Sweet, gentle, calm, loving, and friendly. What is it?! A Persian cat, of course!
These creatures can warm up the hearts of even the most emotionless people. Their cuteness starts with the fluffy fur and rounded heads and ends up with a gentle temperament, devotion to their owners.
Are you looking for a loving, playful but quiet love bug? If yes, keep reading to find out more information on the Persian cat breed.
Here you will find all of the relevant sections that are filled with information about Persians. Have a fun read!
- Persian cat appearance and characteristics
- Persian personality and temperament
- Persian cat intelligence
- The history of Persians
- Grooming a Persian cat
- What can you expect while owning a Persian cat?
- How big do Persians get?
- What do Persian cats eat?
- What is the lifespan of a Persian cat?
- Can you keep a Persian with other pets?
- How much do you have to pay for a Persian cat?
Persian cat appearance and characteristics
Once you look at a Persian cat, you can create an image of a soft and fluffy furball. This cat is medium-sized although it can look larger due to its long and puffed coating. Also, the body of a Persian cat looks rounded with soft lines that are just asking for a gentle touch!
The head is also rounded and might look a bit bigger due to the fluff surrounding it. The eyes of a Persian cat are large and set wide apart from each other. Furthermore, its snout is a little bit flat that makes the tiny nose even cuter to look at and boop. Talking about the ears, they are smaller but still wide and pointy.
A Persian is a long-haired cat from head to tail. Its coating is very soft and can come in different colors such as white, silver, smoke, gold, brownish, and others. Also, the eye color of a Persian depends a lot on the color of its fur. Eyes can be blue, green, goldish, or copper.
Persian personality and temperament
If you are afraid of hyperactive cats, calm down, these ones are different! Persians are sweet and calm creatures that are a perfect fit for sensitive introverted people that like spending their time in peace. The low activity level of this breed means that you will be able to avoid constant zoomies around the house.
Furthermore, Persians are very quiet pets and don’t bother their owners with frequent yowls or meows. This is a very big plus for those who spend their time working at home and need deep concentration. A constantly meowing cat would get on such a hard worker’s nerves, wouldn’t it?
Another personality trait that is clearly seen in Persians is their obedience. You truly have the chance of training your Persian into a very good cat that will almost always listen to you. This way you are more likely to avoid random jumps on the tables and food bowls, a big mess in all rooms, ripped curtains, etc.
However, the fact that Persian cats are very calm doesn’t mean that they don’t require any playtime. Actually, these creatures really enjoy playtimes and you should definitely include them in your daily schedule. This will not only let you bond with your pet more but will also keep up its activity level.
To add, the Persian cat breed is known to have one of the cutest, friendliest, and most devoted cats on earth! If you make sure that you deserve the love and affection of your Persian friend, you will receive tons of it back… Note that these creatures are very needy for attention, so never forget to cuddle your beloved one every time you pass by.
Persian cat intelligence
The intelligence level in Persian cats is not very high combined with some other breeds such as Bengals or Siameses. However, this doesn’t mean that a Persian won’t act smart or be very clumsy. These cats are just less curious animals.
Even though your Persian might not be the cleverest pet on the planet, it definitely has some other features that will win your heart. These creatures are extremely cute and friendly. They can be true cuddle lovers and you will be able to enjoy lots of lovely moments with your friend!
The history of Persians
The roots of the Persian breed come from ancient times. Due to this, it is hard to say when the first true Persian cat appeared. However, some sources claim that longhair cats were already imported to Italy from Asia during the 16th century.
A century later, an Italian traveler called Pietro Della Valle benefited the Italian cat breeding program by adding a longhaired cat from Persia (Iran) to it. This animal might have been called the Sand Cat as it supposedly used its wooly coat as protection from the rough weather conditions while living in Iran’s deserts.
The first modern Persian cat showed up in the 1800s when some longhaired cats from Turkey were bred with the long-coated cats from Italy. These animals were cherished and admired by the royals, including Queen Victoria, and became very popular before the start of the 20th century after introducing the cats to the USA.
Grooming a Persian cat
Grooming. Here you will have some fun and will need to save some time daily for brushing out your Persian’s hair. Long-haired cats require more attention to their fur and it is recommended to groom it every day.
If you don’t take care of your pet’s coating properly, it can get all tangled up, end up in tight balls, and you will struggle even more while trying to untangle them. For this not to happen, get a special cat hairbrush (or comb) and start taking care of your Persian’s coating from the first days you adopt it.
Nevertheless, this type of fluffy and long fur is good at hiding parasites such as ticks and fleas. So, if you let your cat run around the house outside, you should check its hair and skin thoroughly EVERY TIME it returns home. If your Persian’s fur gets dirty after a visit to the yard, you will likely have to give it a bath…
What can you expect while owning a Persian cat?
If you are expecting to get a sweet, devoted, calm but playful friend, your expectations are top-notch and there is a very high chance that all of them will be fulfilled while raising a Persian cat. However, if you are a hyperactive person yourself who is looking for a challenge, you should take a look at other cat breeds.
For those who love long cuddling hours and power naps, a Persian would make the perfect companion. You can expect to get some decent sleep at any time of the day with your little Persian curled up by your side. The sweet purrs and the softness of its fluffy coating should also make you fall asleep faster. Perfect, isn’t it?!
Continuously, there is a high chance of growing up a strongly devoted pet if you take good care of your Persian cat. Despite the affection that these animals show to their owners, Persians are friendly living beings overall! If there are any small children in your house or you keep other pets – no problem. Your Persian will supposedly try to make friends with all of them.
Persian cat information and FAQs
Below you will find informative answers to some frequently asked questions about Persian cats.
How big do Persians get?
A Persian is a medium-sized cat that can reach the length of 35-45 cm. The weight of such an animal can fluctuate somewhere between 3-5 kgs. It looks like Persians are quite light cats and that makes them even cuter!
However, if your Persian weighs over 6 kgs, you should consider changing the cat’s diet because it might be overweight. If you think that your pet is getting obese, make an appointment at a vet clinic where you will get the best helpful solutions for restricting cat food and regular proportioning.
What do Persian cats eat?
Persians are absolute protein-lovers just as the rest of the members of the cat family. You can look for high-quality food in specific pet shops or get a recommended food brand from vet clinics (there you might be offered meals that help to ease some health conditions that your cat might have).
Also, you can make some protein-based meals at home if you like to. However, if you decide to look for cat food on your own, keep in mind that it shouldn’t contain any added sugars, have some fiber and vitamins, and be mostly made of protein (fish, chicken, turkey, beef, etc.),
Another very important thing you should know about a Persian cat’s diet is that 80% of it should consist of wet food. This is a specific recommendation by veterinarians due to the polycystic kidney disease that Persians are prone to. Wet food helps to increase the percentage of consumed water.
Despite all of the mentioned things, you should also understand that your cat is not a carb eater and some of them (e.g. chocolate) can be even poisonous to your pet. Don’t try feeding your cat fruits, vegetables, sweets, or caffeinated drinks. Remember that the biggest part of the diet needs to consist of protein.
What is the lifespan of a Persian cat?
The life span of a Persian doesn’t really differ from other cats’. It is known that animals from this particular breed mostly live up to 10-15 years. A pretty generous age for a cat.
Of course, every owner wants his pet to live as long as possible. In spite of this fact, it is necessary to take good care of your cat’s health. This includes giving high-quality food, ensuring that your pet is active, regular vet visits, and watching out especially for diseases and health conditions that your Persian cat might be prone to.
If you are looking forward to owning a Persian, you should be very attentive to your pet’s health. This cat breed is more likely to develop the following illnesses and conditions than other breeds:
- Eye conditions.
Persians can have watery eyes and experience excessive tearing. Furthermore, these animals might develop other eye conditions such as entropion (when the inner eyelids start rolling inward) and cherry eye (prolapse of the tear gland).
- Respiratory problems.
The sweet faces of Persian cats contribute to a big part of this issue. Due to their flat noses, Persians can start breathing with noise because of narrow nostrils or might develop breathing difficulties overall.
- Dental malocclusion.
This particular condition means that your Persian friend might struggle to mesh upper and lower teeth together.
- Ringworm.
Ringworm is a fungal-based disease that can affect both humans and animals. If your cat “gets lucky” to experience such a condition, you will supposedly see at least some accurate symptoms, i.e. intensive scratching and grooming, damaged and irritated skin, pieces of dandruff, boldness in some places of the fur in circular shapes, change of coating/skin color, claw infection.
- Seborrhea oleosa.
Seborrhea oleosa is another skin condition that can bother our cute and pretty Persian cats. The animal usually experiences a loss of fur and inflamed red skin that itches and leads to excessive scratching.
- Polycystic kidney disease.
Polycystic kidney disease is a condition with which a cat is born. The animal’s kidneys include many cysts that can get bigger through the upcoming years and lead to the failure of kidney functions.
Can you keep a Persian with other pets?
Yes, of course. A Persian cat is a very friendly animal to both people and other pets. In fact, it would be a good idea to adopt a friend for your Persian because these cats have a high need for attention and might feel lonely when you are not home near them.
A good thing to do would be to get another cat of a similar age (kittens are more likely to bond with each other in their early months) and it would be even better to have TWO Persian cats! This way you can expect their temperaments to fit each other and they might become friends faster.
Furthermore, Persian cats make good companions not only for their owners, other pets but also for children. These creatures are very soft and gentle, they don’t show any aggression. However, if you try to fight it for some reason, a Persian might hiss a little bit at you…
How much do you have to pay for a Persian cat?
Persians are definitely not the cheapest cats that you can get. Due to the pure and very beautiful breed, you will have to empty your pockets a little bit but reasonably. If you are looking for a young Persian kitten, you can get one for £950-£1100.
However, if you want to adopt an adult Persian cat, you can get it for a lower price, about £450. Depending on the sex and appearance of the animal, the cost of a grown-up cat can also be as high as £1350. Female Persians are known to cost more than males.
Keep in mind that before you get the cat, you will need to purchase the required equipment for it. Include bedding, brushes, combs, food and water bowls, interactive and other toys, climbers, nail scratchers and clippers, litter, litter boxes into your expenditure. Plus, don’t forget high-quality food that is rich in protein, fiber, and vitamins.
Continuously, spare some money for vaccination that can cost up to £100 and for neutering that is around £40. Also, note that your pet might become ill at any time or get common problems such as constipation. Make sure that you have extra pounds for unplanned vet visits too.
We hope that you have been left fascinated by these gorgeous heart-warming animals and just started wanting to get a Persian for yourself…One of the world’s sweetest cat breeds is perfect for those who are looking for a devoted friend that enjoys cuddling and playtime hours with its owner. However, it is always best to look for a pet that will match your own personality and temperament.
Are you more of an active or calm cat lover? Let us know by leaving your comment below!