Persian cat grooming; what you need to know

by Andrew Paine

Whether you bought your Persian cat as a show cat or simply as a house pet, the fact is that Persians need more grooming than the average cat and that responsibility falls upon you. If you don't know where to start with learning how to groom your cat then this article is for you. We've put together some of the most pertinent information you need to know when it comes to grooming your cat. Persian cats are not particularly easy to maintain, although the trouble is worth it when one considers their beauty. There is a whole host of merchandise available when it comes to pet grooming these days and you are free to buy as much as you like. Generally though, the bear essentials needed for grooming and bathing your cat include a brush, blunt ended scissors, toothbrush, shampoo, sponge or wash cloth and a few towels.

Before you begin grooming your cat its important to be organized. This will help you to relax and be in control of what you re doing during the whole process. Cats, like all other animals are sensitive to the emotions we give off. If you are nervous it is likely to make your cat feel the same way which in turn will end up making the whole bathing and grooming process a lot more difficult. If you've just bought a Persian kitten you should aim to have it in the bath tub at the latest by three months of age. This allows your cat to get used to the process as it gets older making things easier for you. Once you've established a routine stick to it, that way your cat knows what to expect and will remain calm throughout the grooming process. You should try to give your cat a complete bath and trim at least once a week although with a Persian if you want to keep its coat in great shape then you really need to set aside a few minutes each day to comb out any matts in the hair.

Perhaps the hardest part of the grooming process, especially at the beginning is getting your cat in the bath. The sound of water gushing out of the tap in combination with the feel of being plunged into water can be enough to your cat into a nervous mood. The key is to do everything gently and slowly giving your cat ample time to become familiar with its surroundings. When you turn the tap on let it trickle out slowly so as not to make a loud sound. Let your cat see the water before putting it in the bath tub and also make sure the water temperature is right. Ideally it should be lukewarm. Once in, you need to make sure that the water really gets worked into the hair so it becomes soaked. This can be done with your hands or with a sponge or wash cloth. The next stage involves applying the shampoo and working up sufficient lather to clean ant dirt from the hair of the Persian. Again this can be done with a sponge but be careful not to be too forceful in washing the cat. Finally the rinsing process is best done with a hose on low setting and you should start rinsing the cat's hair out from the head and work your way down to the tail end of the cat.

An ordinary hair dryer is sufficient to use when drying the hair of your Persian cat, although you should make sure that the setting is on low as otherwise you could cause unnecessary discomfort to your cat or even burning. Those willing ot spend the money will find that most pet stores sell dryers especially for cats which are generally lower in power. Once thoroughly dry you are ready to place your cat on the grooming area and begin cutting away excess hair. The face, ears and back side of the Persian tend to be the three places where the most excess hair appears and consequently where the bulk of your concentration needs to be focused. Be especially careful when doing the ears however as it is easy to accidentally cut into the ear leather of your cat if you aren't careful. One way around this is to slightly wet the ears making the leather more easily distinguishable from the hair.

The next step in the grooming process is to trim the nails of the cat. This not only helps the cat look good but is also important for hygienic reasons. This part of the process needs to be done on a specially designated grooming space that is comfortable for both you and your cat. You have to be particularly careful when trimming the nails as in general Persian cats are very sensitive about having their feet touched especially for any prolonged period of time. In general it is easier to clip the nails of a Persian cat while they are still wet, so you may want to run a damp wash cloth over their feet before you begin to clipping. The same is also true for trimming excess hair of the ears as when the hair is wet you can more easily distinguish between where the hair ends and the leather begins.

The Unfamiliar history of Persian Cats

by sturat

1620 is the year when the first Persian cats were brought from Persia. The Persian cats history begins in Italy. That is the place where they were first taken to. After about 50 years this breed was also taken to France. But this time not from Persia but from Turkey.

But is their origin Persia? How did the short muzzle cats appear? There is no known ancestor for any domestic cat to have such a thick fur. It seems that the species we know today was obtained by cross breeding with the Pallas cats. As a consequence of this mating in France, a long fur cat has been obtained. But not quite the one we know today. To get the cats as we now know them several breedings were tried and selected.

But what makes the Persian cats so wanted? What traits did they inherit from the Pallas cats? What is characteristic to them and makes them special? There are several physical features obtained across the Persian Cats history. The first one and most known is the thick fur. But the fur is not enough for the cat to make it a true Persian. Their ears have to be placed wide apart. They must be found nearly to the sides of their head. Their eyes need to be big and clear. And most importantly their short, very short muzzle. This is a trait that often comes with serious illnesses. Many Persian cats die due to the short muzzle.

Even though the first place in Europe to have them was Italy, it seems that the Persian Cats History began in France. A certain Nicholas-ClaudeFabri de Peiresc is the person who successfully mated the Pallas cats with the Persian for the very first time, to obtain the thick fur cats of today.

PET LOSS: HOW TO REMEMBER YOUR PERSIAN

By Shontom Mau

Your cat is getting old. Maybe he is sick, slowing down, or maybe will not eat. Your cat will soon pass over to what is called the "Rainbow Bridge", right this side of heaven, where pets go. You want to remember your cat before he passes, and here are some ways:

A Journal: You can write about your pet and include the following items.

• Whiskers: If you find your cat's whisker, put it in a journal, and write about it. When did you find it? How old is it?
• Fur: Yes, your cat sheds, of course! Get a piece or fur and put it in your memory journal.
• Pictures: Get pictures of your pet and the Rainbow Bridge. Write about them. What was happening? When did you find them? Did you print them?
• Ashes: You can go someplace and get your cat's ashes. I heard of a place where you can turn your cat's ashes into diamonds or something else. If you had it done, write about it.

Graves: Make a grave for your pet's remains outside, possibly by flowers.

Web Pages: Make a web page for your cat. It can be very special, just for them! Write the address of your cat's website in your journal.

Memorial: After getting your cat a grave, get some friends and neighbors on a special day and have a memorial. Talk about your memorial in your journal.

Prepare Foods: Prepare special things your cat would eat off your plate, such as chicken, fish, etc. Keep cans or bags of your cat's favorite treats.

If you have lost a pet, you can remember him/her with your new journal and other keepsakes.

THE PERSIAN CAT

By Omer Ashraf

The Persian is one of the oldest cats in existence, with records of its presence dating back to times of Pharaohs in Egypt. It is generally believed though that the cat originated in Persia, now known as Iran. They were brought over to Europe centuries ago though it was not until the later half of the nineteenth century that their fame truly began to spread. In United Kingdom they are called Persian Longhairs or simply Longhairs. A felid without an established pedigree is referred to simply as Domestic Longhair Cat.

Over the years, through selected breeding the appearance of Persian cats has changed quite a bit from the time when they were first introduced to the rest of the world. Their traditional doll face has been developed into a shortened muzzle and flattened high nose. Coat has become more and more thick and long with a variety of colors and patterns include silver, gold, tabby, solid and bicolors. Body is cobby with short and strong legs and round head. Eyes are big and expressive and ears low and widely set.

Though they are highly sought for their beauty, the Persians also suffer from some health issues. Their long silky double layered coat frequently gets matted and requires regular washing, drying and combing to prevent tangles and hairballs. The modern flat-faced Persians frequently develop respiratory problems owing to their flattened nose that obstructs breathing as well as the tear ducts, meaning that their eyes and nose require daily wiping to clean away crusts. Some Persians develop Polycystic Kidney Disease as well. Responsible breeders though are making efforts to preserve the health of this splendid cat above all.

Persians are the most gentle and docile of all cats. They are very affectionate and tolerant animals who fare best in a peaceful, loving environment. It is best to keep them as indoor pets to free their long exuberant fur from parasites even as they have been occasionally reported by some to be surprisingly good hunters.

How beautiful persian cat...

My lovely persian cat

Should You Own A Persian Cat?

By Paulina Jenkins

The Persian cat is among the most beautiful of the world's cat breeds. It is also generally thought to be one of the oldest breeds. It probably originated in the Iranian plateau, which is the large area of land between the Mesopotamia and the Hindu Kush mountains. In Europe, this area was called Persia, and thus cats from that area were named after it. Owning a Persian cat has been said to be like owning a work of art - they're beautiful, but they also require special care.

The Persian cat is known for its long, flowing coat of fur. These cats are available in nearly every color. This includes solid color, tortoiseshell, tabby, and even blue. Physical indicators for Persian cats include their round heads and massively built bodies with a short neck. Their eyes are large, round, and wide set, and they have small, rounded ears and short, wide noses.

The body of the Persian is short and wide with a short bushy tail. They have thick short legs and firm round feet. Persians are medium in built weighing between 8 to 15 lbs. With proper care Persians can live up to 15 years and above. The Persian cat has a sweet, melodious voice.

Persians tend to be adaptable pets, meaning that they will get around with more households. However, being short-legged, Persians cannot jump high, and are not an active breed. While they will interact with their household in a friendly way, all Persian cats have their own personalities. This means that some will seem to be aloof, and will prefer a quiet home. Others will relish any kind of attention from humans.

It is important to care for a Persian cat properly, like any other pet. Since Persians tend to have short muzzles, they can suffer from genetic problems, including constriction of the nostrils, tear duct overflow, dental malocclusion, and a condition called cherry eye. Other problems peculiar to Persians include polycystic kidney disease, seborrhea oleosa, and entropion.

If you get a Persian, you will enjoy interacting with this intelligent, friendly cat. However, you will also need to work to maintain your pet properly. Persians can suffer from tear staining, and may need to have their faces washed. Their teeth should be brushed, and their coats cared for regularly. Since Persians have such long hair and can get tangles easily, you should brush your cat once a day for ten minutes. During months when the cat is shedding you should brush even more often.

Persian cats should have regular vaccinations. This means keeping their rabies and other shots up to date. Make sure to take your feline in for regular check ups to keep your pet happy and healthy. Remember that some plants are toxic to cats, including many house plants. Consult your vet for plants you should keep your Persian away from. Look for commercial cat foods that contain a high quantity of protein, and avoid those that contain a large number of grains or fillers.

There are owners that prefer to have their Persians shaved and groomed professionally. You can choose to do this yourself but you will need to get the appropriate supplies or tools. These are available from the pet stores. Some of the grooming supplies for your Persian are eye ointment, hairbrush, nail clipper, wash towels and mild shampoo.

Those who are looking for a laid back, affectionate cat may wish to investigate owning a Persian. These cats are a good choice if you are looking for a pet that is friendly and not too active. However, if you are not willing to commit to the amount of care needed by these cats, including regular grooming, you should try a breed that needs less maintenance.

Persian Cat Breed Origin

By Peter Leathers

There's a beautiful legend which tells that the Persian cat was created by a wizard from a sparkle, which jumped out of the fire, the shimmer of two far away stars and a curl of grey smoke. I'd say that this legend rather closely describes appearance and temperament of the Persian cat, but the real history of persian cat breed is not less interesting or less mysterious.

So how does such mutation as long hair appear in a domestic cat? None of its wild counterparts has long hair gene. Well, if only lynx and snow leopard have a slightly longer coat due to the environmental conditions of their habitat.
It's rather difficult now to investigate the origins of the long-haired cats, but most probably they are rooted in Persia, which is now called Iran. That's from where Pietro della Valle brought several long-haired cat beauties to Italy in 1620. And a few years later the scholar and naturalist Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc brought long-haired cats form Angora (now Ankara in Turkey) to France. When the first long-haired cats appeared in England (which is now called 'the second motherland of the Persian cats) they were called 'French cats'.

It's not exactly known whether those were the cats of one and the same breed. Nowadays it is the recognized fact that there existed several breeds of long-haired cats in the East. Angora cats were described as fluffy, light and active animals of a medium size, while well-known Alfred Edmund Brehm described long-haired Angora cats as big-sized and clumsy cats. He as well noted that grey and blue Angora cats were observed in the South of Siberia.

It's not easy to answer the question why the animal from hot Asian counties has got long hair, while Mother Nature usually gifted long-hair to animals from severe Northern countries.

There are several versions regarding the long-haired cats origin. Some believe that among the ancestors of the Persian cat breed there were long-haired cats form Siberia which at first got into East and Small Asia, and only then were brought to Western Europe.

Others believe that long hair was a mutation which happened to a short-haired cat in the East, which then was kept in the process of domestication and some sort of selection - thus the cats which got into Europe and Siberia were aborigineous to Eastern countries.

The third theory roots in the phenotypic differences between the Persian cats and other domestic cats. This theory suggests that massive stocky with the ears set wide, big round head are related to Pallas' Cat ( Felis manul ) otherwise known as Manul - wild cat which lives in Central Asia and has comparatively long hair, flat face with round eyes and ears set low on the head. Recent research however refutes this theory.

Such are the different Persian cat origin theories but anyway, all of them are pointing to Iran, Turkey and Afghanistan as the Persian cat native lands.

England is rightfully called the second Motherland of the Persian cats, as it were British cat fanciers who started to purposefully breed cat breeds (and primarily - Persian cat breed) in the 19th century. Although that was the time when the long-haired cats started being differentiated into Turkish Angora (long flexible body, silky but less thick coat, big pointed ears) and Persian cats (massive, with big round head and small ears), as a matter of fact only blue cats of the latter were called Persian, and all the rest were simply called 'long-haired' cats. Every of about 50 colors of long-haired cats was considered to be a separate breed. Till nowadays the Persian cat in England is not in fact called 'Persian' but rather 'long-haired', and every color variation is attributed to a separate cat breed. Also the official ruling of the British cat fanciers club regarding this issue was issued as early as 1910, the Englishmen still follow this kind of breed distinction.

The Persian cats arrived into America in the eighties of the 19th century and soon became a very popular cat breed. Unlike British clubs, in America all the color variations of the long-haired cats were attributed to one cat breed - "the Persian cat". There are lots of color variations for Persian cats but Persian show cats are limited to the following colors: solid color, shaded and smoke, tabby, particolor, bicolor.

For today we know about 150 variations of the persian cat breed and contemporary persian cat, due to the efforts of many breeders, is a work of art among the other cat breeds. New age Persian cats are quite different form their ancestors. The Persian cats of the 'old type' had a narrower face, the color variations were not so rich and the coat was not so thick and delightful. Contemporary Persian cat might have its coat as long as 10 centimeters. One could say that the contemporary persian cat is the result of selective breeding by cat breeders from different countries. Probably due to that fact there are several Persian breed standards and some of the traits are still not agreed upon.

For one, starting form the middle of the 20th century, American cat breeders's efforts were aimed at reinforcing traits peculiar to Persian breed - they were trying to breed a cat with even more massive, short body, even more round head and flat muzzle. As a result a new variation - Extreme Persian (or Peeked Faced Persian) - emerged. The first kittens of that type were born to red and red tabby persians in 1920-s. Although veterinarians believe that extreme manifestation of such traits is harmful to the animals health (specifically affecting their sinuses and breathing), and the despite the fact that British cat fanciers stand against such breeding, extreme persians are extremely popular in America and many European countries.

Contemporary persian cat became progenitor to a new breed - Exotic cat - a short-haired cat breed which has all the traits specific for the Persian cat breed with the exception of the coat length. Exotic cat is a hybrid with adorable temperament and excellent physical condition. The breed was created by American cat breeders in 1960-s. FIFe (Federation Internationale Feline) recognized the Exotic cat breed in 1984. Short (though longer than with other short-haired cat breeds) but awesome sparkly coat of the Exotic cat does not cause any problems with grooming.

Persian Cats: a Joy to Own

By: Iro Ignatiadi

Many years ago as caravans plodded westward from Iran, it is believed that among the rare spices and jewels loaded on the backs of camels was also secreted an even rarer find, the longhaired cat. Although they were called Persian because of their country of origin, their exact beginnings are forever shrouded in hieroglyphic references from as far back as 1684 B.C.

Persians have short, heavily boned legs supporting broad, short bodies with long. flowing coats and sweet open faces that are distinct in their short, stubby noses and large, round eyes. It is a well-known fact that the Persian is paws down the most popular cat in America if not worldwide. They have gentle, sweet personalities and fit easily into most homes once they feel secure and loved, but are most comfortable in a secure and serene atmosphere. Persians are creatures of habit but will even adapt to a boisterous household with love and reassurance.

Persian cats make wonderful pets for people of all ages. They have quiet, melodious voices that are non-abrasive and pleasant to hear, and they communicate quite well with their large, expressive eyes, offering enduring and close companionship to their owners. Another of their wonderful qualities is that they don't typically like jumping or climbing up on high places. They like their paws firmly planted on the ground. They are a playful but not a demanding cat. Persians love to drape themselves on a chair or in a favorite window to sun themselves, often appearing like a valuable piece of decor in the room. They are a constant source of joy and happiness, delighting their owners with tremendous responsiveness.

Most cats should be kept indoors for their own safety and protection, but it is essential to keep Persian cats inside a protected environment. Their long, luxurious coats require constant maintenance like daily combing to avoid the formation of painful tangles and hairballs. It is also a good idea to give them an occasional bath, but only after a thorough comb-out and nail clipping. This will keep your Persian not only healthy and clean but also beautiful. Be sure to begin the bathing procedure while the Persian is still a kitten. Cats and water usually don't mix, so it is best to get them used to bathing from little size on. Also, large eyes mean that your Persians will have a certain amount of tearing. A gentle face wash is recommended as needed.

Aside from grooming difficulties, keeping your Persian indoors will help keep it safe from parasites, disease, and other outdoor "dangers". Well-bred Persians are hearty, healthy cats that can easily live for fifteen to twenty years and some have even surpassed that. Don't forget the annual trip to the veterinarian. As well as getting their disease prevention shots, there are screening procedures available to test for possible hereditary conditions.