Persians, with their long flowing coats and open pansy-like faces are the number one breed in popularity. Their sweet, gentle, personalities blend into most households once they feel secure in their new environment. Creatures of habit, they are most at home in an atmosphere of security and serenity, but with love and reassurance, can easily adapt to the most boisterous of households.

Other Names

Longhair

Native Country

Great Britain

Breed Description

History

As the dusty desert caravans wound their way westward from Persia and Iran, it is supposed that secreted among the rare spices and jewels on the basket-laden camels was an even more precious cargo, an occasional longhair cat. They were called Persian for their "country of origin," but hieroglyphic references as early as 1684 B.C. shroud forever their exact beginnings.

However most sources credit the 17th-century Italian traveler Pietro della Valle with introducing the first longhaired cats to Europe. In 1614, Pietro encountered a unique breed of cat with long, silky gray hair in the Persian province of Chorazan and imported a number of these cats to Italy. Soon after, white longhaired cats from Angora (modern-day Ankara, Turkey) were exported to Britain and France, where naturalist Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon compared them to the Persian, noting that, except for their color, the Persians resembled the cats from Angora. Descendants of these two longhaired breeds exhibited different physical characteristics. Angoras had finer features and were smaller boned than the stockier Persians. By the beginning of this century, cat fanciers in England had chosen the Persian over the Angora. In the United States, Persians replaced the indigenous Maine Coon as the longhaired darling of the cat fancy. Over the years, the Persian has become more stylized in appearance, especially in the United States. Persians today have broader, flatter faces than they did one hundred years ago. Breed standards differ significantly from country to country.

Behavior

The placid, calm, phlegmatic, sedentary Persian is perfectly suited to apartment life. Sociable, peaceful, never aggressive, gentle, and very affectionate, he is very attached to his owner. Persians get along well with other cats, dogs, and children. They are more distant toward strangers. For their well-being, they need a tranquil life. They can tolerate solitude. They rarely use their soft voice. Persians reach maturity at the age of two. They enter puberty late (at approximately 12 months). The breed is not very prolific, and birthing is difficult. Grooming (brushing, combing, and cleaning) is a considerable undertaking. The Persian’s long hair is prone to the rapid formation of knots and tufts. It is therefore essential to untangle the coat every day. Persians shed in spring and summer. Their eyes, which produce tears constantly, must be cleaned regularly.