Persian Cat History
The Persian cat is one of the most beautiful cats
with a long,luxurious coat. Owning a Persian gives one the same
gratification as owning a beautiful work of art. Persians are noted for
their gentle temperament and ease with which they adjust to new
environments, making them ideal show cats. In my opinion, Persians are
fully aware of how beautiful they are. They are quiet and, although not
shy, tend to be undemonstrative. They are quite loving and affectionate
and make wonderful companions, and come in a variety of colors.
The
Persian cat has graced the show scene for more than 100 years. Judges
and spectators have been impressed with their sweet, gentle nature and
long flowing coats which occur in multitude of colours and patterns.
The
Persian is one of the most widely recognised and popular breeds in the
world - and one of the oldest. As their name suggests, Persians
originate from the country that was once Persia, now Iran, in the
Middle East.
Experts believe that
today's domestic cat is the descendant of Felis libyca, a cat that is
still found in Africa and Asia. A short-haired, brown mackerel tabby,
its adaptation to the environment caused many early mutations, one of
which was the development of the long-haired gene. The first of these
cats, the Persian, was believed to have evolved on the high, cold
plateaus of the country then named Persia, hence their name.
The
cats were introduced into Europe by the Phoenicians and Romans in the
1500s as highly valued items of trade. The Europeans were impressed by
the Persian.s long silky coat and purposefully bred the cats to
perpetuate the trait. By the 1900s the cats were being exported to the
United States and since then their popularity has spread throughout the
world.
The Persian is the most popular
breed among the long-haired cats; others include Birman, Turkish Van,
Ragdoll, Mayne Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat and the Exotic (short hair
version of the Persian).
The Persian is a medium to large cat with heavy bones and excellent balance from section to section.
