Breed of the week - The Persian Cat
- Oct 13, 2024
- 2 min read
Persian Cats originated in Mesopotamia, which later became Persia, and is now modern-day Iran. Their soft features and docile personality attracted the attention of Pietro Della Valle, an Italian nobleman who is credited with bringing these felines to Europe in the 17th century. The Persian kitty was a favorite of Queen Victoria and the breed was imported to the U.S. in the late 19th century.
The Persian is a quiet feline who enjoys a calm and relaxing environment. Although they enjoy sitting in their humans’ laps and being pet, they are just as happy to sit and observe everyone’s comings and goings from afar. Persians are independent and selective in who they show affection to (basically ...... a cat !). There are some well-known variants of the Persian
The Himalayan - In 1950, a Siamese was crossed with the Persian to create a breed with the body type of the Persian, but the colorpoint pattern of the Siamese (everyone remember Mr Jinx in the funny movie, Meet the fockers).
Exotic Shorthair- The Persian was used as an outcross secretly by some American shorthair (ASH) breeders in the late 1950s to "improve" their breed.
The Chinchilla - Originating in England in 1882 by accident, a silver tabby and smoke-coloured Persian offspring produced Silver Lambkin, a cat regarded as the father of the chinchilla Persian line. Silver Lambkin was bred, and even members of the British royal family had some descendants.
The Persian lifespan is 15 up to 20 years. Daily brushing is mandatory, and regular trips to the groomer is highly recommended to avoid matting or other health issues.
Did you know ? Modern Persians are available in over 80 different color combinations !
Xoxo, Alice
P.S. Lots of love to my Pearl, and Jade, my two persian babies (12, and 10 years respectively) who live their best lives.
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