Persian cats: detailed description of the breed

In the article it is given an information about the most popular breed of cats - Persian. The peculiarities of genetics, physiology of animals are stated, breedforming signs, types of Persian cats are described. Nuances of selective work with given breed, its prospects are discussed.

Persian cats cause the most deep emtions and tenderness among all variety of domestic cats' breeds. They are most of all approaches to the definition 'dumb animals.' Round faces with chubby cheeks, wide-open eyes, preservation of kitten's look in adult animal - all these attract human, instinct of which is directed on the long care of his children, and that's why he adopts offsprings of other type.

According to the historical documents roots of the breeds went back to medieval Persia, from where in 1526 traveller-merchant Pietro Della Valle imported, and later described in his letters, unusual grey-blue cats with longhair from Horassan, north-eastern province of Persia, which, obviously, became founders of Persian in Europe. Analysing pictures and photos of ersians of XVIII-XIX centuries, it is noticable that cats on them practically indistinguishable from native-born cats of the Old and New World, from our Siberian: these are big, standing firm on the leggs animals with hair sooner middle length, noticiable noses and wide face.

The main centers of selections of Persian cats became Great Britain and Nothern America. Englishmen predominated over breeding for a long time, they made a selection for improvement of quality and length of hair, keeping physiological qualities of cat. That's why form and proportion of head of English Persians slightly differed from the head of British shorthaired, so respected in Great Britain. Nevertheless the tendency to more affected form of the head was accumulated: with more prominent forehead and sharp 'stop' ( transition of back of the nose to cranial part). Breeders selected into the breeding the most wide-faced and goggleeyed animals.

Every breed has hiden processes, showed as explosion, independently from the breeder's wish. So, in 50-ies of XX century unexpectedly in different nurseries Persian kittens were born with very short noses, prominent foreheads and widely placed eyes. In England they were not popular: they wheeze, snore, and fall ill often, and mass was not right. First 'extremes' were cruelly rejecred as defective. And independant americans, probably, didn't suspect to these passions and those who saw such kittens (outwardly looking like Pekinese dogs), were charmed bt them. Such animals were called Persians with face of Pekinese or Pekifaces. Their unusual appaerance brought to the breed not only emotional popularity, but gave it so necessary special breedforming signs, without which all breeds of cats more look like varieties of colors.

Unfortunately, nothing good comes in ideal look - there is always some latent defect, some little 'dirty act', without which there will be not 'ham'. For Persians polygenic osteomalacia turned out such 'dirty act'. From one side it is conductive in formation of special structure of head, lowing of bridge of nose, from the other side it increases eduction of calcium, weakens skeletal system at all, causing defects in the structure of backbone, and in the result of infringement of nervous roots in mis-shapen bone canaliculus, breaks the function of pelvic organs. This, in its turn, brings to hold-up of sinking of testicles of cats, hanging tail (which dirties during the toilet), breaks the movements of back extremities, causes urological syndrome. If such outwardly atractive types depend on one-two genes, it would be possible to forget about new type of Persians. Owing to polygenic character of this breeding peculiarity the possibility of release or weakening undesirable demonstration of these qualities remained, not refusing from special form of head, mill of ears and eyes at this. For the last 15 years there were a revolutionary change from the appearance of Persian cats of reductive type on modern, 'extreme'. Foreign, especially european selectionists, bewared even on words of everything extreme, try not to use the term 'extreme', acepted in Russia, and sai softly: 'supertype' or just 'super' that often change them admiration.

The uphlders of Persians of old type stay, but the market dictates its own rules of game and the most modern and the most elegant animals win on the shows. Extreme Persians have problems exactly with elegance. Violation of mineral exchange couldn't but tell on the quality of long, thin, overdeveloped by this sign, hair: it easily makes plicas, it is difficult to support its 'trade look', not speaking about the show. I. e. alternative needed: to have everything like Persian, but without problems with hair. Nature solved this problem by itself. After all, cats are animals very enterprising, especially in sexual conduct, and their sympathies not always coincide with owner's. As the result - wether you like or not, litters of shorthaired kittens with typical faces began to appear almost parallel with extreme Persians. Rather soon such cats became not only popular, but preferable for many. They got official name of 'exotic shorthaired' or simplier - 'exots'. It doesn't correspond very much to our understanding, because many breeds of cats remain exotic for Russia. Their non-official name is 'Persians for lazy' - for the saving of appearance of Persian cat and comfort in her keeping.

Breeding of any breed of animals seldom brings only joy. There are more troubles. The breeding of Persian and Exotic cats is also connected with many problems. Most part of them rides the peculiarity of skull's and head's structure. So, any prominences and deformations of cranial partn are undesirable: 'by house' (when middle suture is greatly steps forward), 'by dull ends', when there is 'frontal' or 'cervical' prominence, skew strusture of skull, face or jaws; steady physiological violations (breath through the mouth, putted out tongue all the time); urological syndrome. But, inspite of these troubles, attending th eselections of Persians and Exots, interest to them doesn't fall and quite worthy. By the evidence of breedforming signs only Siamese and Oiental (accordingly, kornishreks) cats can compete with them. All the rest breeds, as a rule, differ from each other with one-two pairs of genes, that in most part corresponds to interbreeding variety, than to independent breed. Selectionists are in for the long work for fastening of breed signs of Persians and Exots at exception of possible flow of phenotype of this, as a matter of fact, one breed of cats, having shorthaired and longhaired varieties, into others.

Persian Cat Standard

Head: round, massive, with wide skull, full cheeks, prominent forehead. Little, short and wide nose with accurate stop. Neck is short and strong. Jaws are strong and wide.

Ears: little, slightly rounded, placed very widely and rather low.

Eyes: big, round, widely placed (color of eyes corresponds to the color). Body : thickset, cobby, chest is wide, shoulders and back are massive and muscular. Extremities are strong. Pads are big and round.

Hair: long and thick, thin and silky by its texture (not cotton), long collar on the neck, shoulders and chest.

Color: all standsrd persian colors.

Tail: short, proporional to the body, tailbone is slightly rounded.