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Persian

Alternative Names: Longhair or Persian Longhair (in Britain)
Colourpoint Persians are referred to as 'Himalayan' by some registries
Tipped varieties are known as 'Chinchilla' or 'Chinchilla Persian'
Country of Origin: Persia

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: Wide variety of colours available

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: Coat not thick enough, thin body, muzzle too long, ears too close together, uneven colour patches, tail a different colour to the body

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

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy [1,2]

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

Justin Berfield - Actor, "Malcolm in the Middle"

Franco Zeffirelli - Director

Of the past:

Raymond Chandler (1888-1959) Author (Black)

Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929) French President (Blue)

Erasmus Dawn (1731-1802) Scientist

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) English Novelist (Blue)

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) Nursing Pioneer

Max Ophuls (1902-1984) Film Director (White)

Breeders

Persian Breeders Directory

Web Links

Breed Standards:
CFA Persian Standard
NZCF Persian Standard
TICA Persian Standard

Cat Clubs:
Blue Persian Cat Society (UK)

Other:
Persian-Cats.com

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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