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Himalayan

Alternative Names: Colourpoint Persian, Colourpoint Longhair
Country of Origin: United States

Breed Profile

Coat Length: Longhair

Temperament: Loving companions, relatively quiet, calm, gentle

Coat: Luxurious flowing silky thick coat with a full frill (ruff) at the neck and shoulders

Colours: Pale body colour with darker points (tail, feet, ears, mask), sapphire blue eyes

Head: Broad round head with fully developed cheeks, full well developed chin, domed forehead, short snub broad nose with a break between the eyes, large round eyes with colour conforming to the coat colour, relatively small ears rounded at the tips, "sweet expression"

Body: Medium to large cobby body, short thick legs, large rounded paws, short bushy tail

Grooming: Daily brushing to prevent matting - especially in young kittens to get them used to being groomed. Eyes should be cleaned daily to reduce tear staining.

Common Faults: Crossed eyes, poor bone structure, non-blue eyes, non-standard markings, short fur, triangular shape to head

Disease Predispositions

Entropion [1]
- turning inward of the eyelids

Epiphora [1]
- eye discharge, overflow of tears down the face - due to narrowing of the nasolacrimal duct

Neonatal Isoerythrolysis [1,2]

Polycystic Kidney Disease [1,2,3]
- slowly progressive kidney disease resulting in multiple cysts in the kidneys
- autosomal dominant inheritance

Sinus Problems [1]

Celebrity Owners

Regis Philbin - Talk Show Host, Presenter

Christina Ricci - Actress

Martha Stewart - TV Personality

Breeders

Himalayan Breeders Directory

Web Links

Breed Standards:
CFA Persian Standard (Includes the Himalayan)
NZCF Persian Standard (Himalayan cats are shown as Colourpoint Persians in New Zealand)
TICA Himalayan Standard (Included in the Persian standard)

Cat Clubs:
The Atlantic Himalayan Cat Club

References

1. Tilley LP & Smith FWK, The Five Minute Veterinary Consult - Canine and Feline (2nd Edition), Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2000

2. Nelson RW & Couto CG, Small Animal Internal Medicine, St Louis: Mosby, 2003

3. Beck C, Lavelle RB, "Feline Polycystic Kidney Disease In Persian And Other Cats: A Prospective Study Using Ultrasonography", Australian Veterinary Journal, 79 (3), March 2001, p181-184

Page S, The Complete Cat Owners Manual, Australia: Readers Digest, 1997

Taylor D, The Ultimate Cat Book, Great Britain: Dorling Kindersley, 1989

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