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Persian
Cat
The Persian cat is one of the oldest breeds of cat.
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Golden
Shaded Persian |
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pic to enlarge |
The Persian
cat originates from Iran (Persia).
A show-quality Persian cat has an extremely
long thick coat, short legs, a wide head with the ears set far apart, large
eyes, and an extremely foreshortened muzzle.
The Persian cat breed was originally
established with a short (but not non-existent) muzzle, but over time this
feature has become extremely exaggerated, and Persian cats are prone to a number
of health problems (specifically affecting their sinuses and breathing)
caused by it.
However, conscientious breeders eliminate this by careful
choice of breeding stock, as the goal is first and always healthy cats.
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Persian
Lilac |
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Pic to enlarge |
Persian cats can have any color or markings except points, including
tortoiseshell, blue, and tabby.
There was an attempt to establish the silver Persian as a separate breed
called the Sterling, but it was not accepted and silver and gold longhaired
cats are judged in the Persian cat category of cat shows.
Because their fur is too long and dense for them to maintain themselves,
Persian cats need extensive and regular grooming.
To keep their fur in its
best condition, they must be bathed regularly, dried carefully afterwards,
and brushed thoroughly every day.
The eyes of Persian cats need to be checked for problems
on a regular basis because some animals have trouble keeping them clean.
A Persian cat without an established and registered pedigree is classed
as a domestic longhair cat.
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