Persian

Of all the pedigree breeds of cat the Persian, along with the Siamese, is the most recognisable of cats. With their long, luxuriant coat and wide-open faces, ownership was long regarded as a status symbol. It is thought likely that the original Persian cats arrived from the Arabian Gulf in the 17th century with traders and were taken up by wealthy ladies as highly decorative lapcats.

Short and cobby with plenty of bone the Persian head is described as “massive” in proportion to its body. The large round eyes set well apart with small neat ears set low on the head enhance the appearance of width. The short and heavily coated tail completes the picture of a compact and cobby cat. The coat is his glory and his downfall. Keeping a fully coated Persian looking and feeling good is quite a task and a task that must be done daily. Obviously early training to grooming is essential or it will become an unpleasant battle, dreaded by cat and owner. Most cats respond well to being groomed if it is undertaken carefully and avoiding tugging. There are plenty of sprays to help remove knots and clever combs which ease out small tangles, but it is a challenging job and not to be underestimated.

Persians are calm, gentle and easygoing; they are quite prepared to be decorative and display themselves prettily, but can still be playful when the mood takes them. They have a sensitivity that makes them less suitable for noisy households than some breeds and with years of domesticity behind them adapt quite readily to life as an indoor cat. There is a huge range of colours and, it would seem, a Club to cater for every colour.

However, there has been some poor breeding which has led to extreme types where the face has been shortened to such a degree that dentition and breathing have been affected. This has damaged the Persian in the public perception considerably and care should be taken to buy a kitten that shows no sign of runny eyes or snuffly breathing.

Persians do have some health problem so it makes good sense to insure your cats.  Many breeders sell their kittens with six weeks free insurance cover.  More and more owners are now insuring their pets as advances in veterinary medicine, plus the soaring costs of drugs can mean astronomical bills. More people claim on their pet insurance than home or motor policies.

Different insurance companies offer different types and levels of cover, and we particularly support the specialist pet insurers.  With RSCPA pet insurance 20% of your premium helps fund the RSPCA - it is also very competitively priced.  Petplan.co.uk have been specialising in offering policies for pets for 25 years, and when a policy is taken out online the first two months of cover are free.  All insurance companies offer a discount for buying your policy online.

During the past 10 years numbers of Persians registered has shown a considerable fall; in 1994 9,138 were registered with the GCCF and in 2003 3,985. It seems probable that with the rise in popularity of “new” breeds the dominant position of the Persian has been lost.

Persian Breed Clubs and Rescue

• Black & White Cat Club
• The Blue Persian Cat Society
• Chinchilla, Silver Tabby & Smoke Cat Society
• Colourpoint Cat Club
• Colourpoint Society of Great Britain
• Long Hair & Semi Longhair Cat Club
• Tortoiseshell & White and Bi-Colour Cat Club
• RCT Society (Red, Cream and Tortie)

Persian Breeders

Bigwig Persians   Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.  Breeding Bi-Colours in all colours including Silver and Tabby, occasionally solid colours.  All cats are DNA tested clear for PKD.  Please visit our website to check kitten availability. We also breed Exotics.

Persilus Persians  Located in Buckland St, Mary, Ilminster in South Somerset.  Breeding Bi-Colours and Tri-Colours.  All cats tested clear for PKD.  Please visit our website for more information about us.

Contact the Breed Clubs who will have lists of Breeders and may have Kitten Lists.