Last Updated on June 9, 2022 by Pets Feed
How often have you met Persian and Siamese cats? Now imagine what their direct descendant might look like – the Himalayan cat, taking only the best from each line. Colors and long hair are another reason to get acquainted with an affectionate and kind beauty. It took a lot of effort to create such a fluffy miracle, because such an animal is a jewel in itself.
The Himalayan cat is intelligent, affectionate, friendly, playful, obedient and very calm. It is sociable and generally maintains very close relations with the smallest of the family, as well as with other animals, whether or not they are of the same species.
The Himalayan cat is a cross between the Persian, whose physical characteristics it has developed and the Siamese, from which it inherited the characteristic pattern. The combination of these two predecessors gives us a unique and elegant cat.
In this ‘Pets Feed ‘ cat breed sheet, you will find all information you need to know about this breed.
Origin: United States
Himalayan cat photos
Himalayan cat physical characteristics
The Himalayan cat is descended from the Siamese cat and the Persian. The Siamese gave him a characteristic color, but the Persian breed made him happy with a luxurious fur coat.
Adults Himalayan cats can weigh up to 6 kg. Females are smaller than males.
The head of cats of this breed is rounded and wide in shape. It is medium or large, but does not contradict the size of the animal’s body. The jaws, cheeks and chin are pronounced, the muzzle is flattened.
Ears are small, wide-set, rounded at the ends. The cat’s eyes are slightly protruding, usually they are all shades of blue. The nose is the same length and width, as well as the forehead and chin when the cat looks in profile.
The neck of the animal is short, the chest is low, the tummy is round. The body is strong, the legs are muscular. The tail is proportional to the body.
The coat has an undercoat, and the cat also has a characteristic collar. The animal has a very beautiful fur coat, which will be the envy of the most sophisticated connoisseurs of various individuals of the cat family.
Compliance and aristocracy distinguish this cat from others. The Himalayan cat will bring a note of measured calmness to the house, with her there will never be an unsettled life and torn curtains with tattered furniture. In addition, colorpoint is able to become the best friend of your children. Contrary to popular belief, the Himalayan cat does not mind playing. Therefore, at the right time, he will calm down the character of the child, and will be able to have fun with him.
Not only the white color of the main coat is allowed, but also all kinds of other colors.
The character combined the features of the Siamese and Persians. Degree along with independence makes the Himalayan cat an absolutely exotic version of a pet. The fluffy is both independent and gentle, but also very smart, and quickly learns everything.
Himalayan cat behaviour
Representatives of the breed are extremely calm and reasonable. They love to show their tenderness, which is the main trump card of the breed. Moderately playfulness is characteristic of these furry creatures. Although they will not refuse to run after you and grab your legs during the game. The main thing is that the cat plays with a loving owner, to which it has become accustomed since childhood, otherwise you will not wait for the manifestations of violent fun from colorpoint.
Smart, not particularly demanding, silent. From the Himalayan cat, you can rarely hear loud meows, he will not follow you on his heels with him. Rather, cats will find something to their liking while the owner is in another room. However, this does not mean that depression with a lack of attention is impossible. They easily succumb to it if the owner is caught sloppy in terms of communication with the cat and taking care of her.
The Himalayan cat will get along well with children and other pets in the family, besides herself. She will calmly and dignifiedly claim the attention of a person along with everyone. And, of course, the cat is so smart and “purebred” in character that it will immediately receive its share of adoration and admiration.
The cat does not really like to jump in height. He also won’t do regular walks on the street. Better for these purposes, purchase another pet. On the contrary, if the Himalayan cat spends a lot of time in the yard and takes him out there suddenly, then the animal may be stressed. Apparently, you will have to limit yourself to the pastime of your pet on the balcony. However, if there is no threat from dogs and hostile cats, and you have your own home, then you can take a walk. Only this must be done with a leash and a collar. The Himalayan cat is absolutely not adapted to the conditions of survival on the street.
Health
The most common diseases in the Himalayan cat are:
- The formation of hairballs can cause choking and intestinal obstruction.
- Ophthalmological disorders.
- Mandibular and facial disorders.
For the rest, we are talking about common diseases present in all other breeds, that is why, you must make sure to take him to the veterinarian so that he receives his vaccinations and regular medical care and feeds him properly.
Despite the rather long life expectancy – 15-17 years, the owner should remember about the health of his pet and not neglect the visits to the veterinarian.
Himalayan cat basic care
The most important point to keep in mind for proper care of the Himalayan cat is to brush its coat. Its thick coat should be brushed once a day, but never less than three times a week, to avoid the formation of knots in the long coat and the animal swallowing too much hair when grooming, which could lead to health problems. of varying severity. Remember to frequently offer malt to expel swallowed hair, but above all it affects the brushing of his coat.
In addition, you can bathe him completely once a month or every two months, to keep his hair in perfect condition, shiny and silky. It is also important to keep your eyes and ears clean and to trim your nails frequently to avoid sharpening them against household furniture.
Beyond the aesthetics, the care of this Himalayan cat will be the same as that of any other breed. Always try to give him quality food in the amount recommended for his weight. In addition, you should be aware of the exercise necessary to avoid becoming a sedentary animal. With proper education, proper care, and frequent visits to the veterinarian to keep your immunization and deworming chart up to date, you will have a healthy pet for a long time.
Feeding
A typical Himalayan cat will never touch salty, smoked food. He prefers natural food, despite the fact that he himself is an artificially bred breed. Further, do not give fried, fatty, a lot of sweets. Although sometimes the cat is allowed natural ice cream.
It is worthwhile to streamline the diet of your pet. 80% is devoted to non-fatty meats. 20% are all kinds of fermented milk products, vegetables (raw or boiled) and grated cereals with animal products, eggs, fish (preferably seafood). It is recommended to boil the fish or keep it in boiling water for several minutes, so that later it will not be treated for a long time and difficult from parasites.
Himalayan cat fun facts
- The cat of this breed has a color characteristic of the Himalayan rabbit.
- It was these cats that became the founders of the NCFA organization, when the specialists who created it did not want to unite the Persians and the Himalayans.
- If, in childhood or adolescence, the instinct of catching mice is awakened in a Himalayan cat, then it may well hunt for this. This quality makes her similar to a typical Persian.
- Selected Himalayan cats boast a print on tabby or cake wool.
- Usually, the cost of Himalayan kittens starts at $ 150. It all depends on the pedigree, appearance, gender.
Himalayan cat breed highlights
- Due to their textured, memorable appearance, Himalayan cats successfully conquer the movie Olympus. The most popular films with the participation of Persian-Siamese are “Meet the Parents” and “A Movie Meeting”.
- The owners of the breed call its representatives the Himalayans or Himalayas.
- In 2014, a Himalayan cat named Colonel Meow became a hero of memes because of the ever-dissatisfied expression on his face, and also temporarily entered the Guinness Book of Records as the owner of the longest coat.
- The stylish image of the Persian-Siamese is entirely the result of the master’s zeal, since the long coat of the breed falls off easily, which means it needs regular grooming and combing.
- The peak of physical activity is observed in kittens. As they grow older, the representatives of the breed behave sedately and passively, although they are not averse to driving their favorite toy.
- Himalayan cats are very restrained in terms of requests, so if you dream of a little and melodic meowing cat, consider that you have found it.
- The breed does not favor noisy events, so during a party, its representative will most likely hide in a remote room or under a table.
History
The Himalayan cat is, one might say, a Siamese colored Persian. After all, they were deliberately bred that way, that is, in the 1950s breeders just wanted to create a Persian cat with a Siamese color and a few character traits.
However, in fact, work on creating this breed began as early as 1931, when Harvard Medical School researcher Clyde Keeler and breeder Virginia Cobb began crossing Siamese and Persian cats in order to find out exactly how the gene color point was transmitted. Success came a few years later, when a kitten was born with clearly defined characteristics of the future breed. The kid was called Newton’s Debutant.
Today, among representatives of various felinological organizations, there is a difference of opinion about these pets. The Himalayan cat breed is considered by some to be independent, descending from Persians and Siamese, while others consider it a subspecies of Persian cats. In the history of the registers, there have even been scandals associated with “himmi” – it is a diminutive derived from “Himalayan”.
In particular, the Cat Fanciers Association recognized the Himalayan as a special breed in 1957. But in 1984, the CFA board, under pressure from other organizations and reputable breeders, decided to reclassify the Himalayan in variety of Persian coloring.
This caused an outcry among proponents of Himalayan cat breed autonomy, and in a sense, the storm has not passed to this day. After all, many records still consider these animals to be a subspecies of the Persians. But the American Cat Fanciers Association and the International Cat Association nevertheless sided with the Himalayas and classified them as a separate breed.
