Mary Allen
The Persian cat loves to be cozy. As one of the calmest and most good-natured cat breeds in the world, the uncomplicated cat also feels at home in a small apartment.
These reasons speak for a Persian
The Persian cat convinces both with its appearance and with its friendly character. The cat’s urge to move is moderate, but its need to be cuddled is all the greater. Like many other cats, she is one of the cat breeds that are particularly cuddly.
The teddy-like cat with the fluffy fur looks very decorative on the sofa. In short: Persian cats are the ideal companion for the apartment.
What is the Persian cat?
Persians are not among the largest cat breeds in the world, but they are among the heaviest. The average weight of around 3 to 6 kilograms is always topped by some particularly handsome tomcats that weigh up to 10 kilograms.
Even well-built females can reach considerable weight, especially if they are not outdoors and spend most of their time lounging. The latter is one of the cats’ favorite pastimes because there’s nothing they like more than a cozy place to relax.
Most Persians are happy to forego going outside, which makes them quiet and lovable housemates. With their short legs and stocky build, they are not the most enduring athletes anyway.
Perhaps they owe their long life expectancy of up to 18 years to their balanced, resource-saving nature, although here, too, exceptions prove the rule. There are Persians who are easily celebrating their 20th birthday.
The compact cuddly tigers reach a length of about 40 to 60 and a height of about 25 centimeters.
The character of the Persian cat
Its fluffy, cuddly fur and its cuddly character make the Persian cat the perfect cuddle partner. They like their unobtrusive nature, because the cats are happy about a lot of human attention, but don’t make too high demands themselves.
In any case, the long-haired beauty is rather introverted. She is particularly reserved towards strangers, appearing sublime and majestic. Most of these cats love their life as single cats but get along with other cats once they get used to them.
It is important to socialize the Persians with a cat of a similar character. Dozing for two on the windowsill is great. Pushy, very playful, and lively companions, on the other hand, stress the easygoing Persian cat.
If you want to call an exotic duo your own, socialize the Persians with a particularly small breed. There are some quiet kitties here too.
The care of the Persian cat
The long, thick fur is one of the most important characteristics of the Persian cat. According to the breed standard, all coat colors and markings are allowed. So you choose a kitten in a color that you like. But be sure to pay attention to the character! And it goes without saying that you should only buy from a reputable Persian cat breeder. We have tips on how to do this here: How to find a reputable cat breeder.
The fluffy hair structure is the same for all Persian cats. The cuddly soft fur leaves a pleasantly silky feeling on the hand.
Persian cats have a thick undercoat. In winter, a thick mane around the neck turns cats into little house lions. In some cats, the mane grows so long that it almost reaches over the front paws. Because of this head of hair, the Persian is a very high-maintenance cat.
About every third day you should set aside time for grooming, carefully combing the long coat to keep it from matting. Your cuddly bear thinks the care is great, as it gives him a little extra wellness and affection. Many people also enjoy styling their silky hair. And by the way, you can also strengthen the bond with the cat.
The nose of the Persian cat
In advertisements for sale, one reads again and again about Persians with and without a nose. Of course, all Persian cats have an olfactory organ. However, it is typical of this breed that it does not stand out particularly. That is, cats of this breed have cute snub noses. This is genetic.
However, as is often the case, many breeders tend to exaggerate, and as a result, there are Persian cats with a nose as well as those without. The latter has an extremely short, wide nose, similar to a bulldog. Do not buy from such breeders under any circumstances! They harm the breed and thus also the animals.
The nose of the Persian cat is about at eye level. The Persian cat owes its characteristic appearance to this anatomical peculiarity. However, this often leads to false impressions, because their facial expressions often appear arrogant and somewhat grumpy to the eye of the beholder.
But the sweet cat is not conceited at all – and not grumpy either. On the contrary, she is very lovable and adaptable. Ideally, the nostrils are wide open so that the animal can breathe easily. Properly bred, the Persian leads an unimpaired life.
If the nose is set back too far, this often leads to inflammation in the throat and nose area and watery eyes. Eating problems and difficulty breathing are also among the consequences. Reputable breeders, therefore, pay attention to the health of their animals and only use healthy cats for breeding.
The origin of the Persian cat
Actually, the country of origin of the Persian cat would be easy to guess. But it’s not that easy, because the pretty fluffy cat with the round head and the big saucer eyes probably doesn’t come from the country whose name it bears. What is certain is that Persian breeding began in Great Britain around the second half of the 19th century.
Researchers and breeders considered the extraordinary kitty to be a successful crossbreed of Russian and Persian longhair and Angora cats in what is now Iran. From there, the house tiger is said to have made it to Turkey. Some cat lovers believed that the Persians came to Europe straight from Persia. Others suspected a Turkish origin.
In 2014, scientists dealt intensively with this topic and, with the help of genetic studies, came to the conclusion that the Persians must have evolved more or less by chance from Russian, long-haired domestic cats.
A relationship with Asian cat lines does not exist. The ancient Persians closely resembled the Angora cats. There wasn’t much to see of today’s flat nose. In the course of time, the characteristic properties were bred out more and more. The Persian cat got shorter legs, a rounder, a shorter head, and significantly more fur.
Popular variants of the Persian cat
There are the following variants of the Persian with the same breed standard:
- Exotic Shorthair
As the name suggests, the Exotic Shorthair is a short-haired cat. Nevertheless, it corresponds in character and type to the Persian cat. If you have trouble caring for the long coat, but you appreciate the calm, friendly nature of the Persian cat, the Exotic Shorthair is a worthwhile alternative. The Exotic Shorthair cat is a cross between the Persian and the American Shorthair.
- Colorpoint
The Colourpoint, also known as the “Himalayan” or “Masked Persian”, was created from a cross between a Persian and a Siamese cat. This cat looks like a Persian cat with typical Siamese coloring. The first color points were already in 1935.