Turkish Angora vs Persian Cat

At one time around 1900, the Turkish Angora was similar to the Persian. Looking at photographs of the two cats today (2012) you would not believe it. Selective breeding has separated them completely. The Turkish Angora is quite long and slender (foreign in shape) while the Persian has been developed in the opposite direction, round and cobby.

The Angora as it was called in 1901 (as opposed to "Turkish Angora") differed from the Persian in its coat, head, ears and tail but not in overall conformation (body type). The fur of the Angora was glossier and softer than the fur of the Persian. Angora fur was longer in clusters and it nearly touched the ground. The desired color was white.

The Angora's fur was a desirable commercial product in Turkey and sold to surrounding countries. I am not sure about this. I presume that we are talking about the pelt of the cat in which case they were obviously killed. This seems to be in conflict with this cat being a show cat in the early cat fancy. However, I may have this wrong.

The head of the Angora was less round and more angular than the Persian cat's head. It appears that the ears of the Angora were well tufted, more so than those of the Persian. The advice for breeding the Angora at the time was to cross the cat with imports from Angora (Turkey) thereby ensuring that the cat was purebred. That is an interesting concept today. It is common sense but you would rarely, I think, hear a breeder doing that today. Angora cats in Turkey are probably more purebred than the purebred Turkish Angora bred by breeders in the West.

The modern day (2012) Turkish Angora in Turkey looks like a traditional Persian so we can conclude that there has been no selective breeding and "refinement" of the Turkish Angora in Turkey. It has all happened in the West, mainly the USA probably.

Responsible Cat Breeding

The European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals (signed:1987) - "the Convention" - has a bit so say about the breeding of animals. I am sure very few people know about this convention let alone cat breeders. Yet all breeders anywhere in the world, particularly those countries where they like to breed to extremes, would do well to read it. I'll just summarize certain aspects of it on this page.

An international "convention" is no more than an agreement. There is no real enforcement as I understand it. There would be embarrassment if there were flagrant breaches of it. If North American countries were signatories to the Convention there would be embarrassment in some quarters.

If you want to sum up the Convention in respect of cat breeding it states that breeders should not breed to extreme where the cat's health and welfare is put at risk.

Article 5 refers to breeding:

Article 5 – Breeding

Any person who selects a pet animal for breeding shall be responsible for having regard to the anatomical, physiological and behavioural characteristics which are likely to put at risk the health and welfare of either the offspring or the female parent. 

Under Article 15 parties to the Convention agreed to meet routinely to refine the Convention.  It was agreed that cat and dog breeding associations should be encouraged to alter their breeding policies. Clearly they recognized that the cat and dog associations were not doing enough to ensure that their members breed for health and not just appearance.

They even set out some guidelines for change and provided examples of cats and dogs the breeding of which were unacceptable under the Convention.

They asked the cat associations to "set limits to the shortness of skull, particularly the nose, so that breathing difficulties and blockage of lachrymal ducts are avoided..." they are referring to the notorious contemporary, flat-faced Persian that is championed by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). They also refer to the "abnormal positions of the teeth" of the Persian. Persian cat health problems.

The recommendations under the "Guidelines for the revision of breeding policies.." include (where the defect cannot be eliminated) discontinuing the breeding of dwarf cats, Scottish Fold, hairless cats (e.g. Sphynx) and the Manx. Dominant white cats (cats carrying the dominant white gene) should not breed as it results in a relatively high level of deafness.

These are examples. The underlying philosophy is common sense and well known and discussed. Breeders of any kind should not breed cats if the cats are anything other than as healthy as the healthiest random bred cats; nor when breeds are vulnerable to environmental conditions - hairless cats are just that.

It is interesting to note that the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe have issued a resolution on "Breeding and Animal Welfare" that includes the belief that one function of veterinarians is to promote and safeguard animal health and welfare. That concept is completely alien to United States veterinarians who declaw cats and nearly all do. Sorry but it's true. There is a chasm of difference between Europe and the United States.

I'll finish there to avoid getting bogged down in detail. See also:

1. Selective cat breeding
2. Persian cats
3. Persian cat breeding

Criticising The Cat Fanciers' Association

The Cat Fanciers' Association needs to be criticised. I don't want to do it. In the interests of Persian cats in the USA and elsewhere I will do it on this page. I am speaking on behalf of the contemporary Persian purebred cat with the brachycephalic short head.

Other cat breeds that follow the CFA breed standard that requires a cat that suffers from flat head syndrome, brachycephaly, are the shorthaired Persian known as the Exotic Shorthair and the pointed Persian, called the Himalayan. The Burmese in American also has head shape problems that can affect health in a serious manner.

The breed characteristics or phenotype of the contemporary Persian, Exotic SH and Himalayan demand a brachycephalia short head that is big and round with a short, broad nose. The elements of the face should be in vertical alignment. I'll quote the CFA breed standard just so you know exactly what I mean:

"HEAD: round and massive, with great breadth of skull. Round face with round underlying bone structure.....When viewed in profile, the prominence of the eyes is apparent and the forehead, nose, and chin appear to be in vertical alignment."

In the most extreme cases the "upper part of the nasal plate is higher than the level of the lower eye-lids" (The Welfare of Cats, edited by Irene Rochlitz ISBN  978-1-4020-6143-1).

I discuss the health and subsequent welfare problems associated with this breed standard on this page: Persian Cat Health Problems.

The CFA breed standard for these cats is almost an act of criminal conspiracy to cause animal cruelty. I am a bit surprised that no none has considered prosecuting the esteemed Cat Fanciers' Association under animal welfare laws.

Also, as I understand it, the overall, underlying CFA breed standard insists that breeding should not produce unhealthy cats. This is in conflict with the breed standards of these three cats. In defence the CFA say that "it is possible to breed a beautiful Persian with a very short nose that breathes and tears normally".

I like the phrase, "it is possible". It is possible to fly to the moon but very few people have achieved it. The same applies to the creation of a totally healthy ultra type Persian cat.

Recommendations: (a) change the breed standard but do it over time so that there is a gradual shift back to normal characteristics without the CFA losing face (b) show cats that are over bred should be excluded from cat shows (c) cat show judges should be advised to make subtle changes to their judging criteria to start a shift away from the success of extreme bred cats (d) unhealthy cats should be penalized or excluded from cat shows (e) medical examinations should take place at cat shows and breeders given due notice. The notice period should be generous to allow change.

See: 19 Years of Persian Cat Experience - this neither supports of goes against what I have said.

Cat Breeds That Stay Small

There is only one cat breed that stays relatively small as an adult: the Singapura. That is under normal conditions. However, any breeder can, through selective breeding, breed small cats or big cats or cats with certain types and colors of coat.

The popular teacup or miniature cats are not cats of a certain cat breed. They usually look like miniature chinchilla traditional Persians, however.

Breeders of purebred cats are limited to what they can do because there is a breed standard to follow. This is a document that sets out guidelines as to what the cat should look like. Behavior is also referred to occasionally.

I think that you might find that the concept of miniature cats - adult cats that look like kittens - is frowned upon my some people in the cat fancy because it is unnatural and may be unhealthy. However, not all the breeding practices of purebred cats are healthy. It could be argued that breeders of mainstream purebred cats don't have a right to be critical of miniature cat breeders. Perhaps they are not.

A female Munchkin who is a little smaller than average would have the appearance of a small cat because these are dwarf cats. They have normal sized bodies but short legs.

The biggest problem in buying a miniature cat is ensuring that the cat is fully grown. Obviously a sub-adult cat will be small and the breeder might say he is a full adult. This would be a misrepresentation but it would secure the sale.

White Persian Cat

Cristalline is a very beautiful white Persian cat. She is a traditional Persian and she has pale orange eyes.

Cristalline - White Persian Cat - Photo copyright Dani Rozeboom - http://www.worldofdani.com/

This is a great photograph. There are many more photographs of equal quality on Dani's gallery of photographs on her website.

Cristalline is an all white cat. See cat coats white for more on white cats.

Beautiful Persian Cat

This is a beautiful Persian cat. This photograph was not created by a professional photographer. It is nicely muted and delicate in its lighting which suits this cat so well. The photographer is Magnus Bråth. Magnus calls her a grey Persian cat. Here name is Chilero. She seems to be a tabby and white cat but in a very subtle way. You will see Persian cats in wide range of coat colors and types as the breed standard allows for that.

Beautiful Persian cat.

Chilero lives in Costa Rica and once lived in Malta. She is well traveled. She is a traditional doll face Persian. When she traveled from Malta to Costa Rica she sat in the cabin with the passengers. Of course.

Persian Tear Stains

A clear picture of Persian tear stains. This is a traditional Persian cat. The cat lives in India. In India (at 2011) there is a very small number of purebred cats and they are normally Persian cats as this is a very long standing cat breed and one of the best known cat breeds. The staining on this cat is not that bad. Worse can happen.

Traditional Persian cat with tear staining.

This nice picture is by Anas Ahmad. The interesting thing is that this is not a flat faced Persian which is known to suffer from tear staining but a doll face Persian cat. The cause is a deformed tear duct which prevents the tears and fluid on the outer part of the eye draining away.  It overflows onto the fur below the eye. In this picture it seems that it has flowed down the inside of the nose and then to the outside at the base of the nose. The deformity is due to breeding a overly flat face to conform with the breed standard. This distorts internal anatomy.

As tear duct overflow happens in the traditional Persian as well as the flat faced "ultra" Persian we can conclude that the tear duct is also somewhat defective in the more moderate and normal traditional Persian. This cat still has a rather flat face.

Choosing a Pet Cat

Matching a pet with the owner's personality can be quite important in minimizing the risk of abandonment.  Incidentally, I don't like the terms, "pet" and "owner". I prefer "animal companion" and "cat caretaker" or "cat guardian" (if the animal is a cat).

There are too many cats and dogs being abandoned.  Doris Day once said that there were 12 million cats and dogs put to sleep each year in the USA. Whatever the number is, it is high, very high and a shock. I am sure there are similar percentages of domestic animals euthanized in Europe. It is just not spoken about so much.

People need to reflect more on their reasons for adopting a companion animal before proceeding. The reasons should be legitimate meaning not frivolous. You don't get a pet to match the decor of the house or as a Christmas present for the children.

People should also swot up on companion animal care and the costs. There should almost be an obligatory cooling off period between saying, "let's get a pet!" and actually getting it. That simple act would save millions of cats and dogs I suspect.

Choosing a pet cat begs the question whether you would like a purebred cat or a moggie. Purebreds are relatively rare. Moggies are relatively abundant. If you want to help get a moggie. And get a black one as they live longer.

Some individual cats are more passive and more able to cope with being alone. Some are more able to deal with full-time indoor living and living in small spaces. You will find that some breeders say that the Persian must be a full-time indoor cat. The fur is too long to go out in the mud! The Russian Blue is a delicate, reserved cat that likes the security of a home. The Sphynx is without clothes so needs to be in the warm and out of the sun to avoid the risk of skin problems. This is also a smart cat so will interact well if you like that.

The Ragdoll is laid back. More active cats are the wild cat hybrids, Bengal and Savannah. You'll need to be around for these cats and provide input. Actually all cats require input. It is a fallacy to think that cats are independent. They are self-contained but dependent on us for just about everything.

If you don't like noisy cats don't acquire a Siamese or associated cat breed e.g. Oriental SH. They are known for their vocal skills. The British Shorthair has an almost silent voice.

I think, though that you will find some individual cats of any breed or no-breed more cautious and reserved than others. If you want a cat that is fairly static and happy to curl up,  a more cautious cat will oblige. The more confident male cat is more likely to be unhappy with a lack of space and input from us. He is more likely to want to go out and get into trouble.

Associated page: Choosing a cat breed.

Why do Persians have flat faces?

Flat faced contemporary Persian cats
Photo copyright Helmi Flick

The reason why contemporary Persian cats have flat faces is because the breed standard of the cat association says that they have to have flat faces. The elements of the face should be in alignment in the CFA breed standard ("the forehead, nose, and chin appear to be in vertical alignment").

This came about over about 50 years of cat shows, judging cats, selectively breeding cats and rewriting the breed standard. Breed standards allow for a certain amount of discretion by judges when judging at cat shows. This gradually resulted in a shift to the more extreme appearance of rounded head, very long hair, cobby body, small ears and flat face.

The traditional Persian cat is not extreme in appearance and has a "doll face" appearance.

The underlying reason why the drift from normal face to flat face took place is the desire of cat breeders to create ever more eye catching purebred cats that will win prizes at cat shows. That mentality tends to lead to an extreme appearance over time.

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The photo on this page is protected by copyright ©. Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA).

Most Beautiful Orange Cat

CATILLACK, a photo by David McCudden on Flickr. 
Photo is copyright David McCudden

This is a truly beautiful orange cat. I think she is the most beautiful cat I have seen bar one or two others and I have seen a large number of cats as you might expect. Actually she is orange and white. She is a tabby cat. You can see the classic "M" mark on the forehead. Even the mark is beautiful. And she looks very female, sexy almost. Uhmm I have not heard someone call a cat "sexy" before but I have now!

If she was a person she would be walking down a red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. She would be a film star. Her name is Catillack and she is a Maine Coon cat....err..no, wrong, she looks like a Maine Coon (except for the lack of ear tufts and long ear hair) and looks classy enough to be purebred Maine Coon but is, in fact, a moggie born in a shed I am told. She is definitely the most beautiful moggie I have seen. The photograph is by her human companion, David McCudden. Who takes  a bloody good photograph by the way.

The gene that makes her orange is sex-linked. More sex...The gene is carried on one of the sex chromosomes. The symbol for the gene is O. This gene removes "all the eumelanin pigment from the hair fibres.." Eumelanin produces black, blue and chocolate colours etc.. An alternate pigment is produced called "phaeomelanin".  The pigment granule is lighter and it reflects light differently.

I have quoted Robinsons' Genetics (briefly) and the book says that the tortoiseshell cat is "the heterozygous female" (Oo).

Some people call orange cats "yellow cats". Why not! Yellow tabby cats are one of my favorites.  Martha Kane in Malta cares for an orange tabby amongst the many more she rescues and she says they are more likely to be the boss in a group but in a benevolent way. The orange traditional Persian is also very handsome.

The orange cat varies in the colour/density of the orange. I must say that CATILLACK is the most beautifully deep orange I have seen on a cat. Maybe it is David's photography and the low evening light that enhances the orange and gives it that deep luster. I don't care, she's a very sexy cat.

Are Persian Cats Bad Flyers?

The flat faced, ultra Persian, may be a poor candidate for air travel due to the cat's restricted breathing on account of the brachycephalic head.

Flat Faced Persian - Photo by semarr (Flickr)

The contemporary Persian that has been bred to an extreme appearance with a face that is meant to be flat from top to bottom in accordance with the breed standard (guidelines for show cat appearance).

This creates some health problems specific to the modern Persian cat. One of which is potential respiratory problems due to the shape of the flattened nose.

The pug is the dog equivalent. There are other unnaturally flat faced dogs such as the bulldog.

Apparently, for this dog breed there are a higher than average number of deaths while flying in the hold of the aircraft. One reason is presumed to be the breathing issues and the other the excitability of the pug.

The Persian, however, is not known as an excitable cat. In fact it is known as the opposite but it is known as a potentially (at least) nervous cat. They have a higher than average record of litter misuse as well.

So, there would seem to be at least the potential for problems when flying. The answer is to carry the cat in the cabin if that is permitted. There will be rules and as far as I can make out the rules are quite complicated and vary between airlines.

As far as I know there are no statistics available that support the supposition that the ultra Persian is a less good flyer.

This is just a thought. In the US pet air travel may be more commonplace within the country and the ultra flat faced Persian is the Persian cat. The traditional Persian has been pushed to a secondary role.



From Are Persian Cats Bad Flyers? to Home Page

Angora Kitten

Angora kitten by Arthur Heyer. See copyright below.

The kitten in the painting is described by the artist as a "Junge Angorakatze" (Young Angora cat). This is a Persian cat, I am sure. The artist is well known. He was a German-Hungarian painter who lived from 1872 to 1931. This nicely covers the beginning of the cat fancy in England. Arthur Heyer specialized in feline and canine subjects. He seemed to like Persian cats and I would not be surprised to hear if he lived with a companion Persian cat, possibly a white one!

He often painted scenes of cats and dogs together. His cats and kittens paintings are his most popular. It is interesting that he called this cat an Angora cat. At that time this was the terminology for a long haired cat. Both the Turkish Angora and Persian (traditional appearance by modern standards) were around at the time of Arthur Heyer. The use of the term "Angora cat" is confusing and I am still not completely clear on how the term was used in the early years of the cat fancy. See Angora cat. I think Heyer also lived with a bulldog as bulldogs and white Persians feature a lot in his work. His work is still very popular and sold widely on the internet.



Angora Kitten to Persian Cat Transformation (Traditional to Modern apperance)

Angora Kitten - Photo of painting: this is in the public domain as copyright has expired. It is from the Wikimedia Commons library and the person who uploaded it was user Mazbln.

Persian Kitten

Persian Kitten photo copyright Helmi Flick

Before considering buying a Persian kitten for sale I am sure visitors to this site are also considering which type of Persian cat to buy or maybe the better words are 'keep' or 'adopt' as I don't think cats are an object that we possess like an inanimate object bought in a shop (although legally they are considered objects to possess).

Anyway, a Persian kitten looks simply gorgeous and there are two on this page. The little guy in the bowl looking like a Teacup cat (but he is not as he is a kitten and small for that reason) is what some people have called an Ultra Persian. These Persian cats have the flat face. This is created by selective breeding. It does not come naturally, the face has been transformed. The flat face is bred into these cats under the guidance of the breed standard, the most influential of which is the CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) breed standard. I discuss this and the other breed standards in relation to the face of the Persian cat on this page: Traditional Doll Face Persian Cat.

The other Persian Kitten on the pink background will develop into a Traditional Persian cat (Doll Face Persian). The face is more normal and balanced. Which one do you prefer and which Persian kitten are you going to buy when you go looking for Persian kittens for sale?


White Traditional Persian Kitten - Cristalline - photo copyright Dani Rozeboom

One thing that might make up your mind is the health of your newly adopted kitten. Most people prefer to adopt a cat from a healthy cat breed. A poll I am running on the main website (Pictures-of-cats.org) tells me that almost 60% of people think that a cat breed's health is very important. Some cat breeds are more healthy than others. Mixed breed cats are the healthiest by and large.

It is probably fair to say that the Traditional Persian is more healthy than the Ultra or more extreme faced Persian mainly because of Tear Duct Overflow (see Persian Cat Health Problems) if nothing else.

I prefer the Traditional Persian as you probably guessed as this cat is more natural. Nature is better at breeding cats that people.

From Persian Kitten to Home page

Pictures of Persian Cats

Pictures of Persian Cats are as popular as Persian cats and Persian cats are in the top 5 of the most popular cats. I am pleased to note that a considerable number of people go to rescue centers when considering keeping a Persian cat.

Some of the best photographs of this breed are by Helmi Flick. Some more great photographs have been taken by Dani Rozeboom. These are my favorite cat photographers. Helmi is probably the most well known and respected cat photographer worldwide.


Pictures of Persian Cats - Cristalline by Dani. It's the Wow factor again. This is one of the cats living with Dani and Rick at her cattery Yeri Shaes in Almere, Netherlands. The photograph is copyright Dani and is reproduced as is all her work on my website with her permission. She is a traditional Persian orange eyed cat with gleaming white fur. She was born on 22nd May 2007 making her about one year old at the time of this post. Her full name is Kristal Cristalline and her nicknames are Christalline and Kristalletje. Another white traditional Persian with orange eyes, who lived with Dani and Rick, was Yeri. The cattery is named after him and I built a page in memory of him on the website.


Yes, here is Christalline again. These two pictures are so good I had to reproduce them both here. Photograph copyright Dani.

In addition to these two great photographers, there are a lot of amateurs or semi-professionals who are talented and some of their work can be seen on Flickr. The problem is there are a lot of photographer on Flickr so it takes time to find the really good stuff. I reproduce some of the best here. These are more or less chosen at random from the best that I can reproduce under the creative commons license.


Pictures of Persian Cats - Traditional Persian cat - black tortoiseshell coat. Photo copyright seb79. You can read about the black tortoiseshell coat by clicking on this link.

There a many people, the vast majority in fact, who prefer the traditional look. This is in relation to the Persian and the Siamese. Polls conducted on the Pictures of Cats website indicate that 78% of visitors to the site prefer the Doll Face (traditional) Persian. As the Siamese the proportion is even higher; 81% prefer the traditional Siamese appearance as opposed to the remaining 19% preferring the Modern Siamese. The traditional Siamese is called the Thai in TICA.


Pictures of Persian Cats - Heather, a golden shaded Persian. She is a traditional appearance. She was photographed by Helmi Flick for the Stardazl cattery for the cover of United Silver Fanciers. She has lovely "ear furnishings" - the hair coming out of her ears.


Photo copyright misplacedparadox (these names are Flickr usernames). I chose this picture as one in contrast to the others, more informal and it portrays the vulnerability of this lovely small Persian cat. It also shows the tenderness of the photographer and keeper towards the cat who I think is a female. Misplaced guesswork probably!

Pictures of Persian Cats to Persian Cats the transformation from Doll Face to Ultra.

Chinchilla Persian Cats

Chinchilla Persian Cats are Persian cats with chinchilla coats (I guess that sounds obvious but it might not if you are not part of the cat fancy). So, what is a Chinchilla coat like? Chinchilla is one of a range of tipped coloration of the hair of a cat. Tipped coloration means that the tip or top of the each individual hair shaft is a different color to the rest of the hair strand. The color near the top of the hair strand is called the "top color" and the different color below the top extending to the base of the hair strand is called the "under color".

China the greedy Chinchilla Persian who loves Coco Pops. Picture: Kennedy News.

The hair shaft is then made up of two colors. In tabby cats the hair shaft is also more than one color but the shaft is banded all the way down. The Chinchilla though is genetically a tabby cat despite the "banding" of the hair being very different. In Chinchilla Persian Cats the tipping is very light. This is because the very tip of the hair shaft is colored and the rest of the hair shaft is colored silver giving a light sparkly appearance. 

Chinchilla Persian cats are probably the most well known and desirable of all cats with this type of coat. The Silver Chinchilla has fur with a black tip and white under color. A short haired cat with the same markings is the Burmilla. The degree of tipping can vary. When the top color extends about half way down the shaft of hair the tipping is called "shaded". When the top color almost reaches the bottom of the hair the tipping is called "smoke". 

 Persians are the obvious choice of cat to show of this kind of coat pattern because their fur is the longest in the cat fancy (as far as I am aware - sometimes, it could be argued, too long). This allows the tipping of the hair to take on a very interesting, fine and exotic appearance.

A rescued Chinchilla Persian shaved for health reasons. Photo: Rex/Shutterstock.

Tipping, shading and smoked coats in Persian cats go back a long way to the earliest moments of the cat fancy. Apparently, the origin is in a female named Chinnie in 1882. The word "chinchilla" also describes a type of cloth or fabric. I am not sure if the name for the cat coat came from this or the other way around. The name of the tabby cat comes from a type of silk found originally in a particular area of Baghdad in Iraq so I am guessing that the cat coat called Chinchilla followed the name of the cloth - wrong? please tell me.

Chinchilla Persian Cats to Burmilla Cats

Persian Himalyan Cat

The Persian Himalyan Cat is affectionately called a Himmie and some of the best pictures of Himmies come from Dani Rozeboom first and foremost and then the best Flickr photographers. A Himmie as you might know is a Persian with a pointed coat. The term Himalayan is used in America. The history of a lot of the purebred domestic cats is often a little hazy but not in this case.


Persian Himalyan Cat photo copyright Lithoglyphic under Creative Commons

The breed began and then abruptly stopped in the 1930's (which is early in history of the cat fancy, bearing in mind that things generally only started in the 1890s) in America when a cat breeder and a Harvard scientist (I believe) produced a color pointed long haired cat as an experimental and learning exercise. Once completed this short lived program stopped. The history thereafter of the Persian Himalayan Cat, in outline, is as follows:

In the 1950s there was a simultaneous awakening in three countries to the long haired pointed cat. In England a color point stray called "Bubastis Georgina" interested a cat breeder, Brian Stirling-Webb, and he joined with another breeder and developed the breed.


Himalyan cat, a Red point. Her full name is Afina Pallada's Aphrodite del Mar. Her nicknames are: Ayla, Poppenkop, Grobbetrol. She lives with Dani and Rick at Cattery Yeri Shaes, which is located in Almere in the Netherlands.

In America a cat breeder and rancher, Ben Borrett, started a similar breeding program and made contact with Brian in England and imported some color point longhairs for the program.

Finally in another cat breeder in the US, Marguerita Goforth, also started a program of development of a long haired color point. This seems to have started accidentally as she agreed to take care someone's cat, a long haired color point. It wuold seem that there was news that this cat was in the development which prompted one to follow the other.


Himalyan Kitten demonstrating his/her athletic prowess in mountaineering skills. Photograph is copyright Nico. The photographs illustrating this post are reproduced under creative commons if they aren't by Dani Rozeboom. Dani has given her permission.

The development of the Persian Himalayan cat continued uneventfully it seems and the associations recognized this breed in 1955 (GCCF) and 1957 (CFA). At the outset the CFA recognized these color points: Seal (the classic dark point), chocolate, blue and lilac. Thereafter other colors were gradually recognized until 1987 when the Chocolate Tortie Point and Lilac Cream Point were recognized. The development went well then. Or did it?


Flame Point Persian Himalayan cat - photograph copyright Gini~. The flame point was recognized by the CFA in 1964.

The history is uneventful, the appearance is stunning. The health? Not so good. I don't know if it is me being grumpy or something but having always lived with mixed breed cats I never thought about genetic disorders. But the breeding of purebred cats in liable to result in defects due to recessive genes coming to the surface due to line breeding or inbreeding. Line breeding is the way to fix and maximize the good characteristics of a cat but the bad characteristics are liable to become apparent more frequently. That requires culling of cats with bad characteristics and I don't like the thought of that. This is something we don't hear much about from breeders of the Persian Himalyan Cat.

The Himmie is a Persian cat and Persian cats can have genetic disorders such as the heart disease HCM and PKD (a kidney disease). You can read more about these on this page. The Ultra faced Persians and therefore Himmies can also suffer from tear duct overflow. These are all breeding related issues and I am surprised that they seem to be accepted as part of the process of breeding. Perhaps these sorts of disorders are in fact a necessary spin off from the process of breeding for the desired type (the breed standard). Note: the Himmies illustrating this post are traditional cats i.e. not extreme faced cats.


Ayla again as she is so fantastic. Photo copyright Dani Rozeboom

You can read and see more on this cat breed and some more photos of Ayla on the main site.

Persian Himalyan Cat to Home Page

Black Persian Cat

Black Persian Cat - The cat immediately below is a young male Smoke Black Ultra Persian Cat photographed by Helmi at a CFA cat show. Photograph copyright Helmi Flick. Helmi calls the photo "High Fives". I love the way Ken (the cat wrangler) gets the cats into such great action poses which are captured so well by Helmi. This cat was three months old at the time of this photograph. He was one of Helmi's favourites at the cat show that day.

Photo copyright Helmi Flick

   

In a "smoke" cat coat, the bottom one eight of each hair strand is a creamy white or white. This part of the fur becomes visible when the cat moves as in the picture above. The remainder of the hair is a solid color, in this case black. 

This effect is not caused by the Agouti gene but an inhibitor gene (I guess it inhibits the spread of the black pigmentation throughout the hair strand). A Black Persian Cat is, in my experience of searching for photographs of cats, quite a rare cat. 

Here is straight black Persian by Helmi Flick again. This is an ultra-Persian or extreme bred.

Black is certainly one of the rarer coat types for a Persian cat. Yet for the humble Moggie black and variations on it, is very common. Other than pure black the Tuxedo comes to mind.

When I say traditional Persian, I mean the more normal facial conformation and not the squashed faced cat which is sometimes called an Ultra Persian. The header picture by Helmi Flick is of an Ultra Persian. You can read about how cats become black cat by clicking on this link. One purebred cat that has to be black is the Bombay. This cat is selectively bred to be a shimmering black like a Panther. 

She is one a group of purebred cats that are designed to look like wild cats.

There is a lot of history behind the black cat. Some people consider them unlucky, some lucky and some in-between, basically there is a mass of superstition in relation to black cats. Despite being unlucky for some, black cats may also be able to help us understand more about how cells in our body defend themselves from infection. 

The tabby (particularly brown tabby) cat is the most common cat coat color and pattern. You can see some great tabby cats by clicking on this link and see all the cat coat colors as well with summarizes descriptions as to how the coats come about.

Black ultra-Persian. Picture in the public domain.

Persians like to sit and watch. I love the expression on his face. The brown tabby is the most common because it is the most successful as it affords the cat the greatest protection in terms of camouflage. Cat coats evolve pursuant to Darwinian principles. A successful UK wildcat that has survived against the odds and that has a brown tabby coat is the Scottish Wildcat. The American equivalent is the American Bobcat. So why do some cats have black coats? Why did black coats evolve at all? The Black Panther (a melanistic Jaguar) wild cat comes to mind.

Research carried out in America (at the National Cancer Institute and University of Maryland) indicates that the gene that produces black fur (or more accurately the pigmentation in the fur) also plays a role in boosting genetic resistance to diseases. The main function of the gene in Jaguars is to regulate what passes through the membrane of the cells of the body. The gene is one of a group of genes called 7-transmembrane receptors. In regulating what can get into a cell the gene is able to help improve resistance to viruses that need to enter cells to survive. 

 The argument is that the black fur gene has evolved because it serves more than one purpose, one at least of which improves the cat's chance of survival. It could also be argued that black fur increases the chances of survival as well as cats commonly hunt at dusk and at night and obviously black makes them less visible. Cats have developed specialist eyesight to see better in the dark. Persian cats are well known for their long fur. 

Some might argue that it is too long sometimes as it needs regular grooming by the human keeper and the cat should stay indoors to prevent the coat picking up dirt and other objects. The gene that produces this, sometimes exceptionally long, fur is called the Long hair gene (strange that :-). In the dominant form (L) it is produces short hair and in the recessive (l) form it codes for long hair. In long haired cats the recessive gene delays the time at which hair growth stops. Apparently the technical term for hair growth is anagen. Sources:

• BBC

Black Persian Cat to Pictures of Persian Cats

Baby Persian Cats

Baby Persian Cats - Faolán with Mum - He is now a grown up but a young grown up - Photograph is by and copyright Dani Rozeboom. Faolán is a red solid traditional Persian Cat.

Baby Persian Cats are popular. This is obvious as they are simply gorgeous to look at, particularly if the cats live with Dani Rozeboom. I thought I'd put some more pictures of Dani's cats up on this website. She runs the Cattery Yeri Shaes a Traditional Persian Cattery. She runs the cattery with Rick Keijer. The cattery is named after a lovely boy Persian, who was much loved. You can see him on this page.

The cattery is based in Almere, Netherlands. Almere is about 30 kilometers to the east of Amsterdam. It looks like you have to go over a large bridge to get there if you're going from Amersterdam , which is not surprising as there is a lot of water in the Netherlands.

Dani is also a fine cat photographer (and therefore a fine photographer generally). She also builds great looking websites, professionally. You can see her World of Dani as an example. She photographs the cats as they grow up so there are some baby Persian cats for this page. The header photograph is a picture of Faelyn which I used in a video. All the photographs on this page are reproduced with Dani's permission, of course.


Here we have Orlando when he was a baby Persian cat - Orlando is now grown up and a totally handsome red shaded (shaded cameo) traditional Persian cat. I love Dani's cats. Photographs copyright Dani Rozeboom.


Baby Persian cats you've got. This is Cristalline a female orange eyed white traditional Persian cat who is now almost one year old. Photograph copyright Dani Rozeboom. She is a pedigree cat of great distinction and pure glamour. She is the kind of cat that if she was a person she would marry a very weathy banker as she is that good looking. Mind you all of the cats that live with Dani and Rick are equally good looking.


This is Faelyn as a kitten. Photograph copyright Dani Rozeboom. She is also in the picture at the top of the post. You can tell by her very distinctive facial markings. She not quite in the category of baby Persian cats (she is more a kitten here) but a fine photograph and a fine cat so I couldn't resist including her. Faelyn is a blue cream traditional Persian Cat living with Dani as are all the cats on this post. She is now fully grown up and a litte more than 2 years old.


Photograph copyright Dani Rozeboom. Finally, back to Orlando at a time when he firmly fell into the category of baby Persian cats. As the text in the montage says he is two weeks old at the time the photo was taken. He is now just over 2 years old.

I hope that you enjoy these photographs of Persian cats as much as I do. If you want a great website built contact Dani from her website (link above).


This is a famous photograph of a Persian kitten in a glass bowl by Helmi Flick copyright Helmi Flick.

Baby Persian Cats to Home Page

Persian Cat Facts

Ultra Persian Cat CFA champion apparently photo copyright alasam

Persian Cat Facts can be found in abundance of the Pictures of Cats.org website. One of the most interesting facts about Persian cats concerns the development of the Persian cat to the extent that we know have two separate breeds of cat. It has been a transformation.

Persian cat breeders in their desire to breed extremely saleable and outstanding Persian cats pushed the boundaries of the breed standard (the measure, in words, against which a purebred cat is to be judged as to whether the cat has a correct conformation for the breed i.e. has the correct type or is "typey" to use cat breeder language).

The more typey the better as far as some breeders are concerned. In striving for this goal set against a breed standard that could be interpreted with wide discretion the face of the sweet Doll Face Persian changed into a squashed face as if someone had simply pushed the face in.

Creating a face that unnatural was unfortunate. It was also unfortunate that the breed standard was then changed to accomodate the flat face. The crazy thing is that the Persian now suffers health problems associated with the flat face as is to be expected. What is even more astonishing is that visitors to my website prefer the old fashioned Doll Face Persian. Here is the result of an ongoing survey that will be updated regularly:-



You will find that a good percentage of the cats being bred are inbetween the extreme and the traditional. OK I've got that off my chest one more time. There are a lot more Persian Cat facts on this page which has links to other pages. Despite the drawback of health issues such as tear duct overflow requiring the area below the eyes regularly and heart disease problems and further the need to regularly groom the very long and thick coat this cat remains in the top 5 most popular domestic cats.

This may reflect the popularity of the doll face. Although, this is probably because Persian cats are seriously attractive cats and they have sweet characters which are well suited to indoor living. Indoor living in the US is a growing concept with a very high percentage of cat keepers keeping cats indoors permanently.


Pushka a Persian cat (she looks like a Traditional Persian from this angle) photograph copyright slight clutter under Creative Commons as is the header photograph.

There is a Persian cat rescue center in the UK, the owner of which says that the Persian cat is more prone to litter training problems than most other cats. This is probably due to stress as the Persian is a gentle cat. This sort of problem can lead to the human keeper having difficulty coping with the result that the cat (sometimes a purebred cat) being put into a shelter. This is despite the fact that a lot of cat breeders will take back cats if the new keepers are having problems. Cat breeders do this for the cat primarily as there is often no contractural obligation to accept the return of the cat.

The most important Persian cat facts concern health and the link above will take you to those. As there are a considerable number of Persians in rescue centers it would make sense to adopt from one of them. On this page is a short list of UK centers and on this page Californian centers.

House Cat Breeds

House cat breeds - Doll Face Persian - photograph copyright Dani Rozeboom. Dani runs a cattery, Yeri Shaes (named after a superb Persian named Yeri). She has an enclosed garden as far as I can tell. Dani is a fine (one of the best) cat photographers and her cats are fabulous.

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Please use the navigation bar on the main site to see a list of purebred cat.

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A search for House Cat Breeds probably means the person is looking for a domestic cat that is suited to permanent indoor living. Keeping cats indoors in far more common in the USA than the UK (and perhaps on the Continent in Europe). Although some people assume that it is OK to keep a cat indoors, I discuss whether this is OK.

It is almost accepted by many that their cat will never go out and I guess cats get used to it. The best solution, though, is an enclosure and they aren't that expensive. I let my cat go out (without an enclosure) because she is old, nervous and a bit scared and therefore doesn't go far. There is also a large garden for her to go into.

As to suitable cats for indoor living one cat springs to mind and one group of cats come to mind as unsuitable. The former is the Persian. The Persian is meant to be on the low end of the cat intelligence spectrum (the Sphynx at the top end). I am not sure if this is true, I somewhat doubt it, but it does seem to be inline with the sedate "doing nothing" type nature of the Persian that makes her suitable to be one of the house cat breeds.

Other house cat breeds that come to mind as being similar in character are the Himalayan (pointed Persian), the Ragdoll (known for an accommodating and docile character) and the RagaMuffin (a Ragdoll with a wider range of coat types). Another for this list would be the Sphynx.

Although the Sphynx is intelligent and quite lively this cat breed is naked and rare and this cat stands out from the crowd very noticeable. These factors make this cat less than suitable roaming outside where (s)he would be in danger. It's warmer inside too (in most countries). Sphynx cats feel the cold a bit more.

A final cat that comes to mind is a designer cat that the breeders claim is suited for the modern age. Modern age living means being at home less and having less space; and includes apartment living. This cat is an exotic cat - the Toyger. She is an ordinary domestic cat in terms of mentality but a fantastic looking cat. The best examples have a superb and eye catching appearance. These then are the most suited cats on my assessment. Of course all the cats between those mentioned and the most active will also adapt to indoor living but I personally think it a bit cruel.

Indoor living forces inactivity. If you add convenience cat food like dry food (high in carbohydrates and frankly not that natural for a cat) you are heading for potential health problems for your cat. This may come from becoming overweight, unless you are careful.

Of the cats that are probably unsuited are the more active and inquisitive cats (a Shpynx is inquisitive but the other characteristics override this). Such cats are the wildcat/domestic cat hybrids. These are definitely unsuitable; too demanding and active. An example would be the Chausie and the Savannah. The Bengal is in this category (strictly speaking) too but as breeding has developed this cat breed can now be considered a middle of the road domestic cat, almost but not quite. The Bengal is still very active, inquisitive with particular characteristics.

One last point. People searching for house cat breeds might simply be looking for domestic cats. If that is the case just start here and pick one.

House Cat Breeds to Persian cat