Kriseskriter Persians
The Persian is a breed of longhaired cat. One of the oldest and
most popular cat breeds, it takes its name from its place of
origin, Persia (Iran).
The breed was once known simply as "Longhair" - It is believed that the name “Persian” was adopted by North American Breeders in the early 1800’s.
In general, it's not clear when longhaired cats first appeared, as there are no African Wildcats, who are believed to be ancestors of domesticated cats, with long fur. There were claims in the 1800s that the gene responsible for long hair was introduced through hybridization with the Pallas cat, however, research in the early 1900s refutes this theory.
The first documented ancestors of the Persian were imported from Khorasan, Persia into Italy in 1620 and from Angora, Turkey into France at around the same time. From France, they soon reached Britain. The original Persian was gray in colour.
Our pedigree longhairs of today are undoubtedly a cross of the Angora and Persian cat families; the latter possesses a rounder head, also the coat is of quite a different quality. The coat of the Persian consists of a woolly under coat and a long, hairy outer coat. In summer it loses all the thick under-wool and only the long hair remains. The hair is also somewhat shorter on the shoulders and upper part of the hind legs.
Angoras and Persians have been constantly crossed; resulting in a decided improvement to both breeds; but the longhaired cat of today is decidedly more Persian-bred than Angora.
The breed was once known simply as "Longhair" - It is believed that the name “Persian” was adopted by North American Breeders in the early 1800’s.
In general, it's not clear when longhaired cats first appeared, as there are no African Wildcats, who are believed to be ancestors of domesticated cats, with long fur. There were claims in the 1800s that the gene responsible for long hair was introduced through hybridization with the Pallas cat, however, research in the early 1900s refutes this theory.
The first documented ancestors of the Persian were imported from Khorasan, Persia into Italy in 1620 and from Angora, Turkey into France at around the same time. From France, they soon reached Britain. The original Persian was gray in colour.
Our pedigree longhairs of today are undoubtedly a cross of the Angora and Persian cat families; the latter possesses a rounder head, also the coat is of quite a different quality. The coat of the Persian consists of a woolly under coat and a long, hairy outer coat. In summer it loses all the thick under-wool and only the long hair remains. The hair is also somewhat shorter on the shoulders and upper part of the hind legs.
Angoras and Persians have been constantly crossed; resulting in a decided improvement to both breeds; but the longhaired cat of today is decidedly more Persian-bred than Angora.
While the looks of the Persian changed over recent years,
the Breed Standard for the Persian had remained basically
the same. The Breed Standard is somewhat open-ended and
focused on a rounded head, large, wide-spaced round eyes
with the top of the nose leather placed no lower than the
bottom of the eyes. The Standard calls for a short, cobby
body with short, well-boned legs, a broad chest and a round
appearance
One study compared cat owners' perception of their cats, and
Persians rated higher than non-pedigree cats on closeness and
affection to owners, friendliness towards strangers,
cleanliness, predictability, vocalization and fussiness over
food. The Persian is a relaxed observer, the quietest and least
active of cat breeds, and the one most likely to accept other
cats into the home.
If allowed outdoors, then they do guard their territory and catch prey with surprising ease, given their shortened face.
Persian cats can have many colours and markings including pointed, golden, tortoiseshell, blue, and tabby. Tipped varieties are known as Chinchilla. Point varieties are called Colourpoints throughout Europe or Himalayans in the United States.
Life expectancy of the Persian is usually between 10 and 15 years on average. The modern Persian has shortened a nose which may result in malformed tear ducts, causing epiphora (an overflow of tears onto the face), which is common and primarily cosmetic.
If allowed outdoors, then they do guard their territory and catch prey with surprising ease, given their shortened face.
Persian cats can have many colours and markings including pointed, golden, tortoiseshell, blue, and tabby. Tipped varieties are known as Chinchilla. Point varieties are called Colourpoints throughout Europe or Himalayans in the United States.
Life expectancy of the Persian is usually between 10 and 15 years on average. The modern Persian has shortened a nose which may result in malformed tear ducts, causing epiphora (an overflow of tears onto the face), which is common and primarily cosmetic.
About the Breed