by Dan Scott

Created on: January 08, 2010

The Persian cat is the number one most popular cat breed in the United States, and around the world. Lets take a look at some of the characteristics that make this breed of cat so popular.

As the name suggests, these cats were first bred in Persia (modern day Iran). They are related to the Angora cats of Turkey. Like the Angora, the early breed of the Persian cat were predominately white in color. The Persian cats were a very popular breed with the royalty and aristocracy of Great Britain starting during the Victorian age. They had many famous owners, such as Queen Victoria and Florence Nightingale. They were then brought to the United States during the 1800s. During this time, breeders began the process of lengthening and thickening the coats of the breed until today the Persian breed has the longest and thickest coats of all cat breeds. This is also when they developed some, but not all, of the of the physical characteristics of the modern Persian. This includes large, round paws, short legs, short, strong necks and compact, deep chested bodies. The changes have continued until very recently, with breeders concentrating on the heads, and particularly the shape of the face.

In just the last 50 years, the face of the Persian has gotten flatter and flatter. This has led to some potential problems for the Persian. These include problems with the jaw, dental problems, respiratory problems and even problems with the tear ducts. Along with the now classic flat face, the face of the Persian has other distinctive characteristics. The head itself is very rounded. and all of the other features of the head also reflect this. The ears are short and rounded at the tip, and are located lower down on the sides of the head. The eyes are also large and round, and are typically copper, dark orange, green or blue in color, or even two different colors. The eyes should also be level with the bridge of the nose.

Lets look at that thick, luxurious coat. While the coat color started out as predominantly white, in the early 1900's the Blue Persian grew in popularity. Today, the Persian comes in just about every color and pattern commonly found in modern day cats such as tabby, tortie, solid colors, silvers and smokes. The thick, beautiful coat does have one drawback for many people, and that is grooming your Persian. Unlike shorthairs, where grooming can be done on a weekly basis, you have to set time aside every day to brush and comb your Persian to try to prevent matting. And I

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