Persian

The name reflects the breed's presumed homeland, Persia, but nobody knows exactly how these cats reached western Europe ^[1]. In 1626 the Italian traveller Pietro della Valle returned from Persia with a heavily coated longhaired cat that was quite unlike the Turkish Angora arriving at the same time. The two were combined to produce a sturdy, short-nosed cat with a silky but dense coat ^[1]. When cat shows took off in the early 1900s, Persians dominated. The first ones reached the US in the late 1880s, and the Persian was one of CFA's six foundation breeds in 1906 ^[1]. FIFe has recognised it since its own founding in 1949 ^[6].

• Body: the textbook "cobby" type, broad-chested and muscular, on short, heavy-boned legs often likened to tree trunks. The plumed tail is short ^[1].
• Head: round and massive, with a short, snub, broad nose. In profile, forehead, nose and chin line up vertically ^[1].
• Eyes and ears: large round eyes set wide apart, small ears ^[1].
• Coat: long and thick, softening every line ^[1].
• Colours: so many that CFA groups them into seven show divisions: solid, tabby, silver and golden, shaded and smoke, parti-colour, calico and bicolour, and Himalayan (pointed) ^[1].
• Weight: adult Persians at UK vet practices averaged 3.9 kg ^[2].

Persians are playful but placid. You can tempt one into chasing a toy, but most would rather just receive attention from their people ^[1]. This isn't a cat that raids the kitchen counter or climbs the curtains; Persians like to keep their feet on the ground ^[1]. Their even temper and devotion make them good with children of all ages and with other pets ^[1]. Because kittens must learn to sit for grooming, the breed is considered easy to train, and many learn "no" and their own names ^[1].

• Comb regularly with a steel or Teflon-coated comb with coarse and fine teeth to keep mats away. Many owners use a professional groomer ^[1].
• Clean the eyes with a soft, damp cloth, as the large eyes can water and stain ^[1].
• Bathe occasionally, but only after a thorough comb-out and nail trim ^[1].
• Teeth and nails: periodontal disease and overgrown nails are among the most common problems in UK Persians ^[2], so check them regularly.
• Get a good vacuum cleaner. CFA is blunt that Persian ownership means regular vacuuming ^[1].

• Polycystic kidney disease (PKD): a dominant inherited disease. A 2004 study estimated it affected about 38% of Persians worldwide and identified the PKD1 mutation that made a DNA test possible ^[3]. CFA says testing and neutering affected cats now keep it well controlled ^[1].
• Coat, teeth, nails and eyes: among 3,235 UK Persians, the commonest problems were haircoat disorders (12.7%), periodontal disease (11.3%), overgrown nails (7.2%) and ocular discharge (5.8%) ^[2].
• Breathing and the flat face: CFA notes that very small nostrils once caused breathing problems in some lines ^[1]. A study based on about 1,000 owner questionnaires found that flatter faces (a lower-set nose) were associated with more owner-reported respiratory signs ^[4].
• Kidney disease was the most commonly recorded cause of death (23.4%) ^[2].
• Lifespan: a median of 13.5 years in UK data ^[2].

Ask breeders for the parents' PKD test results, and talk to your vet about any specific concern.

Don't confuse with…

• Himalayan: a Persian with the pointed pattern and blue eyes. CFA treats it as part of the Persian breed ^[1]; TICA lists it separately ^[10].
• Exotic Shorthair: the same structure and face with a shorter, plush coat ^[8].
• British Longhair: round-faced but not flat-faced.
• Turkish Angora: often white and longhaired too, but slender, with a wedge-shaped head and big ears ^[9].

• In 1626 Pietro della Valle brought a Persian longhair to Europe that looked nothing like the Angoras of the day ^[1].
• The Persian was one of CFA's six foundation breeds (1906) ^[1] and among FIFe's original breeds (1949) ^[6].
• CFA shows Persians in seven separate colour divisions ^[1].