Persian
The long coat needs combing every day, and that is the whole commitment of the breed. Persians want quiet, and they stay on the furniture you left them on.
Photo by Magnus Bråth, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Persian is the most recognisable pedigree cat in the world and the one with the most documented health burden. A study of 3,325 Persians under general veterinary care in the UK found haircoat disorders, periodontal disease, overgrown nails and ocular discharge at the top of the list, and dermatological, ophthalmological and dental problems as the three commonest disorder groups.
Those are not unrelated complaints. They follow from a long dense double coat and a shortened flat skull.
Temperament
Quiet, placid and undemanding. Persians are lap cats that want a calm room and a warm spot, and they are not athletic, not vocal and not inclined to climb.
They are gentle with children who are gentle back, and they cope poorly with noise and upheaval. If the household is loud, this is not the cat.
Care and grooming
Daily combing, and it is not negotiable. A Persian coat that is missed for a week mats, and a matted Persian coat cannot be brushed out, it has to be clipped under sedation. Eyes need wiping daily because the tear ducts are shortened and overflow.
Many Persians also need help keeping the rear end clean, since the coat length and the body shape make self grooming there difficult.
Living and exercise
Indoors, calm and not hot. A shortened airway is a less efficient cooling system, so a flat faced cat in a heatwave is at real risk.
Polycystic kidney disease is the inherited condition that matters most. It is the commonest inherited disease of the breed, reported prevalence figures are high, and there is a DNA test, so a breeder should show a clear result for both parents and there is no acceptable reason not to.
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