all kinds of tricks if we reward him with treats
Persian cat care
The Persian cat changes its hair according to the season, for this reason and to maintain the quality of the coat it is very importantbrush them daily We will also avoid tangles and hairballs in the stomach, since if knots form in these areas it is very likely that only the veterinarian can undo them and remove them. In no case can we cut the knots or the hair of the affected area ourselves. Offering our cat a bath if it has gotten excessively dirty is a good option to prevent dirt and tangles.
Due to the characteristics of its face: round eyes and short nose, sometimes the Persian cat may have complications when washing the eye and nasal areas As guardians of our new furry friend, we must facilitate this cleaning with a damp handkerchief or chamomile tea In this way, we help to keep the area clean and not irritate. Otherwise, on the market we will find specific products for the breed that serve to eliminate excess fat, clean the tear ducts or the ears.
You may be interested in this post on our site where we explain How to remove knots from Persian cats, for more complete information.
Persian Cat He alth
The Persian cat is prone to suffering from polycystic kidney disease or the symptom of retained testicles. Polycystic kidney disease is genetic and affects the feline's kidneys, so it can cause fluid-filled cysts in one or two of the kidneys. If the problem is not treated in time, it can end up triggering irreversible kidney failure.
The second most common disease in the Persian cat is progressive retinal atrophy, where a curvature of the retina is created and can lead to feline blindness. It is also a genetic disease. Other diseases that can affect your Persian cat are:
- Toxoplasmosis.
- Malocclusion.
- Chediak-Higashi syndrome.
- Congenital ankyloblepharon.
- Entropion.
- Congenital epiphora.
- Primary glaucoma.
- Skinfold dermatitis.
- Calculus in the urinary tract.
- Hip dysplasia.
Do not hesitate to take a look at this other specific article on the most common diseases of the Persian cat on our site.
Where to adopt a Persian cat?
The breeding of the Persian cat breed is far from what it was in the 70's, when it was done en masse. Even so, the Persian cat, along with the Sphynx cat and the Maine Coon cat, is one of the most requested and popular in Spain. There are many reasons why it is worth adopting a Persian cat. Among them, we can highlight its soft fur or its docile and appeased character that have given it the name of sofa tiger.
As usual, on our site we encourage the adoption and not the purchase of animals, so the best way to get a cat with Persian characteristics is to go to a animal shelter or association that can help us.
