History of the Persian

The Persian has been described as the ne plus ultra, the aristocrat of the cat world. With its combination of a long flowing coat, muscular strength, small ears, huge, round eyes and, the irresistible sweet expression, it's no wonder why there are many oohs and aahs of the spectators at any cat show when an impeccably groomed Persian is places on the table.

Dating back to the 16th Century, when the first longhaired cats were imported from the Middle East the reaction was the same. There wasn't a lot of emphases on the differences between cats at that time, the owners were mesmerized by their coats and dispositions. It is believed that the Persian came from hybridization with Pallas' cat, a wild cat that lived in a relatively isolated area in the Middle East with a longer, thick coat and a stocky body that helped them better survive cold weather.

As the years passed, the look of the Persian changed. The head became round and more massive, with the eyes growing large and round, although the size of the ears decreased. The proportion of the sturdy body and short legs provided a gracious form for the long flowing coat to drape elegantly to the ground.