Persian Cats

History

Persia is the ancient name of Iran, which of course implies this breed's origins and age. The Persian people considered them very valuable and treated them like true treasures.

Personality

The Persian is a long-haired breed of cat characterized by its round face and shortened muzzle. They are sweet and gentle, but need to feel secure in their environment. They are well known for their quiet, docile dispositions and for very playful and affectionate nature. Though, they are not very demanding, they love to be petted. They will sit on your lap, follow you around the house and sleep in your bed during cold nights. They are very adaptable and accommodating.

Breed Characters

As you already aware, that the Persians are well known for their long, luxurious fur and their distinct, sweet expressions. Persians have a flat face and round eyes. Their heads are round and large, and the ears small and round-tipped. The body of the Persian is thick and stocky.

Persians come in a large variety of colors and patterns, including solid, silver, golden, shaded, smoke, tabby, parti-color, bi-color and Himalayan

Persians come in many patterns and colors listed below.

Solid	Himalayan	Patched	Silver
Black	Seal Point	Black and White	Chinchilla
White	Blue Point	Red and White	Shaded Silver
Blue	Tortie Point	Tortie and White
Cream	Red Point	Blue and White
Red	Cream Point	Calico (Blue Cream White)
Tortoiseshell	Blue/Cream Point	Patched
Blue/Cream	Chocolate Point
Chocolate	Lilac Point
Lilac

Kitten Care

When you first bring your kitten home you should put him in a small area until he is comfortable with his new surroundings. This can be your bedroom, bathroom or any other comfortable place and let him find its own way out of the basket. That allows him to explore the new environment for a few days. Make sure that all doors and windows are shut, to prevent the kitten from escaping. Kittens are very often frightened by children or other pets that are new to them. Children should therefore be recommended to be quiet and wait for the kitten to adapt the new environment, while other animals should be introduced later, gradually and one at a time. Remember that adult cats might attack to the baby cat, since they confront it as a competitor or enemy.

Talk to your kitten and encourage it to play with a toy but do not overwhelm it with extreme attention. Kittens need warmth, since they miss their mother and litter mates. During the first month of their life, kittens should be breastfeeding. They should separate their mother only after one month old. At this age they can start eating kitten food which comes in small kibbles that encourage kittens to crunch and help them develop stronger gum and teeth.

A litter tray must be available at all times and kept in the same place. Solid matter and wet lumps should be removed from the tray frequently and the litter renewed when necessary.

Weight:                     Male:     08 – 10 pounds

                                   Female: 07 – 09 pounds

Height:                      Male:      10 - 15 inches

                                   Female:  10 - 14 inches 

Lifespan

Persians cats usually live 15 years or more.

Nutrition

As usual, the diet of Persians must contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral substances and vitamins. Changing your Persian's diet abruptly or overfeeding will cause abdominal discomfort or diarrhea.  Any changes in the diet should gradually be done. Begin by mixing approximately one part new food to about five parts current food. Slowly increase the ratio of new food over the next several days until you eventually are feeding nothing but the new food.

A balanced and rich in vitamins, protein and fiber nutrition will prevent most health problems such as obesity and moreover help them develop a rich and shiny fur.

Suggested daily intake of dry food for Kittens

Age in Months	Body Weight	Suggested Daily Intake
01	0.8-1.7	25-40
02	1.8-3.0	40-50
03	3.1-4.0	50-55
04	4.1-5.0	55-60
05	5.1-6.0	60-70

 

Suggested daily intake of dry food for Cats

Body weight	Suggested Daily Intake
	Lean Type	Normal	Overweight
6 lb	50	35	25
8 lb	70	50	35
10 lb	80	70	50
42 lb	100	80	50
14 lb	100	80	70
16 lb	130	100	80
18 lb	140	100	80

Grooming

Coat: Persian cats have a rich and long-haired coat; so that, they have a high risk of developing hairballs. Therefore; Persians require frequent grooming with the help of a metallic brush. The brushing movements need to be repetitive, however delicate as the Persian cats' skin is highly irritable. To get rid of tight knots, use a brush with wide-teeth first and dissolve them gradually. If you neglect this daily routine, your Persian cat will develop tight knots and become aggressive during the next grooming. 

Persians moult heavily twice a year, and shed some hair all year round. Regular grooming will improve the blood circulation and help avoid many unpleasant and long-lasting infections and allergies. You have to spend at least 20 minutes a week grooming your Persian.

It is believed that the average total length of the hair on a Persian cat is over 230 miles.  

Ears: Clean their ears once a week to prevent infections. Consult your vet on choosing the proper cat ear cleaning solution and use it to remove the excess of wax, debris and dead tissues.

                                                                                                                          Grooming Equipments

Teeth: Their teeth should be checked periodically and brushed with a special wipe to prevent teeth and gum diseases. There are a lot of cat toys, specially designed to remove food wastes and prevent teeth irritation.

Eyes: Outside of simply wiping their eyes, check for signs of dryness as well. Use an eye cleaning solution to wash out the eyes. Be sure you do not use contact cleaner. Place a light    amount of lubricating eye gel into the eyes after cleaning to keep them moist.