The Glorious Persian Cats: Profile, Facts, and Care
Last Updated on March 18, 2022 by Holly Anne Dustin
Persian cats are one, if not the, most popular breeds of cats. An ancient breed with mysterious origins, they are beautiful, gentle cats that love your company. Persians were the main attraction at the world’s first all-breed cat show in London in 1871, although you might not recognize them as the same cat. They have beeen wowing the show ring ever since.
Contents
History of Persian Cats
The original longhaired cats were found in illustrations in hieroglyphics in Mesopotamia in 1648BC. In 526BC King Cambyses of Persia conquered Egypt. When he went back to Egypt, he took some of the sacred cats of Egypt with them. Persia was a cooler climate than Egypt so the cats developed a thicker coat and longer fur.
Alexander the Great conquered Persia in 331BC. The Persian court fled, taking their prized cats along. The weather in the plains was even colder, and the cats developed the “Persian” look by 246BC around the time of the Parthian Empire.
But those cats do not look like the round headed, flat-faced, cats we know and love today. In fact, if you saw one, it looks more like a Turkish Angora or Maine Coon. In the early 1600’s an Italian nobleman named Pietro Della Valle brought Persians into Europe. Breeders imported Persians into the US in the late 1800s. Selective breeding through the years created the shorter face and cobby body popular today. 
Queen Victoria began the breeding program that resulted in the square body type and round head that we recognize as the Persian standard today. A genetic mutation isolated in 1942 caused the “peke” face or flat face. Selective breeding based on that mutation formed the popular look of the breed today. Other breeders maintain the more traditional look with a noticeable muzzle, though they are not competitive.
Purebred/Standardbred/Wellbred
It is important to remember the differences between purebred, pedigreed, standardbred, and wellbred when you’re deciding on purchasing a Persian. A purebred Persian has two Persian parents. Once that kitten’s paperwork gets recorded by the registry you use, the kitten is pedigreed. But, those pedigreed, purebred, kittens are not necessarily standardbred or wellbred.
Standardbred cats meet the standard to show. The breeder is actively attempting to breed cats to the standard. You could have wonderful kitten, that makes a perfect pet with a good pedigree that won’t meet the standard.
A wellbred cat is healthy, attractive, and not inbred. The traditional or dollface Persians can be wellbred, purebred, and pedigreed. But not standardbred. The Persian standard doesn’t recognize their head type.
That is important if you plan to show your cat. If you are just looking to enjoy the personality and cuddles of a Persian cat, the pedigree and standards probably don’t matter. If you plan to show outside of household pet class though, you need to know you have a cat that meets the standard with a proper pedigree.
Persian Cat Facts
Appearance
The Persian standard calls for a “cobby” body and a round head with a pansy-like open face. A judge will look to see that you can see a square made from the table, the cat’s legs, and body when viewed from the side. They should be equally broad at the shoulders and rump. The tail should be thick, straight, and proportional to the body.
Head
- The head should be as round as a ball, not an oval or narrow.
- The ears are small and rounded.
- Eyes are big, round, level and far apart.
- The break of the nose should be the center of the face. The nose is as broad as it is long. The look should be sweet. A deep break makes the cat look mean.
- Persians have a powerful jaw and properly aligned teeth.
Size and Structure
Persians mature at two years old. They are a medium to large cat. Males weigh between 9-15 pounds, females around 7-10lb. They should be well muscled. But that doesn’t mean they should be fat. If your cat is fat the judges may assume you are trying to hide a fault, never mind it just isn’t healthy for the cat.
The standard description repeatedly describes them as massive. When I think of massive, I think of the giant, European-style, Maine Coons. That’s not what Persians should be like. The standard means structurally strong and solid rather than size. One standard presentation compared their legs to tree trunks. So instead of comparing them to the huge Maine Coons, compare the solid structure of a Persian to the delicate look of an oriental shorthair.
Coat
One thing that is legitimately massive in a Persian is the coat! There are lots of long haired breeds, but none can boast of the spectacular coat of Persian cats. The more volume the better! Their ruff or mane should be “immense”, there should be a deep frill between the front legs, long ear furnishings and toe tufts, and a full “brush,” or tail.
There are two different styles of coat: the hard or silky coat and the soft or cotton-y coat. Dominant colors are typically the silky coats and dilute colors are typically cottony. Cottony coats are harder to keep in order because they are more prone to matting. 
Persian Cat Colors:
Persians come in almost every possible color. There are seven different divisions to the Persian breed.
- Solid: Black, Blue, Red, Cream, Chocolate, Lilac, and White
- Silver and Golden: Silver, Golden, and Chinchilla
- Smoke and Shaded: most of the solid colors also come in smoke as well.
- Tabby: Mackerel, Classic, Patched patterns. They come in silver, blue-silver, red, brown(chocolate), blue, cream, cameo, cream cameo, patched/blue cream.
- PartiColor: tortishells, blue/cream, chocolate tortis, and lilac cream.
- BiColor: these are the “and white” cats. All the tabby patterns, smokes, particolor, solids “and white.”
- Himalayan: Pointed Persians created by crossing Persians and Siamese. They have the pointed pattern of the Siamese with the body structure and coat of the Persians. Himalayans come in all the colors of Persians, but the color is limited to the face, tail, legs and a shaded body. They all must be blue eyed.
If you want to learn more about cat coat colors, we have another post about it here.
Health Concerns
Persians have been selectively bred for so long that most of the hereditary conditions have been bred out. Persian cats have the typical lifespan. He’ll be your best friend for the next 15-20 years. They are typically healthy cats, not more prone to illness than the average cat.
Persians’ brachycephalic face does makes them more likely to deal with eye issues and respiratory problems. Like other brachycephalic breeds, they also have a more difficult time handling the heat than the average cat. Some things can be solved with surgery. The more well-bred your cat, the less likely he is to deal with these issues.
Entropion
Entropion causes Kitty’s eyelashes to be turned in and rub on the eye itself. It can be corrected with surgery.
Narrow Nares
If extra narrow nasal passages cause the kitty difficulty, they can also be widened surgically. The cat version of a nose job?
Genetic Conditions
Genetic health problems that do affect Persians are Polycystic Kidney Disease, Progessive Retinal Atrophy, and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
Polycystic kidney disease
PKD causes fluid-filled cysts to form in the kidneys and multiply and grow. Eventually, the kitty will lose kidney function. It is genetic and cats are born with the condition. You can tell by ultrasound as early as 6 months but most cats are asymptomatic until they are 7-10 years old. Make sure your breeder tests for it before buying a kitten. Carrier cats obviously should not breed.
Progressive retinal atrophy
Kittens can go blind by 15 weeks from PRA. There isn’t currently a test for it, but since kittens usually start showing signs by 6-8 weeks, you should know if your kitten is affected before the time comes to take him home.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
HCM is the most common heart condition in cats. All cats. It can affect any cat, even random bred cats. It is more common in purebreds. Persians do have risk for it, but it affects Maine Coons and Ragdolls the most. The Winn Foundation has started a program to study HCM in Persians. Many breeders now screen for HCM in their breeding cats and will release that information to their kitten buyers.
HCM is a disease of the muscle of the heart which causes heart enlargement and eventual heart failure. A cat can develop cardiomyopathy later in life with no symptoms and then have congestive heart failure or sudden death. An ultrasound every two years is the only way to tell if your cat is affected. 
Persian Cat Personality
Most Persians are quiet, “four on the floor” cats rather than jumpers and climbers. They are playful but not demanding. Routine and structure are important to all cats, but Persians like security and serenity. A quiet house is a better environment than a rowdy place.
Persians look like they should be divas, but they are actually one of the most easy-going breeds. Persians are social. They are sweet and gentle and blend into most homes. One of the friendliest breeds, Persians really bond with their people. They aren’t necessarily lapcats, but they like to be near you and spend time with you. Your Persian won’t like being alone. If you are out at work all day, consider adopting two.
Things to Consider When Looking for a Persian
Persian cats are fairly low maintenance other than their grooming needs. That gorgeous coat does require regular maintenance though, especially if you have a cotton-y coated cat. You need to be able to comb them out and clean their eyes daily. Regular bathing will keep them show ring gorgeous even if they never leave the house.
Depending on how flat-faced your cat is you might need special bowls and water fountains. I know my Plush can wreck a gorgeous groom in seconds just from dragging his gorgeous ruff through the water dish.
Be prepared to wait 6-12 months if you are looking for a show standard kitten, especially if you want a specific color or gender. Prices for a show quality Persian kitten can range from $600 – $2000.
Are you looking for a beautiful, docile cat that wants to spend his time with you and is unlikely to cause trouble, a Persian may be for you!
Looking for a different breed? Check our list of breed profiles here.
The International Cat Association
