Why Is the Persian Cat a Favorite Amongst Cat Lovers?
The Persian cat is the superstar of the feline world. It’s perfect doll-like face, gorgeous coat of fur in various colours, fluffy body, and a gentle character make them the most favourite breed amongst cat enthusiasts. Here are some facts about the fancy feline that make cat lovers swoon over.
Origin and History
Similar to other cat breeds, the exact origins of the Persian feline are unknown.
The Persian is a magnificent and old cat breed that originated in the cradle of human civilisation: Mesopotamia, later known as Persia. The Persian’s long fur and its striking features created a fanbase that continues to grow in millions.
Pietro Della Valle, an Italian composer and traveller, introduced this beautiful feline breed into Western Europe. He travelled across the Holy Land, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and India. While passing through Persia in 1620, he was fascinated by the exotic grey cats found in a bazaar. He brought four Persian cat pairs and carried with him to his home in Europe.
Likewise, many Persians would have spread across continents with the help of merchants, sailors and travellers.
Persian: Your Perfect House Cat
Looking at the sweet, gentle face of the Persian can light up anyone’s mood instantly. It has expressive eyes and communicates using its soft, resonant voice. The Persian cat can be the perfect lap cat for you with a soothing personality.
They are also playful and can be curious at times. You can mostly find it majestically relaxing on your sofa or playing with its favourite toy. Even though the Persian cat prefers a serene and comfortable atmosphere, they can also adjust to living in a loud and vibrant environment.
They Were In The World’s First Cat Show!
You can confidently prep your Persian cat and compete in cat shows and contests.
They are easy to discipline and nurture skills being smart, intelligent beings.
In fact, you would not be surprised to know that 250 years ago, a Persian kitten created history by becoming the winner of the world’s first organised cat show in London (1871). Even before the internet era, about 20,000 visitors attended the event to have a glimpse of these cat superstars.
Favourite Among Historical Figures Too
Persian Cats were favourite among historical figures including Florence Nightingale, Marilyn Monroe, Raymond Chandler and the list goes on.
Florence had a massive Persian named Mr. Bismarck; Marilyn held a white Persian cat named Mitsou and Raymond used to narrate the initials of his writings to his most honest critic, a black Persian named Taki.
Plenty of Sizes, Colors, and Varieties to Choose
Going Persian cat shopping? Well, the good news is that you will be happy to pick one in your preferred, favourite colour. Apart from the iconic ‘white’ and ‘silver’ pop culture felines, there are various other ranges of colours and shades of the Persian breed you can choose to own.
The Persian felines are classified by their colour tones (black, white, chinchilla, calico, Himalayan) or by their facial structure (Peke/flat/doll face). These cats look astonishing in any of the colours and shapes. White, fawn, blue and black are the most popular Persian cat colours. However, these hues are not always spread in one single shade everywhere throughout the cat body. The thick and long layers of the Persian enable the colours to be of various shades. In this way, the shaded pattern appears.
Aside from white, black, and blue colours, the Persians are generally having lighter and darker styles of their own colour shades throughout their skin. Furthermore, these shades likewise offer ascent to some unusual design patterns such as the tabby and tortoiseshell.
They Are Pop Culture Icons
The Persian cat is probably the most well-expressed animal breed in popular culture.
Persians have starred in various movie genres: Spy thriller, Comedy, Fantasy, and Romance. Some of the favourite movies that immortalised the Persian cat on the silver screen are Stuart Little, Harry Potter, James Bond, Cats & Dogs, and Austin Powers. Also, a Pokémon species derives its name from this iconic Persian feline.
In November 2015, My Wife’s Lover, a 6×8.5 foot artwork claimed to be of the “world’s largest cat painting” was sold for $826,000 at an auction in America. Carl Kahler painted it, who spent three years on learning cat anatomy and behaviour.
Other famous Persian cat themed paintings are White Persian Cat by renowned folk artist Warren Kimble and Two White Persian Cats Looking into a Goldfish Bowl by late feline portraitist Arthur Heyer.
Persian: A Jewel in the Cat World
As the dusty desert processions wound their route westbound from Persia and Iran, it is believed that hidden among the precious spices and gems on the loaded camels was an even more precious cargo, the Persian cat.
They are known as “Persian”, though, within centuries they have conquered and thrived in every part of the world. Their unique physical traits and gentle character gained it the throne of the most sought-after cat breed in the world and an absolute favourite among cat enthusiasts.
