The Vet’s Persian Cat Guide: Facts, Nutrition & Grooming Tips

Known for their royal reputation, Persian cats are a popular cat breed that was established as a ‘luxury’ breed in the 19th century. This breed is the perfect fit for a calmer and quieter home or apartment living, as they tend to enjoy an indoor lifestyle with their family. Along with preferring a more relaxed environment, you can expect your Persians to enjoy spending time on your lap or lounging around the house. If you’re looking for a placid and cuddly companion, Persian cats are a perfect fit.

• Persians are very calm and placid breeds, making them the perfect cuddle buddy. Their docile temperament means that they make great indoor cats, and love to snuggle up on your lap!

• This breed is very high maintenance when it comes to grooming! With their double coat and thick luscious fur, it requires daily and weekly grooming sessions to ensure your Persian is comfortable. However, grooming your Persian is manageable when you establish a regular routine.

• Be sure to feed your Persian with a high quality,high protein diet to ensure they are receiving the right nutrients for their lifestyle. You can find Persian-specific cat food that is specially formulated to cater to this breed’s needs.

Appearance: Since becoming a breed in the 1600s, Persian cats have many variations in colour and size. However, the defining characteristics of all Persians is their short snub nose, thick silky fur, rounded ears and broad head shape.

Temperament: Persians have a very calm and docile personality, making them great pets for quieter households including those with older children. This cat is also quite affectionate, without being needy, making them great cuddle buddies and the perfect companion. However, Persians still enjoy some good playtime with their owners once and a while!

Activity Level: This breed is a relatively low energy breed, meaning they typically won’t  participate in excessive amounts of exercise from day to day. Whilst there aren’t any required hours of activity per day, we still recommend engaging in playtime at least once a day to keep their mind sharp and ensure they stay healthy. 

Health: Persian cats are predisposed to an array of health conditions such as Polycystic Kidney Disease, Brachycephalic syndrome, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and numerous eye conditions. To help minimise the chances of  your Persian dealing with these issues, be sure to consult with a trusted breeder on the pedigree and availability of genetic testing for your cat before you bring them home.

Lifespan: If you’re looking for a long-term friend, Persian cats are the perfect fit for you! With a lifespan of up to 18 years, this cat will give you unconditional love and attention for many years to come.

The long and luscious coat of a Persian is beautiful, but also requires routine grooming and maintenance to keep shedding at bay. With a double coat made up of a woolly undercoat paired with their distinct fluffy fur, they will require frequent brushing and maintenance to avoid the effects of excessive shedding.

Shedding patterns: Persian cats are big shedders compared to most other cat breeds. They are year-round shedders, on top of shedding more in transitionary seasons where they shed their entire coat. Throughout the year, and especially in the spring and autumn, we recommend brushing your Persian’s coat regularly to help control their natural shedding.

Whilst shedding in your Persian is completely normal, your cat can experience excessive shedding as a result of possible issues. Commonly, excessive shedding can be caused by your Persian being allergic to certain foods (dairy, additives, etc), a new medication,  stress, or hormonal issues. If you believe your Persian is experiencing excessive and out-of-character shedding, or you begin to find new bald spots, be sure to consult a trusted veterinarian as soon as possible.

Grooming: The luxury origins of this breed carries on through their grooming and upkeep needs. You won’t be able to simply brush your cat with a regular brush every few days. Rather, we recommend using a wide-toothed comb to thoroughly brush  at least once a day to avoid matting and ensure loose hairs are taken care of.To get into their undercoat, we recommend also using a high quality slicker brush regularly. 

Pay close attention when brushing around matt-prone areas, such as behind the ears and around the armpits, as these areas can lead to irritation and infection for your Persian if matts aren’t handled early. 

If your Persian’s fur does become matted, dust a small amount of baby powder on the mat, and work it into the mat with your fingers. Gently comb out the mat with either a fine tooth comb or a dematting brush. If your cat starts to become agitated or shows signs of being uncomfortable, be sure to take a break and reward them with some yummy treats!

Nail Trimming: Trimming your Persian’s nails can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! We recommend introducing regular nail trims to your cat at an early age to avoid any anxiousness surrounding the process. Getting your Persian familiar with nail trimmers and their noise by leaving them in familiar places can help reduce nervousness towards them.

For Persians, be sure to keep nail trimming sessions short and sweet, as you want to keep the experience positive for them. Keep an eye on their body language and temperament during this process, and let them have regular breaks when needed.

To save your cat from extensive discomfort and to ensure their nails are trimmed properly, you can take your cat to a professional groomer, or even a trusted veterinarian for a regular nail trim.

Face Cleaning: With their shorter and ‘squashed’-look nose and muzzle, part of their grooming routine should include regular face cleaning. Persians need to have regular cleaning of their eye area, as they are prone to tearing, and staining as a result. Staining involves the area around the cat’s eyes staining a red or brown colour as a result of overly watery eyes. This is common in Persians due to this breed often having poor eyelid function, or insufficient tear drainage due to their shorter face.

To keep this under control, we recommend wiping your Persian’s eye area with a clean damp cloth at least once a day. If you experience excessive tearing and staining in your Persian, you can look for tear stain removal solution products.

Ear Cleaning: Your Persian’s ears can also be prone to allergic reactions as a result from a food allergy (e.g. fish) or environment allergens (e.g. pollen), infections and debris build up. To make sure their ears are in healthy condition, we recommend cleaning the inside and outside of their ears carefully with a gentle ear cleanser, cotton pad or medicated wipe. When cleaning the inside of your Persian’s ears, be sure to conservative in how far you clean (i.e. if you can no longer see your cotton pad or wipe, you have gone too far). Refrain from using cotton swabs, as they can potentially damage the ears of your cat.

If your Persian is resistant to ear cleaning, is experiencing pain in their ears, or you just need some guidance, be sure to consult a trusted veterinarian on their advice.

Whilst these cats have a beautiful appearance and calm temperament, they are predisposed to a range of health conditions. These are linked to not only their flat faces and short muzzle, but also internal issues impacting their kidney, heart and eye function. If you haven’t yet adopted your cat, be sure to consult with a reputable breeder for genetic testing for these conditions. For those who may already have a Persian, speak with your veterinarian about managing these health conditions in your Persian.

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD): This kidney disease can affect many cat breeds, with Persians being one of them. PKD is an inherited disease that consists of cysts forming on the kidneys and filling with fluid. Whilst this starts on a smaller scale, these cysts grow over time, putting strain on kidney function.

This kidney disease is also slow in showing its signs, and it often doesn’t appear until your Persian is around seven years old. This is why we recommend conducting genetic screening with your Persian so that you can manage this condition sooner rather than later, as prevention is better than the cure.

If you do have an older Persian, you may be able to see symptoms of this condition such as increased urination, loss of appetite, vomiting or lethargy. If you notice these symptoms, please be sure to take your Persian to a vet for assessment and treatment.

Brachycephalic syndrome: As they have a short muzzle, Persians can be prone to experiencing upper airway abnormalities that can affect their breathing and respiratory function. Some symptoms, such as trouble breathing, are worsened by obesity, so be sure to watch their diet.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM): A common genetic disease found in Persian cats is feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This disease is caused by the thickening of the heart walls, which can then lead to heart failure. 

Some Persians may show symptoms such as staggered breathing, lack of energy and heart murmurs, but some cats don’t show any signs of this condition. These symptoms can be seen in your Persian from as early as four months, up to 16 years of age, making it an unpredictable condition. However, HCM is known to be a slow developing disease, so this is why we recommend undergoing genetic testing with your Persian so that you can identify this condition as soon as possible.

Eye conditions: Due to their flattened features, Persian cats can experience certain eye issues that affect their sight. Similarly, they often have underdeveloped tear ducts as a result of these features, which can cause excessive eye discharge and staining. Be sure to clean their eyes regularly with a damp cloth  to keep this under control.

Another common eye condition is entropion. Whilst this can occur in any breed of cat, it is most commonly seen in short-muzzled breeds such as Persians. Purebred Persians are likely to experience this condition, as it can result from their eyes bulging from shallow eye sockets. Entropion can also occur through eyelid damage, age or recurring irritation to the eye. This condition is the result of the eyelids rolling inwards, causing pain in your Persian’s eyelid and eyeball. Look out for if your cat is excessively squinting or rubbing their eyes, as this condition can be treated surgically.

Training your cat doesn’t just have to mean fancy tricks, but it is also a great bonding experience for you and your kitty. It’s also a great baseline for you to reduce the frequency of unwanted behaviours, such as scratching and destructive actions.

However, Persians are not known to be the easiest to train. As they are not excessively active nor overly intelligent, it can be harder to get them to understand the connection between the action and the consequence. However, it is completely doable in a peaceful and familiar environment, and when paired with these top tips.

Starting early: We recommend beginning any training with your Persian at a young age. This will get them acquainted with training and the methods you choose to use, therefore creating a foundation for when they grow older. This can start as simply as calling their name, and when they walk over to you, giving them a cat treat (or even just a head pat).

Effective training tips: Training a Persian is going to be different for each owner, however these 4 tips have been effective with training Persians in the past, and hopefully they’ll help you too.

Persian cats are generally calm and loveable cats that are known for their calm temperament, and many Persian owners never report any behavioural problems. However, they are still cats, and as such can be a bit cheeky from time to time. 

Whilst behavioural issues may seem daunting, they can be trained with consistency, patience and positive reinforcement. To help tackle these behaviours early on, look to our vet's guide to kittens for our top kitten training tips!

Socialisation: A great way to improve your Persian’s confidence and help them with behavioural issues as they grow older, we recommend socialising them with different environments, people and animals from a young age. 

If they’re up-to-date on their essential vaccinations, you can begin socialising them from around 14 to 16 weeks after their last primary vaccination. If you are unsure, be sure to consult with a trusted veterinarian on when it is best for your Persian to begin socialising.

It is essential that you provide your Persian with the vital nutrients it needs from a young age to ensure that they grow and develop appropriately. We recommend looking to a Persian dry cat food that will make sure your cat is receiving the appropriate amount of nutrients that is specific to their breed.

High protein diet: Persians require high amounts of protein in their diet to make sure they are happy and healthy. Whilst maintaining their muscle and coat, a high protein diet will provide your Persian with a lot of energy. We also recommend that this protein source is from animal protein, as this contains the essential nutrients needed by your Persian.

Less carbohydrates, more fat & protein: Whilst carbohydrates are often a key source of energy, Persians obtain most of the energy they need through fats and protein. Therefore, we recommend that carbohydrates aren’t a main component of your Persian’s diet. A high-quality food will only contain lean meat rather than cheap carbohydrate fillers.

Keep them hydrated: It is essential that your Persian is properly hydrated throughout the day. Be sure that your cat always has access to fresh water throughout the day, and encourage drinking water as much as you can. You can also find hydration through your Persian’s food, with wet foods providing an additional source of hydration.  

Feeding schedule: As we know, Persians thrive off of stability. This is why we recommend creating a feeding schedule with your Persian for their meal times. Be sure to feed them the same amount of food, at the same time of day to help establish this routine, and encourage your Persian to eat consistently.

Whether you have a Persian or you're thinking about getting one, we hope you learnt something by reading our article. Whilst this guide is great start to learning about Persian ownership, never stop seeking out new information from reputable sources. Share your experiences with other Persian owners, and always continue to learn more about your cats breed, temperament and how best to care for and love them.

This article was written by Dr. Jack Ayerbe