Best of Breed GC, BW, NW MELOSITOS WHITE OWL OF D’EDEN LOVER, Copper-Eyed White Persian Male – Photo: © Chanan
Persians are Gamma cats all the way through; sweet, soft-voiced, and serene. They have broad, stocky bodies and short, strong legs, small ears and large eyes. Their two main occupations are posing beautifully and fussing over their people. They have a horror of getting into trouble, and are the easiest of all cats to persuade to leave our things alone. It’s likely they won’t even mess with them in the first place.
While playful and fun loving, Persian kittens are less likely to climb on things or chase a toy into a nest of wires. They like toys which crackle when touched, or have hairy appendages which react easily. They prefer to examine an object minutely instead of seeing what it will do when it’s batted off the top of a bookcase.
Just as they are slow to cause trouble, they tend to mature slowly, and need plenty of time for us to expect adult behavior. Persians are comforted by familiar places and routines. If they have favorite spots, try to return them to the same arrangements after cleaning and keep their toys in their own toy box.
The Persian’s easy going nature and low need for constant stimulation makes them easy to make happy, but it’s not that they are lower maintenance than other cats. Their fur, especially if the thick, wooly type, needs daily grooming and an occasional bath or it will mat. High temperatures can overheat them, so they might need professional shaving from time to time. Some cats need their eyes cleaned and they might need a face wash after eating. All that fur needs help from their people.
The foreshortened muzzle can cause breathing, nasal, or eye difficulties unless the breeder is careful about their genetics for matches. Recent show pressures have led to the development of the “vertical face,” in which the eyes, nose, and chin are all on the same plane. These concerns do not come up in Persian mixes, which will show Persian traits to a lesser extreme because of outcrossing.
Because of the Persian’s popularity it was a foundation breed for most of the long-haired cats we see today. Any long-haired cat can show traces of their laidback personality.
It’s not just their fur that needs attention. The gentle Persian soul requires their people to extend some effort to figure out what they might need or want. A longing look might be the only way a Persian will make their wishes known.
Spend plenty of time with them, learn their little ways, and they will repay this loving attention with complete devotion.
Want a Persian? Find an ethical breeder who cares about their cats, or check out the cats needing homes at the geographically diverse Persian Rescue.
Use Petfinder.com to see if there’s one nearby, just waiting for a home.
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Very interesting about the persian’s personality. I didn’t realize they had the short nose like that. Good information.