Persian Cat

The Persian is the classic longhaired cat — quiet, densely coated, and bred over a century towards an ever flatter face.

History

Longhaired cats reached Europe from Persia and Anatolia in the seventeenth century and were shaped into a breed in Britain, where they were among the first cats ever exhibited. The head is the work of twentieth-century breeding rather than of origin: older Persians had markedly longer noses, and that traditional type is still bred as the doll-face. The Himalayan and the Exotic Shorthair are both Persian varieties, and this catalogue held them both before it held the Persian.

Temperament

The breed is known for being calm, gentle and undemanding, attached to routine and unenthusiastic about noise or upheaval. It is an indoor cat in the best sense, and it asks for company rather than activity.

Care

The long coat mats without daily combing, and the flat-faced types have tear ducts that overflow and need wiping. This is not a low-maintenance cat but a daily commitment, and anyone unwilling to comb a cat every day should look elsewhere.

Health

Breeding for the flat face brings breathing difficulty, blocked tear ducts and dental crowding, and the breed carries polycystic kidney disease, for which there is a genetic test. These are known patterns for the breed and a matter for a breeder and a vet; the measured facts are in the panel.