Saturday, April 16, 2011

Himalayan (cat)

The Himalayan cat is a breed of long-haired cat identical in type to the Persian, with the exception of its blue eyes and its point coloration, which were derived from the crossing of the Persian with the Siamese. In Europe they are referred to as Colourpoint Persians.
While the Himalayan is considered a breed separate from the Persian by The International Cat Association, it is grouped together with the Persian and Exotic Shorthair (shorthaired version of the Persian) under a "Persian Breed Group standard". 
The Cat Fanciers' Association considers the Himalayan a color variation of the Persian rather than as a separate breed, although they do compete in their own color division.

Body Type

Like Persian cats, the Himalayan cat tends to have a round (cobby) body with short legs, which makes it harder for them to jump as high as other cats do. Some do have more of a Siamese like body, though, and can jump as high as seven feet.
Like the Persian, there are two types of Himalayan Cats, the Traditional or Doll Face and the Peke or Ultra-face with the more extreme 'squashed' faces. The seal point himalayan to the left is a doll faced himalayan while the lilac point in the title image is a peke or ultra face.
Temperament
These cats are sweet-tempered, intelligent and generally very social and good companions. Because of their heritage from the Siamese cats they tend to be more active than Persians.

Himmies, as fanciers call them, are perfect indoor cat companions. They are gentle, calm, and sweet-tempered, but they possess a playful side as well. Like the Siamese, Himalayans love to play fetch, and a scrap of crumpled paper or a kitty toy will entertain them for hours. Himalayans are devoted and dependent upon their humans for companionship and protection. They crave affection and love to be petted and groomed.

Fur

Like many long-haired cats, Himalayans need to be brushed daily to keep their coats looking their best and healthiest. In addition, they may need their face wiped daily, depending on the cat. Bathing a Himalayan is also recommended by some breeders, to help reduce the amount of oil on the cat's fur and skin.
 The fur on the body of a Himalayan is white or cream, but the points come in many different colors: seal (or black), blue, lilac, chocolate, red (flame), and cream. The points can also be tabby or tortoiseshell-patterned. The chocolate and lilac point Himalayans are the most difficult to produce, because both parents must carry the gene for chocolate/lilac to produce a chocolate or lilac kitten, as the trait is autosomal recessive.
Colourpoint Classification Definitions

Blue Point:


  • A cat whose blue coat color is confined to the points: the feet, ears, tail, and face mask.
Chocolate Point:
  • Chocolate color on the points (face mask, ears, tail, and legs), as opposed to the darker seal brown.
Cream/Flame Point:
  • These colors can be very close. There are hot creams and light reds. If both parent cats are definitely dilutes (blue, cream or bluecream), the offspring cannot be a flame point.

Seal Point:
  • Sealbrown color on the points. 



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