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Persian cat is one of the most beautiful and attractive cat breeds. Persians are not only beautiful, but also very gentle and sociable. Unfortunately, they require careful and time-consuming care. What diseases threaten Persian cats?

Persian catscame to Europe several hundred years ago from the areas of today's Iran, that is Persia, which gave the breed its name. The history of their European breeding, however, dates back to the nineteenth century, when these animals, so far imported from the east to Italy or France, gained extraordinary popularity also in Great Britain.

It was the islanders who founded the first farms, organized exhibitions, and prepared the first scientific descriptions of these Persians.In the interwar period, cat breeding of this breed also appeared in Poland.

Persian cat - appearance

Currently bred Persian cats differ in appearance from their ancestors.Originally, Persians did not have such lush furand their mouths were longer. In 2007, however, the breed standard was modified to inhibit further shortening of the nose for he alth reasons.

According to the International Feline Federation - Federation Internationale Feline (FIFe), the Persian cat belongs to the 1st category of exotic and Persian cats. The purebred pet must be of medium to large size (from 3.5 to 7 kg).

Persa is characterized by a round, massive head with a rounded forehead, full cheeks and a short and wide nose.Stop (the place where the forehead merges into the bridge of the nose) should be between the eyes . The Persian's ears are small, rounded at the tips, set low and far apart. Eyes - large and round and set wide apart.

The body of the Persian cat is stocky, with a wide chest, short neck and massive back. Feet short, thick and strong, with tufts of hair between the toes are other typical features of this breed. The tail of a Persian cat is short and fluffy, slightly rounded at the tip. The distinctive fur that this breed is famous for is long, soft and silky, especially plentiful around the neck.

Persians can be of different colors: white, black, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, uniform, tortoiseshell, silver, golden, tabby, white and point - specialists can identify approx. 150 varietiescolored fur.

Each coat color has a different eye color. The most common colors are gold, orange, and brown, with yellow or green being silver or gold. White Persians have blue, copper or orange eyes, and sometimes different eyes: e.g. one blue and the other copper.

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Persian cat - care

  • combing

Due to their unique, long fur, Persian cats require special care, especially combing. There is talk of at least one such treatment a day, but the frequency of combing depends on the type of hair.Some cats need to be brushed twice a dayso that they don't get matted and the fur doesn't feel felted, others - only three times a week. Much also depends on the season: when cats shed, they need to be combed more often. The procedure should take several minutes: first, use a comb to reach the skin to comb the undercoat, and then use a wire brush to comb through the entire fur. Places especially prone to knotty formation should be sprinkled with dry cat shampoo.

  • bathing

Persian cats should also be bathed quite often , especially if their furto tends to be greasy. Cat hair should be washed with special shampoos with a neutral pH and conditioners should be used (it facilitates hair care). Cosmetics should be rinsed thoroughly with water, taking care not to let the water get into the eyes and ears of the pet.

First, dry the fur with a towel (by squeezing it, not rubbing it), then dry it with a dryer and comb it (Persian hair protects it poorly against the cold).

Such baths should be performed once a month.

  • eye wash

A very important element of Persian cat care is taking care of their eyes. Due to the special structure of the nose, Persians are prone to clogging of the tear ducts and drainage of secretions from the eyes. The long hair on the face prevents the cat from keeping these places clean by itself.

The discharge poses a risk of bacterial growth and causes brown patches and crusts around the eyes. Thereforeit should be a daily practice to wipe the cat's eyes and keep them dry at all times.

It is best to use dry or water-soaked cosmetic pads (if there are scabs under the eyes), you can also wipe them with special care products.

Persian cat - nutrition

The proper feeding of a Persian cat depends not only on himhe alth, but also beauty.A good diet ensures that their coat is silky and shiny.Persian cats like cooked meat (e.g. poultry, lamb and beef), which should be in their bowls alongside fish fillets, cooked vegetables and a bit of pasta or rice. It is also worth serving dairy products, such as lean white cheese and yoghurt.

Like most cats, also Persians should not consume milk, which, due to the presence of lactose, can cause diarrhea. The forbidden list also includes ready-made products such as cold cuts, potatoes, fatty meat and raw fish.

Read:Cat diarrhea: causes, treatment, home remedies

It is a good idea to give your cat good quality dry food, cans or sachets that are adapted to its anatomy, i.e. a short face. These are not the only advantages of ready-made food: it contains the right doses of vitamins and minerals, making it a complete food.

Additionally, the feeds contain substances that facilitate the removal of hair balls from the stomach and clean the teeth. The latter advantage applies to dry food, not canned food for cats, which is soft and does not require chewing, and therefore does not remove tartar. An indispensable element of cat's nutrition is, of course, providing him with unlimited access to water.

The diet of a Persian cat should be supplemented with supplements: vitamins, incl. biotin and oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids. These supplements are especially important during the moulting season when cats are shedding their undercoat.

According to an expertdr inż. Jacek Wilczak, nutrition expert in the Noteć Valley, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences

Regardless of the choice of the cat's feeding model - home diet, dry food, wet food - the amount of food, its calorific value and the amount of nutrients must be adapted to the cat's weight, growth phase and additional physical activities.

While in the case of commercial dry or wet food, the owner's task is to follow the feed manufacturer's recommendations, in the case of feeding with homemade food, you should have sufficient knowledge about the nutritional requirements of your pet.

Veterinarians or nutritionists will be helpful in this, who, based on the basic parameters of the body and an interview, will propose food doses that meet the requirements for all necessary nutrients.

If the owner does not have such knowledge, the most common mistake he makes is too high calorific value of the food, which results from the inability to estimate the grammage of food ingredients.

Important

If we are feedingcat food prepared at home, we should remember to give him or her products that facilitate the removal of hair balls from the body.

Persian cat - reproductive cycle

Persians develop sexually later than other races. A female cat's first oestrus usually occurs after 10 months of age. Males mature at twelve months of age. The fertility phase occurs every 2-3 weeks, most regularly in spring, but also in summer and fall.

Characteristic symptoms of heat are restlessness, the importance of the terrain with urine and characteristic wailing. The female cat's reproductive system releases eggs under the influence of copulation (provoked ovulation), if fertilization occurs, after about 65 days the female gives birth to 2-5 kittens.

The most effective method of preventing pregnancy in non-breeding kittens is sterilization. You can also prevent the occurrence of oestrus in a female by using hormonal measures, but be aware that long-term use of contraception in a female cat may lead to the development of a pyoma.

Persian cats live about 12-15 years.

According to an expertEwa Korycka-Grzegorczyk, a veterinarian

Predisposition of Persian cats to diseases

  • In Persian cats, the most common genetic disease among all cats is- polycystic kidney disease( PKD - Polycystic Kidney Disease).

The disease is characterized by the presence of numerous cysts in the renal parenchyma. Initially, cysts may be neutral to organ function. When the cysts enlarge, they can lead to the development of kidney failure. The changes affect both kidneys simultaneously.

  • Due to the fact that Persians belong to brachycephalic cats (with shortened bones of the jaw and jaw), it causes he alth problems.

Shortening of the facial skeleton predisposes to obstruction of the tear ducts, which results inconjunctivitis . Excessive tearing, caused by obstruction of the tear ducts, leads to inflammation in the folds of the skin.

Due to the structure of the mouth, a frequent disorder is alsonarrowing of the nostrils . In the case of infection, it is difficult to cleanse the nasal cavity of the residual secretion. Breathing in a clinically he althy cat of this breed may be more difficult, making these cats more likely to breathe their mouths. This dries out the oral mucosa, leading to more frequent inflammations. We also often seemalocclusions and redundant teeth , which contribute to the development of periodontal diseases.

  • The condition of the oral cavity is also related to the Persian predisposition to lymphocytic plasmocytic stomatitis . The disease is associated with an overreaction of the immune system to plaque. It is estimated that 80 percent. adult cats have gingivitis due to plaque but only 2-4 percent. Poppy suffers from the above specific inflammation.

The disease manifests itself as swelling and a very strong reddening of the gums, which sometimes bleed. The lesions are also located on the palatopharyngeal arches, which additionally causes severe pain when opening the mouth. The disease is recurrent. Inflammation can be controlled pharmacologically, and sometimes all teeth must be removed.

  • Corneal necrosisis a characteristic corneal disease typical of Persian cats. A martwak (sequestration) is a delimited plate on the cornea, located in the central part of the eye, from amber to black in color. It arises as a result of chronic keratitis.

The presence of a necrosis is accompanied by soreness, spasm of the eyelids and tearing. Most often, surgical intervention is necessary to shorten the healing time and reduce the animal's discomfort.

  • Other less common diseases attributed to Persians are :hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, portal anastomosis, progressive retinal degeneration, entropion.
About the authorMałgorzata Wójcik The editor in charge of the website. Journalist with 25 years of experience. From the beginning, she was associated with the subject of children and he alth - she worked, among others. in the magazine "M jak mama". At mjakmama.pl, she specializes in pregnancy and childbirth. Privately - mother of three adolescent children. He is eager to read and walks in the woods with his dog.

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