Persian Cats. Persian Cats information including breed description, characteristics and temperament, history and origins of Persian Cats and many Persian Cats pictures.

At first these cats were known simply as longhaired cats. Before long they were named Persian after their place of origin, Persia (now Iran and Turkey).

Breed Description

Persian cats are medium in size, heavy boned, wide-bodied, with short legs. The head should also be of a heavy broad type. All Persians share large round eyes, short broad noses, and small rounded ears.

However there is a distinction between two face types: The modern flat-faced Persian commonly seen in shows and the traditional doll-faced Persian. The traditional doll-faced persian has a more proportioned face, with the mouth and nose located well in front of the eyes, while retaining the basic broad, round, and flat look.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the Persian cat is its full, long coat. This unique look is created by a combination of long undercoat and long topcoat. Persians come in a variety of coat colours. The seven colour divisions are: Solid Color: White, Black, Blue, Cream, Red, Chocolate, Lilac.


Silver and Golden: Chinchilla Silver, Shaded Silver, Chinchilla Golden, Shaded Golden

Shaded and Smoke: Shell Cameo (Red Chinchilla), Shell Cream (Cream Chinchilla), Shell Tortoiseshell, Shell Blue-cream


Tabby: Classic Tabby, Mackerel Tabby (such as brown), Red Tabby, Brown Tabby, Blue Tabby, Cream Tabby, Cameo Tabby, Cream Cameo Tabby, Silver Tabby, Blue Silver Tabby, Brown Patched Tabby, Blue Patched Tabby, Silver Patched Tabby, Blue Silver Patched Tabby


Parti-color: Tortoiseshell, Blue-cream, Chocolate Tortoiseshell, Lilac-cream

Calico and Bicolor (and Van): Calico, Dilute, Chocolate, Lilac, Bicolor, Smoke and White, Calico Smoke, Dilute Calico Smoke, Chocolate Smoke, Tabby and White

Himalayan: Chocolate Point, Seal Point, Lilac Point, Blue Point, Flame (Red) Point, Cream Point, Tortie Point, Lilac-cream Point, as well as all Lynx Points.

These cats make excellent pets and companions, having a loving nature. Persians are very affectionate, but relatively quiet.

An alert, gentle cat, Persians can be both playful and affectionate. They are more inclined to a sedate lifestyle and feel most comfortable in calm, quiet surroundings.

Special Needs

Being a longhair, Persian cats require daily combing, to prevent hairballs and matting, and an occasional bath. Because of the long coat and docile temperament, it's particularly important to keep Persian cats indoors.

Reported health concerns include breathing difficulties, eye tearing, malocclusions, and birthing difficulties due to the head size and the foreshortened face.

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a disease that can cause kidney failure, is also known to exist in some Persian lines.

Buying a Persian

Well-bred Persian cats are no more prone to illness and respiratory infections than other breeds. However, the large eyes do mean that a certain amount of tearing is normal, and a daily face wash is recommended.

Usually breeders make kittens available between 12 and 16 weeks of age. Persian cats ideally weigh between seven-12 lbs, but a vet can help you determine what your cat should weigh based on his/her bone size. Persian cats tend to be heavier than other breeds.