We know some of you catlovers are wondering whats this difference between a Himalayan Persian & the Persians?? The Persian cats have been around for centuries and are known for its ever thick coat and flat/semi flat faces.. And now there's Himmies Persian? who are they & how different they are from the Persian categories?
The only real noticeable difference between Persians and Himalayans is their coloring. These two breeds are so similar that the breed is often called the "Himalayan-Persian", according to Cat Fanciers' Association (variation from the Persians). Himalayan-Persians became a division of the Persian breed in 1984. The ideal Himalayan is a Persian with Siamese points. The "points" are the tail, paws, legs, face and ears. (In ancient history these Persian species were mixed breed with Siamese.. and Himmies Persians are perfected after years!).The beauty part of Himmies Persian, they too have been award winning beauties (like the Persians) in lots of cat shows the past years due to their "points" and beautiful persian furcoats.
Lets see.. both are long-haired breeds are similar in terms of temperament, the need for commitment to daily grooming on the part of the owners and both breeds have similar health problems. Since both breeds are brachycephalic or flat-faced, both breeds are prone to eye and breathing problems. Both breeds have to live indoors as they would not survive long outdoors without human intervention. Both breeds are also prone to polycystic kidney disease.
Histories
However, the breeds do have different histories. The Persian is the older of the two breeds. An Italian traveler by the name of Peitro della Valle found longhaired silky grey cats in Choazan province in then Persia (now Iran.) He brought them back to Italy. The original type (no longer in vogue) resembled the Turkish Angora and had a much longer face.
The original Persians were crossed with Angoras to create more colors. It wasn't until the 1900s when cat shows became more popular that concentrated efforts went into breeding a flatter face because it was considered cute. The modern extremely flat-faced Persian did not appear until the 1950s in a red tabby.
In contrast, the Himalayan or "Himmy" has its origins in the 1920s, when breeders from both sides of the Atlantic wondered what would happen if the two most popular purebred cats - the Persian and the Siamese - were crossed. The results weren't considered a recognized breeds, where the parents could predictably pass on traits to their offspring, until the 1950s.
Colors
This is the big difference. Persians can be any colors other than colors that Himalayan comes in. This includes solid colors, tabbies, silvers, tortiseshells and bi-colors. Their eyes can come in many colors, including blue.
Himalayans come in nearly the same amount of colors that Siamese come in. The colors of the points can be various shades of brown, blue or tabby. Red tabby points are called "flame-points." Brown tabby points are "lynx-points." Females can also be pointed in tortoiseshell colorations of black, orange and white. Their eye colors are almost always blue.
Voices
Persians are not generally vocal cats, although one always hears about exceptions. However, Himalayans do tend to be vocal and have the strong, harsh voice of the Siamese. But Himmies are generally much, much quieter than Siamese.
Considering how much Persians and Himmies rely on their people in order to survive, they tend to hang about people often, so that perhaps they do not need to voice their needs as often as other breeds.
References:
"ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats." James R. Richards, DVM. Chronicle Books; 1999.
Cat Fanciers' Association: "Himalayan-Persian."http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/articles/persian-himalayan.html
Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. "Brachycephalic." http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_brachycephalic.html
Wikipedia. "Persian (Cat)." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_(cat)
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