Persian cat facts, delivered in summary form are on this page. See narrative pages: Persian cats or pictures of Persian cats.
Intro: One of the top 5 best known cat breeds due to its long history and popularity.
Traditional Persian cat “Orlando”. Photo: copyright Dani
Popularity: The Persian is a very popular cat. It could be argued that it is losing its popularity. Its heyday is perhaps over because people are learning about the health issues involved with extreme breeding that created the flat-faced contemporary variety of this cat. The traditional Persian is gaining in popularity. My long standing poll of over 4000 votes says that the Persian is ranked 6th (out of 104 breeds!) but my poll does not differentiate between traditional and modern. However, I do know that 78% of people prefer the traditional doll face Persian (1675 votes at April 2012). I conclude that the Persian’s continued popularity is for the traditional Persian, an undisputed Persian cat fact…perhaps.
Place of origin: Great Britain – UK.
Date of origin: 1800s
Ancestry: Long haired cats of the Middle East perhaps. Or Turkish Angora (i.e. Turkey). Modern day Turkish Angoras in Turkey look like traditional Persian cats. This supports the ancestry as Turkey. This is one of the vague Persian cat facts.
Weight: 3.5 – 7 kilograms or 8 – 15 pounds.
Temperament: Laid back placid observer. Referred to as “cat furniture” – decorative. But lets not stereotype a cat breed. Individuals vary substantially in character. Not inclined to be athletic. Like security and calm. Stress can lead to litter box problems.
Body type: Cobby (largish and stocky). See body types. Rounded cat with round head and flat face (modern). Thick, long coats and small ears.
Registration: All – GCCF, FiFé, CFA, TICA and other minor cat associations. First registered in the early 1900s indicating its longevity in the cat fancy.
Colors and types: Huge range. Sub-headings from CFA breed standard: solid colors, silver and golden colors, shaded and smoke colors, tabby colors (see orange tabby), calico and bi-color colors, Himalayan colors and parti-color colors.
Health: The longest list of breed health problems with the Siamese. See more…One of the disappointing Persian cat facts.
Outcrosses: None
Persian cat facts notes: A very long established cat breed. One of the original cat breeds. It has gone through a certain amount of transformation over the years especially since the mid 1900s. I would expect that in due course the extreme appearance will be moderated.
