Persian

No colour restrictions. All colours and patterns are possible. However, according to some feline associations, certain coat colours have their own names or are their own specific breed.

Any pattern is possible and accepted.

Long

Depends on the colour of the coat.

The Persian possesses the most easily recognizable physique. Cobby type, they are stocky and large, with strong bones and a powerful musculature. From the side, the body forms a square, but a rounded square! Their legs are short, straight and strong. The tail is rather short, in proportion with the rest of the body, and extremely fluffy. Their coat is the longest of all long-haired cats, up to 8 inches long! It is long all over the body, with a collar that continues to the belly and a thick undercoat, giving volume to the fine and silky hair.

Well set between the shoulders, with a short and wide neck, the head is even more distinctive. Round and enormous, the skull forms a dome, the cheekbones, jaw and chin are strong and protruding whilst the nose is flat, with a deep stop. Their ears are small, rounded and well spaced on the skull. The eyes are round, very large, set apart, intense and bright in their colour.

There are two types of Persians, depending on the morphology of their skull. The traditional so-called "doll-face" has a rounder profile. They are closest to the first ancestors of the breed. The second type, the “peke-face”, has been developed more recently in the United States. Their face is much flatter, with the chin, nose and forehead aligned in the same vertical plane.
 

They can spend hours on their owner’s knee. They appreciate cuddles but only when it suits them.

They like to play, but their morphology limits their hunting abilities. Their facial expressions make them even cuter when they’re playing.

Their placid temperament has been selected by breeders since the creation of the breed. This character trait is reinforced by their physical characteristics which don’t lend themselves to intense exercise.

Very intelligent and analytical, even sometimes judging their owners, who may not entirely understand them.

Their attitude, which can sometimes be distant, can sometimes give the impression that they fear strangers. But it is in fact the change which they don’t like. By giving them time to adapt at their own pace, they can be very sociable.

Despite needing their owners to survive, they prefer their own routines and won’t necessarily want to participate in family activities.

Not very talkative, they express themselves with their facial expressions.

They need daily play sessions, which should be short and not too intense.

They’re more the indoor type.

They can be very greedy, one should be wary of obesity which should of course be avoided!

The presence of an unruly cat could displease them. But they can equally be very tolerant in accepting a new companion, as long as they are given time to adapt.

Without saying that Persians don’t like dogs, it is likely that a Persian’s temperament will not match the exuberant personality of many dogs. You must be very careful when introducing them, as well as when choosing the dog.

As long as children are respectful of the cat’s time to rest and in how they play with them, they will appreciate their company.

The perfect cat for a calm person! But don’t forget that their daily maintenance is rather engrossing, so whatever the type of adopter, they need the time and ability to look after this demanding breed.

With this much hair, it’s inevitable that you’ll find it all over your sofa.

Very varied due to the fragile nature of these cats, the average life expectancy is around 12 to 15 years.

They do not appreciate cold, wet or snowy environments but even less hot weather: their coat gets tangled too easily or retains too much heat, their little nose does not like cold air, nor does it withstand the smogs of great heat, their big eyes are sensitive to wind and drought, etc ... Their place is definitely inside, in a controlled climate.

Their stature, genes and sedentary temperament lend themselves to obesity. A Persian’s diet should be closely watched.

• Polycystic kidney disease: A dominant autosomal genetic disease, it is very common in Persians. It affects the kidneys and can cause kidney failure at around 7 years old. There is a screening test and some breeders are working to establish lines that are free of the disease
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a disease that causes heart failure
• Peritoneal-pericardial hernia: the passage of abdominal organs into the pericardium (the cavity where the heart is located). 
• The progressive atrophy of the retina: hereditary, it will cause a very rapid loss of vision, from the first months of the kitten’s life. Research is currently underway to discover the gene (s) responsible and to be able to develop a genetic test
• Corneal sequestra: cornea illness specific to cats, mainly Persians
• Cystitis and bladder stones: pathologies of the lower urinary system
• The portosystemic shunt: disease that affects the blood supply to the liver and causes symptoms related to toxins normally metabolized in the liver that can no longer reach and accumulate in the blood
• Polycystic liver disease: it is associated with polycystic kidney disease
• Skin diseases: Idiopathic facial dermatitis, dermatophytosis (ringworm), primary seborrhoea, certain tumors ...
• Chédiak-Higashi syndrome: almost specific to the Persian Blue Smoke, it stops the accumulation of melanin in lysosomes and poor functioning of platelets and some white blood cells
• Nasopharyngeal polyps: benign tumors that can be found in the nose, sinuses, ears, pharynx ...
• Cryptorchidism: when testicles do not reach the scrotum during the maturation of the sex organs
• Periodontal diseases: The much shorter jaw of the brachycephalic breeds causes differences in the grip and chewing of food as well as in the position of the teeth (the number of teeth is the same as other cats) and thus certain problems such as gingivitis and sometimes even digestion issues
• Respiratory problems related to their brachycephalic conformation
• And all the other illnesses that affect domestic cats.

Biologically, the Persian female often has her first estrus (first heat) later than females of other breeds. She will also give birth to smaller litters than average. In addition, births are often complicated and are more prone to dystocia due to the large size of the kitten’s skull. There is therefore a high risk of needing to have Caesarean section and a higher percentage of perinatal mortality in this breed.
Authorised crosses are with the Exotic Shorthair, which is a short-haired Persian.

The Persian’s exact origin has been lost over time. We know that the breed is old and that it was already present during the first feline shows. It is thought that their ancestor is the Turkish Angora and that they come from somewhere in Iran or Turkey (ancient Persia). Their name comes from elsewhere than this suspected source. The first long-haired cats to arrive from Persia in Europe in the 17th century were not Persians, but rather Angoras. From the 19th century, British breeders selected the finest specimens of long-haired cats (sometimes called "Longhair" at the time) to cross with British Shorthairs and / or other European type breeds. The goal was to create a more rounded cat with the long hair of the "Longhair". The breed is born from rigorous selective breeding by breeders driven by the objective of obtaining a precise morphology, that was new and completely unique, at least for the time. We therefore consider the Persian to be an artificial breed.

Despite breed standards that have changed very little since officialisation, today's Persian looks very similar to that of the 19th century. Over time, and with continued selective breeding, their traits have been pushed to the extreme. The head has become more and more round, ears smaller, eyes bigger, nose flatter... This is even more true in the United States. In 1930, the Americans created the "peke-face", a variety whose face is as crushed as possible, unfortunately associated with more respiratory and ocular problems. Even today, there is debate and controversy between breeders of the English type and those of the American type.