Persian Cats are the most popular cat breed today. They are known for having gentle, sweet personalities and also for their beautiful long hair. They make great companions and are not very demanding.

The Persian cat is one of the oldest cat breeds in history. Other names for it include "Persian Longhair" or "Longhair". The ancestors of today's Persian cats were brought into Europe in the 1600s. Traders would come from Persia and Iran with jewels, spices and occasionally a longhaired cat. This is where they get the name Persian. However, there are even hieroglyphic references to these cats that date as early as 1684 B.C. During the 1800s, this cat became a symbol for wealth and prosperity among the Europeans. The Persian was also one of the first cats to be in competitions and to be registered. They were not called Persians until 1960; before that they were just called Longhairs.

Even though the white Persian is the color that is usually photographed and seen on television, Persians come in uncountable numbers of colors. For competition the colors are divided into seven divisions, which are the solid color division, the silver and golden division, the shaded and smoke division, the tabby division, the particolor division, the bicolor division and the Himalayan division. Their coat is very long and flowing.

This cat should be kept inside or their coat will quickly become damaged. Persian cats need to be combed every day with a metal comb. If they are not brushed regularly, the coat will quickly become tangled and develop hairballs. To keep the coat as clean as possible, it is also recommended that you give an occasional bath. Try to start bathing the cat while they are young so that they can get used to it. This will keep the coat healthy, clean and beautiful. Please remember that this cat cannot maintain their fur by themselves; it is too long and dense. It needs to have daily grooming.

These cats are extremely sweet and gentle. They adapt easily into even the most boisterous households. Persian cats have a beautiful melodious voice that is very pleasant to hear. They communicate very well with their owners using their voice and their enormously expressive eyes. Persian cats are playful but not overly demanding of their owners. They seem to love to pose and look like they are trying to be beautiful. This cat absolutely loves to be admired and pampered. They are also not destructive cats. They don't like to climb and jump very much like other cats do, because of their short legs and mass. Most of the time they just like to show off how beautiful they are!

Keeping this cat inside is not only good for their coat, but it is also good for their health. This will keep disease and parasites away from the cat as well as everyday dangers such as cars and dogs. You should bring your cat to a vet once a year and keep your cat inside for optimal health. Persians can live for 15 to 20 years if cared for properly. However, they do have one health problem that needs to be looked after. Because their eyes are so large, the cat may have trouble keeping them cleaned. Therefore, you should check their eyes regularly for problems.

Compared to other cat breeds, this cat is very easy to keep. You won't have to worry very much about this cat jumping and climbing onto things. The only thing you will have to be sure to keep up with is daily grooming. Many people don't want to brush their cat everyday and if you feel this way then this isn't the cat for you.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Cats