Persians are one of the oldest breeds of cats. They are thought to
be one of the orginal wild cats. Their origin is thought to be the
Iranian Plateau near present day Turkey. The area is better known in
the western Hemisphere as Persia.
They were first introduced to Europe in the 1600’s brought by the Italian explorer Pietro Della Valle.
Valle brought the first Persian in Italy home after his travels. The beautiful breed quickly made their way to
Britain where their temperament and looks made them one of the most
popular breeds.
When they were introduced to Europe, they quickly became on the most
esteemed positions of Royalty. Persians are not only gorgeous,
but are a gentle, calm breed making them the perfect pet for kings and queens to impress their guests.
The original Persians and the Persians you see in North America were
quiet different in face. The original Persians had a baby face, big
eyes, a short tail, and body, wide head. low set ears, short legs, and a
heavy boned frame. Flat faces and little noses are a North
America fashion that results in negative health
effects such as sinus and eye problems.
Other regions favor the longer noses and rounder
faces that do not have sinus and eye problem.
The
Himalayan breed was created by breeding Persians with
the Siamese cats. The
color chocolate comes from the Siamese breed as
well. CFA the largest cat registry in North America considers
Himalayan to be a color of persain. Registered Himalayan Persians have
been in the Persian lines for many generation and have the same
show specifications as all Persians.
