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The Himalayan Cat

29 11:18:32
The Himalayan is a longhaired cat breed created from the crossing of a longhaired Persian cat with a Siamese. The result is a longhaired cat that has the pointed coat markings of a Siamese and blue eyes. It is also known as a Colorpoint Persian.

History
The exact history of the breed is uncertain and it isn't know if the first crossing of the Persian and the Siamese was done by accident or on purpose. Some registries, such as the Cat Fanciers Association, still view the Himalayan as simply a Persian and they are shown in their own color division only.

The name Himalayan was chosen because the color of the original cats was the same shade as the Himalayan Rabbit when formal work on the breed began in the 1930s. At first, in the US, the name Siamese-Persian was used and this breed was referred to in the Journal of Heredity in 1936. Brian Sterling-Webb, based in the UK, was one breeder who was simultaneously working on the breed across the Atlantic and had the breed recognized as the Longhair Colorpoint by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) in the UK in 1955.

The Himalayan was finally recognized by the CFA in 1957 after the world of a breeder known simply as Mrs Gosforth and early attempts involved outbreeding only to Persians to retain the Persian trait dominance. In the 1960s, more Siamese were being brought into the breed and less Persian style cats were being produced. However in the 1980s, the trend reversed and breeds sought to concentrate on the Persian aspects of the cat, hence it being merged back into the Persian category for many registries.

Appearance
The body of the Himalayan is very similar to the Persian with a cobby body shape and short legs, limiting somewhat their jumping abilities. They come in both traditional and peke-faced versions as the Persians do, with the latter having the more extreme, squashed appearance.

Their color point variations come in the following versions:
* Blue point - blue areas on feet, ears, tail and face mask
* Lilac point - diluted version of blue with a white body color
* Seal point - brown areas on feet, ears, tail and face mask
* Chocolate point - darker brown than seal with a whiter body color and pink paw pads
* Red or flame point - red areas on feet, ears, tail and face mask
* Cream point - diluted reds that are whiter in body color and come in both hot and light versions

Personality
Again, like the Persian, Himalayan cats are sweet temperament and very sociable, making excellent companions. They are intelligent cats and are somewhat more active than Persians due to their Siamese heritage. They are good indoor cats but enjoy playing, such as fetching a toy. They crave attention from their owners and love to be fussed and groomed.

Heath
From their Persian side, Himalayans have inherited the gene that can cause Polycystic kidney disease (PKD). A test is now available for this and cats found to have it are neutered to prevent it being passed to future generations.

Himalayans do need daily grooming to help maintain their coats and may need face cleaning in some cats. Bathing is recommended if they have been taught this from being a kitten.