Persian cat: standards

Absolutely in all felinological associations of the world the Persian breed is accepted. It has its own standards, which look like each other in many respects. However, Persian cats, who live with us, vastly differ and not only in structure of head and disposition of the nose, though all have the same breed - Persian. Today cats' owners conditionally accept three interbreeding types of Persian cats by disposition of the lobe of nose:

archaic type with outstanding nose, lobe of which is directed down or vertically and at the same time the upper edge of the nose's lobe can be on 5-6 mm (and sometimes more - till 1-2 cm) under of lower eyelid. Today the animals with more long nose can't successfully compete with modern types of Persians, though three-four years ago in our country so called classical type was in overwhelming majority. However, its non-popularity on the exhibitions reduced to quite strong decrease of number of old type, especially in big cities. One of the advantages of this type in comparison with other is a good health, simplicity of care, and also that it is multiparous. Animals of ancient type, having a non-perspective pedigree, belong to a pet-quality and don't get an admittance to the breeding.

modern short-nosed type with open look - short open type, by wchich the short back of nose is cocked, and the lobe of the nose is on the one level with or on the 1-2 mm upper than line of lower eyelids, big and wide opened. His is the most perspective type for today, which in comparison with extreme has less liability to deformation of nasolacrimal ducts (eyes don't run). This type is called open, bacause animal dosen't have a gloomy expression of muzzle.

extreme type - is a type, by which the lobe of the nose is on the one level with inner canthus, and stop is situated on the one level with upper eyelid. Basically, these are animals of american origin, that's why extreme type is oftenly called american. Short nose harmonizes with fulled, round forehead, low setted little ears and round straight delivered eyes.

The description of the modern type of Persian cat.

Proposed description is a free adaptation of WCF, FIFE and CFA standards.

Head

Round and massive, with wide prominent skull, proportionate to the body, settled on short, fat neck. Face is with low, wide cheek-bones, round, fulled cheeks. Nose is short, pug and wide, with step junction (stop) from the forehead to the nose, length of nose's back doesn't excel its width. The lobe of nose is wide, a little bit prominent, is not shut with hair, with enough opened nostrils. Chin is wide, strong, ideally making a vertical line with forehead and the lobe of nose, and usually a little prognathous for it (sometimes a little recessive). Jaws are strong, wide, with right bite. Bite through of no more than 1-2 mm is not a serious defect. Nasolacrimal lines are not deep at the expense of fulled cheek-bones, and widely diverge to the lines of angle of mouth. Common impression of smile is made by line of upper lip, blending in the contour of full cheeks and accentuating the circularity of head's contour, and open as if surprised expression of round, settled on straight line eyes, makes a nice, sweet expression, which americans called baby-face. Most of all the comon harmony of head's construction and common impression, which is made by cat, is valued.

Ears

Little, wide and low settled, with rounded tips, perfectly woolly, lost in hair, wide open helixes are protected by rich feathers. As soon as more little wide and rounded ears are welcomed.

Eyes

Big, round, expressive, wide opened, not deep, wide and straight settled, intensively coloured in accordance to the hair's colour, look is calm and friendly. Eyelids are solid, dry. Frontal bones are noticeable, but furrow dividing them, doesn't prevent to determine the stop.

Colour Of Eyes

It corresponds to the colour, has a bright and intensive tint, is equally painted over. Basically, this is a colour from orange till copper excepting blue eyes of Colourpoints and green - of chinchillas.

Neck

Fat, short, of low going out.

Body

Big or of medium size, massive, wide with wide, not long back and wide rounded chest, compact. Stomach is rounded, thick. Muscular system is rounded, permanent, well-developed.

Format must be almost square, and body must be thick. Earlier Persians in our country were more thin-boned and often - a little stretched (have a little elongated body) and owners overfeeded them to make an expression of massiveness. Today animals with comparatively thin skeleton can not compete with animals of modern type. Proportions of body are more important than sizes.

Extremities And Pads

Extremities are thick, short, strong. Pads are compact, round, massive, perfectly woolly, with wisps of hair between fingers.

Tail

Short, thick, straight, without defects, goes till the middle of body from one side and upright - till land. Tip is obtuse and a little rounded. Perfectly and equally woolled.

Hair

Thin, of silky texture, air, long, rich, lagging from body, thick, combed and well-groomed. Decorating hair begins from a little cap on the forehead, comes to the rich mane, goes down from sides as whiskers, forming a jabot on the chest. Hair, a little bit shorter on the shoulders, doesn't make, nevertheless, impression of gap between rich hair on the back and sides and mane, well-developed on the pants and arms, from the back fluently goes down on the thick, fluffy tail. Hair on the stomach is more long and soft. Hair must be alive, sparkling. Cotton, easily electrifiable, dull hair testifies about not enough preparation to the exhibition or about non- balanced food.

Type

Heavy, massive.

Condition

At the exhibition animals must be healthy, wel-fed, clean, well-groomed, with absolutely clean face, ears and pants. We can add only that well-groomed Persian is always ready to the exhibition on 50%.

Common Impression About Animal

Persian must cause tender emotions, and looks like soft toy - short, thick extremities and strong, compact body. Big head only accentuates this impression. If to compare the best animals of 10-years' prescription and todays', then though standards on the paper didn't change so much, commonly accepted type has changed a lot. As a whole, we can say that had became bigger proportionally, and body became more thickset and compact, common size became a little less - today not so much of Persians of modern type weigh more than 6-8 kg, since all felinological organizations accept quality, not sizes.

Disqualification

In colours without white and colour-points - medallion or white spots (tab) on any part of body; transgression of colour of pad and/or the lobe of nose; logjam or hook on the tail; any visible demonstration of weakness of back extremities and pelvis; visible deformations of back, riffling, chest; visible deformations of skull (skewness of head or warp of jaws); cross-eye. For colour- points - not blue eyes, and on the whole, strong transgression of requirements for the colour, if by this good in the rest animal can't be moved up into another, more corresponding to him colour.