Have a read of this by Kristin Fawcett I think you will find it full of interesting facts you would like to know about the Persian breed.
With their
trademark round faces, stocky bodies, and sumptuous coats, Persians are one of
the most recognised cat breeds in the world. Here are a few facts about the
fancy feline.
1. THEY WERE A TRAVELLER'S SOUVENIR.
Like many breeds, the Persian cat’s origins are a mystery. According to some sources, long haired cats have
existed in the Middle East for thousands of years—although research indicates
that the kitties have genetics in common with cats from Western Europe.
Although nobody quite knows when—or how—the rest of the world discovered
Persian cats, one popular version is that the luxuriously-furred feline was
introduced to Western Europe by an Italian named Pietro della
Valle. Della Valle was a famous nobleman who
journeyed extensively throughout the Holy Land, the Middle East, Northern
Africa, and India.
In 1620, della
Valle passed through Persia—now known as Iran—and took a liking to the
exotic, long haired gray cats he spotted at a bazaar. He purchased four pairs of them, and brought them home with him to Europe. Of course, sailors, travellers, or merchants might
have also carried Persians with them from the Middle East
to the Continent.
2. THEY WERE IN THE WORLD'S FIRST CAT SHOW.
More than 250 years later, Persians took London
by storm when the breed was showcased in the world's first organised cat show in 1871 at
the Crystal Palace. The day-long exhibition also
featured Siamese cats, a Scottish Wild Cat, and Manxes, among other exotic
felines. Proving that cats were popular long before the Internet, the event drew more than 20,000 visitors. It
also shouldn't surprise anyone that a Persian kitten won "Best in
Show."
3. THEY'RE BELOVED IN AMERICA
...
Sometime after 1895, Persians were brought to the United
States. In 1906, the Cat Fanciers'
Association was formed in America,
and a Persian was one of the first cats registered. Today, the Persian is one of the most popular cats in the United States.
4. ... AND BY FAMOUS HISTORICAL FIGURES.
Throughout history, many famous individuals have owned Persian cats.
Florence Nightingale had 60 cats
in her lifetime, and doted
on a large Persian named Mr.
Bismarck. Marilyn Monroe
owned a white Persian cat named
Mitsou. And Raymond
Chandler reportedly read the first drafts of his novels to
his most discerning critic, a black Persian named Taki.
5. THEY'RE LOW MAINTENANCE.
Persians might look prissy and aloof, but they’re actually considered to be one of the most
low-maintenance—and friendliest—cat breeds.
6. THEY COME IN MANY SIZES, COLOURS, AND VARIETIES.
While iconic pop culture Persians are usually white or silver (think the Fancy Feast Cat), the breed comes in a range of colours and shades.
From tortoiseshell and calico to orange, grey, and black-and-white, the
varieties are plentiful. Other
sub-variants of the Persian include toy and teacup sizes, Himalayas which are a cross between a Persian and a Siamese—and Chinchilla
Longhairs, which have pointy noses and black-tipped fur.
7. THEY’RE POP CULTURE ICONS.
Speaking of Mr.
Bigglesworth and the Fancy Feast
cat, the Persian is perhaps one of the most well-represented breeds in popular
culture. James Bond
supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofield and
his parody alter-ego, Dr.
Evil, both love stroking their
white, blue-eyed Persians. (Spoiler alert: Mr. Bigglesworth’s
lush fur freezes off in
a sad—yet hilarious—plot twist.) The 2001 movie Cats & Dogs features a diabolical Persian named Kitty
Galore. Also, a species of Pokémon is named after the Persian.
8. THEIR FACES HAVEN’T ALWAYS BEEN—AND AREN’T ALWAYS—FLAT.
After its coat, the Persian’s most distinctive characteristic is its
flat face. However, the breed hasn’t
always had a squished visage. Persians once had a more pronounced muzzle,
but in the 1950s a genetic
mutation caused a batch of kittens to be born with scrunched
features. Breeders liked the aesthetic, and over the years they used selective
breeding to taper down the cat’s silhouette.
Some kitties, called “traditional” or “doll-face” Persians, still look
like their pointy-featured ancestors. Others have a “peke-face,” or an “ultra
face,” which describes the kind of smushed -in mug the Persian is known for
today. The Cat Fanciers' Association views the peke or ultra-faced Persian as
the breed’s modern standard [PDF].
However, it comes with a price: Persians with this feature have runny eyes, laboured breathing, and
often struggle to eat their food.
9. THEY'RE SIMILAR TO TURKISH ANGORAS.
Persians look a lot like Turkish
Angoras, which are another breed of fluffy feline that arrived in Europe
from the Mediterranean in the 1500s. The two
were cross-bred over the years to improve the Persian cat's coat—so much so
that the breed nearly went extinct. Turkey
set up breeding programs to help
save the Angora. Persians have a
stockier build, a larger head, rounder eyes, and a slightly longer coat,
whereas Turkish Angoras have lithe
bodies, pointed ears, and a plume-like tail.
10. THEY’VE BEEN IMMORTALISED IN ART.
Recently, a 6-by-8.5-foot artwork that’s purported to be the “world’s largest cat painting” sold at
auction for more than $820,000.
The late 19th-century oil portrait is called My Wife's Lovers, and
it once belonged to a wealthy philanthropist who commissioned an artist to
paint her vast assortment of Turkish Angoras and Persians. Other popular
Persian paintings include White
Persian Cat by famous folk artist Warren Kimble and Two White
Persian Cats Looking into a Goldfish Bowl by
late feline portraitist Arthur Heyer.
By Kirstin Fawcett
