A Persian has an extremely long thick coat, short legs,
a wide head with the ears set far apart, large eyes, and an extremely foreshortened muzzle.
Their eyes are often runny, and the owner should clean their eyes at least once every day. The breed was originally established with a short (but not non-existent) muzzle, but over time this feature has become extremely exaggerated, particularly in North America. Their short muzzle also causes them to have dust and debris cover the inside of their nostrils more often, which makes it very difficult for them to breathe.
Their long flowing coats require an indoor, protected environment. Maintenance requires a daily run-through with a metal comb to eliminate the potential drawbacks of tangles and hairballs. An occasional bath, attempted only after a complete comb-through and clipping of the nail tips, will keep the coat clean, healthy and beautiful. It is wise to establish the routine of the bath when they are young. Persians come in an astonishing number of colors, which are divided into seven color divisions.
Photographic records indicate that Persians, up until the 1960s, show a difference in appearance to cats of the early 1980s onwards (i.e., from the Traditional "doll face" to the "extreme", "ultra", "flat-faced" or "snubby" face of today).
Silver Persian cats can have any color or markings including pointed, golden, tortoiseshell, blue, and tabby. Tipped varieties are known as Chinchilla. Point varieties are called Himalayan in the United States and Colorpoint Persian in Europe.
Since Persian cats have long, thick dense fur that they cannot keep clean themselves, they need daily grooming. To keep their fur in its best condition, they must be bathed regularly, dried , and brushed thoroughly every day. Their eyes need to be checked for problems on a regular basis. As they grow older, Persians tend to develop a crusty-like object under the eyes. Likewise, Persians are particularly susceptible to a genetic disease which causes kidney failure, PKD, Polycystic kidney disease, among other diseases. We can now do DNA screened for the gene that causes PKD. Life span is usually between 10 and 19 years on average.
Persian
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