Have you ever seen one cat breed of coloring of another?

Here it is - the Himalayan cat, a gorgeous Persian with beautiful

Siamese coloring. The Himalayan breed was created by crossing

a Persian and a Siamese in 1931 and became one of the most

popular breeds nowadays. For decades Himalayan breeders have

been working on the breed to achieve its Persian appearance

which has been lost in the beginning. In present day, the Himalayan

is actually a colorpoint Persian.
 

Everything Is Short And Round

             The Himalayan, like the Persian, is a medium-to-large sized, heavily boned and well-balanced cat. It has a cobby body, massive round head with small round-tipped ears and a short snub nose, short legs, large round paws

with irresistible tufts between toes, and short bushy tail. Its coat is long, rich and flowing, and varies from fine silky

to thick cotton. It's light in the body and dark at the points - the facial mask, ears, legs, feet and tail - which show the basic color of the cat. A slow development of the Himalayan color makes the cat look different at the various stages

of his life. The points completely appear when the cat fully matures and the clear body color may darken with age.
 

             There is a variety of pointed colors to choose from - seal, blue, flame (red), cream, chocolate, lilac, tortie, blue-cream, chocolate-tortie, and lilac-cream; plus all of these colors in the lynx pattern or tabby markings. Regardless the main color and pattern, its perfectly round eyes are always blue. The shape and set of the eyes

make up the Himalayan sweet open expression that will melt your heart.
 

Sweet, But Playful

              Like any other cat, every Himalayan has his own personality, but generally the Himalayans, or as they are nicely called "Himmies", are very gentle, calm, sweet-natured and people-oriented cats. However, compared to the Persians, the Himalayans have a higher activity level. They may lay on your lap and sleep on your bed all night, but they will also follow you everywhere watching what you are doing. They may be relaxed and lazy most of the time,

but they will surprise you by playing and running around. They are not boring cats - they can be very active and funny, too!  The Himalayans are slowly maturing cats, so you can enjoy their kitten-like personality for a long time.
 

Not For A Busy Owner

            The Himalayans are very dependent upon their owners and require a lot of attention. Grooming is essential

for them. To keep them clean and looking beautiful, they have to be daily brushed and monthly bathed; their nails should be clipped and their eyes and ears cleaned. Missing a few "grooming sessions" will result in having a "greasy" kitty with a lot of mats in his fur and stained eyes. Grooming on a regular basis will not only help avoid these problems, but your fluffy friend will also enjoy it as a type of interaction with you.

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             Generally, the Himalayan is a healthy and vigorous cat.

Due to the foreshortened muzzle, most Himalayans do have more or

less running eyes. The tears leave brownish stains, and, in bad cases,

a tear duct blockage or eye infection may occur. Despite the shortness

of the nose, the Himalayan is not prone to respiratory problems.
 

             Healthy, beautiful, lovable and playful, the Himmy is

a perfect indoor feline companion. Once you own the Himalayan,

you will fall in love with this breed, the wonderful mix of the Persian

and Siamese genes.
 

Note:  The Siamese cats are not used in Himalayan breeding

programs any more.

 

                       © 2007 Felinart Himalayans. All rights reserved.