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The Persian is considered to many to be the
aristocrat of the cat fancy. It was revered from the first moment it was
seen and has held top billing ever since.
Description: Contemporary, “ideal” show Persians bear resemblance to
their ancestors. The earlier Persians had longer faces, larger ears,
smaller, more closely-set eyes and a rangier bodies. The type of the early
Persians was changed radically with the introduction of longhaired cats from
Persia (Iran) into the “Angora-Persian” gene pool. The Iranian Persian
brought sturdy bodies, short lets, broader, rounder heads and longer, thick
fur. When the Angora and the Iranian cats were crossed, thee foreign type
began to disappear and the cobby type replaced the rangier early type.
Subsequent cats were bred to capitalize on the sturdy, compact Iranian
Persian type. The breed was soon known simply as Persian.
The cat should be firm in flesh, not fat, and well-balanced physically and
temperamentally, giving the impression of robust power. The cobby body is
well-rounded; the boning is sturdy, large and in proportion to the body. The
muscles are firm and well-developed. The back should be short and level. The
tail should be short, yet in proportion to the body; the plumed tail of the
Persian should be short, carried without a curve at an angle lower than the
back, but not with a bulldog look; viewed from behind, the legs should be
straight. The chest is to be deep, equally massive across the shoulders and
rump with a short, well-rounded midsection. The feet are large and round
with short toes, toe tufts are desirable. The coat of the Persian should be
full of life. The downhairs are dense, making the coat stand off the body.
The hair should be long all over the body, including the shoulders. The ruff
should be immense and continue to a deep frill of hair around the neck
between the front legs. In Persian type, the head should be broad, round
shape, massive, with great breadth of skull and a domed forehead. In
profile, a straight line is seen from the forehead, nose and chin. The
underlying bone structure is round, the cheeks full and prominent. There
should be a sweet expression to the face. This is very important, as the
cats should be pleasant to look at, never mean or frowning in appearance.
Jaws are broad and powerful with perfect tooth occlusion. The short nose
should be as broad as it is long, with a definite break between the eyes.
Some prefer a deep nose break and upturned nose. Others prefer a break with
the nose taking a slightly downward turn. As long as the standard does not
specify which is correct, either is acceptable. Yet is must be remembered
that the nose must fit in the straight line of the dome and chin, therefore
the shorter, turned-up nose would best meet this requirement. The chin is
full, strong and well-developed, fitting into the round face. The neck
should be provide adequate support for the massive head and should be short,
thick, well-muscled and powerful. The small ears are set wide apart and low
on the head always fitting onto the rounded contour. The ear furnishing
should be long and curved. The eyes are large, round, full, expressive and
set wide apart. The eye colour should conform to the coat colour, the deeper
the better. Persians have a very thick, woolly undercoat, causing the hair
to be thick and plush. This, however goes in hand with matting. They have to
be combed and brushed constantly to keep their hair from matting, and they
have to be bathed often. Do not plan to own a Persian unless you have
adequate time to give to grooming.
History: The exact origin of the Persian is unknown. By some accounts
they originated in Asia Minor and were first seen in Europe in the early
1700s, although there were reports of long haired cats in Italy (imported
from Asia) in the late 1500s. Early British books referred to these cats a
French casts or Angoras. They were reported to have come from Ankara,
Turkey, also the supposed birthplace of the Turkish Angora, to whom they
bore a close resemblance. The Turkish Angora was used in many breeding
programs as it was prized for its beautiful long cat; its speculated that
Turkish Angora genes can be found in many of our modern cats.
Most of the Persians exhibited at the first cat show in Britain, in 1871,
were black, blue or white. Queen Victoria and other members of Britain’s
royal family kept blue Persians, adding to their popularity. Gradually,
different colours and patterns have been introduced and accepted for
championship, though blue is still a popular colour. Persians were first
introduced to North America towards the end of the nineteenth century and
were just as popular among the breeders, exhibitors and judges in this
country as they were in Britain and Asia.
Temperament: The Persian temperament is very sweet and lovable. They
are calm cats who spend a fair amount of the day sleeping and playing when
not eating. Though their curiosity is fully intact, they seldom run, jump or
climb. They can have a surge of energy and suddenly romp like a kitten, but
for the most part they are content with a very quiet life. They are quiet
cats and are well suited to apartment or city life where less vocal cats are
appreciated.
Information Supplied By Southern Alberta Cat
Fanciers - Rene Copeland
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