# considering a Persian



## jogonmd95

Hello everyone,
Fairly new to the forum.I'm highly considering of getting a Persian kitten . I would greatly appreciate feedbacks re this breed. Temperament-wise, how different are they from domestic short haired cats?

TIA,
Jogon


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## Jenny bf

Well, we have a few Persian owners who can tell you about their cats temprament. However like any other cat, everyone is different, so some are outgoing othes shy etc.
I would say one of the differences to think about is the coat care. Persains need good grooming habits from you to ensure that their coats stay matt free.


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## Susan

Abby is a Persian/Ragdoll mix. Abby is very laid back relative to a DSH. She tends not to jump on things. I am able to keep all sorts of breakables out (figurines, glass picture frames, etc.) and she doesn't bother with them. She's very gentle and well behaved. She's also very affectionate and she loves sitting on my lap.

Now, is that characteristic of the breed? Is that just Abby's own personality? Or is it because I live alone; I'm very quiet; and I adopted Abby as a kitten, so she's been brought up in quiet surroundings? Darned if I know. It could be any or all of the three! :wink:

As for the grooming...the one thing I would recommend is to try to select a kitten who enjoys being groomed. Abby loves to be brushed/combed, and she has loved it since she was a kitten. She just lies still, which makes my life easy. As a result, Abby never gets matts. In contrast, my other cat (Muffs, a Ragdoll) fights me all the way and she absolutely refuses to let me brush her underbelly...she will claw, scream or run away. Again, she has been that way since she was a kitten. As a result, she gets matted at least once or twice a year on her underbelly and I need to take her to the vet (often she needs to be sedated to deal with the problem, because even with several vet techs working on her, they can't control her). We won't discuss the cost...you do not want to know. I love Muffs, but I could do without this particular problem. 
So, if you're going to get a cat that needs constant grooming, it will make your life a LOT easier if you adopt one who enjoys being groomed.


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## catloverami

Generally speaking, Persians are quiet-voiced, playful, affectionate, laid-back cats. It's why they are the most popular breed any cat show. It's rare to see one that would freak out, hiss or growl for a judge. Yes, the grooming is a BIG deal. I do not recommend using a brush on a Persian....use a "Greyhound" type of comb of polished steel rounded-tip tines. This is what most Persian owners who show use. Comb your kitty every day, _even tho its kitten coat may not need it now_....talk in a sing-song voice gently while grooming....always feed a treat after the grooming. This will be kitty's daily routine, and kitty will come to look forward to this special session with you. Good luck in finding your special kitty.

Breed Profile: The Persian


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## Nicole.H

Be careful when looking for a persian breeder and do your research. Being one of the most popular cat breeds means that there are a lot of irresponsible breeders churning out unhealthy kittens looking for a quick buck, make sure you find a responsible breeder who health tests their parents and breeds for an overall healthy and sound feline!


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## Mandy and Ellie

I have two doll-face Persians. They are the most incredible cats I could have ever asked for. I can NOT recommend this breed enough! From my experience with friends and family owning Persians, as well as interacting with my girls' parents and littermates, I've found this breed's temperament to be amazingly sweet.

I have two girls from different litters (same breeder, they have the same dad but different mom). Both of them are sweet, gentle, easy-going, and are absolute angels. They get bursts of playfulness during the day, but in general they are some of the laziest kittens ever.

They're also very needy for attention. My girls come to me and my boyfriend daily meowing to get belly rubs and pets. They are velcro-cats, and literally follow us everywhere. They're unbelievably sweet and loyal and just adore being with their people. If they don't know where we are, they are searching for us and meowing for us. When we respond, they come running with happy chirps lol.

When getting kittens, I must recommend getting two! When we got our first kitten, Ellie, she was fantastic but was also very bored so she would act out at times (typical kitten stuff, like playing with people's ankles, playing with claws, etc) but as soon as we got Tootsie as her friend, Ellie literally became an angel. Their companionship is priceless, and Ellie's happiness and comfort increased tenfold. Since they have each other, they don't stress at all when they're home alone.

Also, some Persians have different coat types. Obviously, they're all longhaired, but my Ellie has a smooth, silky coat that doesn't require much grooming. Tootsie on the other hand is SUPER poofy and dense, so she requires a lot of brushing or she mats badly. Persians do shed quite significantly, but it's much less if you keep them nicely brushed and groomed. 

Of course, every cat can be different so when you look for a kitten, it's good to handle it a lot and watch closely to see it's temperament. Also, like Nicole.H mentioned, make sure your breeder is ethical and breeds for health and temperament. Do NOT get a kitten from a pet store or massive "kitten mill" breeder that just breeds for money, or you'll be sure to get a sickly kitten which is not what you want.

Once again, I seriously can't recommend this breed enough. They are amazing and the breed has absolutely stolen my heart. I wish you the best of luck! Please keep us posted on if you decide to get a kitten or not.


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## TranquilityBlue

I have a doll-faced Himalayan, which is a Persian with Siamese coloration. Himalayans are supposed to be a bit more active and vocal than Persians, and my kitten Jasper is both of these at times, when he's bored or hungry respectively. However I must say, in most every way he's just the sweetest, most easygoing kitten I could have possibly asked for. I have a friend with a Himalayan that is exactly the same way. So if you're looking for a cat with a nice, even temperament I think a Persian would be a great choice! :thumb I remember reading online that Persians and Himalayans are the perfect 'apartment cats' since they're content as long as they have can be around their humans! This is definitely how Jasper is, he loves to follow me and my friends from room to room to 'help' us with whatever we're doing.


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## jogonmd95

Thank you everyone for your very informative inputs. 
I went ahead and picked up our Persian kitten yesterday from the seller.My kids just immediately fell in love with the new kitten. My daughter named him Kenshin,a white male(Chinchilla?)adorable little furball ,around 6 weeks old.Temperament is exactly what was described by you guys.Very very sweet and begs for attention.Quite laid back compared to our DSH kittens.He's still trying to get accustomed to the new environment.5 noisy kids and 4 other kittens and a Lab.He seems to be adjusting well.
I'm very happy I got him. 
Thanks again!


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## catloverami

Wow, very young to be leaving his momacat....11-12 wks. would have been better. Has he at least had his first shots? Did you get a vaccination report from a vet? It would be a good idea to have him checked out by a vet, and set up an appt for his second set of shots when he's a little older. Of course, we would love to see picks of your sweet little boy.


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## marie73

I'm sure you'll take great care of him and give him a wonderful home, but you got him from a HORRIBLE breeder, probaby a BYB. That's way too young to separate *any* kitten from its mother.


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## Mandy and Ellie

Yay! Congratulations!!! I'm sure he will do GREAT, especially with other kittens and a Lab to play with! That will certainly keep him busy!  Isn't it amazing how they have that temperament, even as hyper babies? My girls are already so laid back, I can't imagine how lazy they'll be when they're older! I can't wait to see pictures of your new baby!


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## jogonmd95

Thank you everyone.
Actually i met the seller in the vet clinic.Not a professional breeder.She was having her PERsian cat checked out.We talked and i mention that her cat was a beaut. She said that her Cat just had a litter.I asked if she would sell one to me.She said i should take a look first at the kittens in her home.Long story short i fell in love with it immediately.But she mentioned she can't release it until another month or two because he was still nursing with the mommy.I said ok i'll wait. So now i just got her this week.I'm quite confident of my rearing skills. I Raised my 4 orphaned DSH kits when they were approx. 3-4 weeks and all are healthy.
I will be bringing Kenshin to the vet this week for a check up and shots. So far he's been eating well,mostly cooked sawdust and liver. My other kits grew up on those and they're
very active and healthy with shiny smooth fur.
Jogon


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## evince

Oh my goodness what a sweetie pie!  Congratulations, I hope Kenshin settles in well with your family


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## marie73

Cooked sawdust??


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## jogonmd95

marie73 said:


> Cooked sawdust??


Yes, its prepared just like ground hamburger in a big pot with a little salt. Cooked sawdust(4lbs) is placed in a tupperware and stored in the ref. It'll keep for a couple of weeks. My lab and kitties love the stuff and healthier for them than commercial pet food.Vet says its fine, high in protein and calcium. I don't feed them raw sawdust ,it might be contaminated w pathogenic microrganisms.
best,
jogon


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## NebraskaCat

I know some brands in US stores have a listed ingredient "powdered cellulose". I've thought that could just be sawdust. I don't know if the preparation of it is regulated. But one would think it'd be a good source of dietary fiber.


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## DeafDogs&Cat

I wonder if it's meat/bone sawdust from a butcher shop... not the wood sawdust we're all thinking it is.

If you're cooking all your cats' meat, they are NOT getting what tgey need. Cooking de-natures/destroys vitamins and amino acids that are crutial for cats (but not so important for dogs) in particular, taurine. A cat cannot live a very long or healthy life without it. It is simply critical to their health. So, eitger add taurine supplements, or feed raw heart meat with their cooked meat.


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## jogonmd95

ok, Got it. I sometimes mix the sawdust with dry commercial cat food or canned cat food.
thanks


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## Mochas Mommy

So....is it wood sawdust or meat/bone sawdust you use?


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## burt

Bone Meal is sawdust?


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## zuma

I doubt sawdust has any nutrients a growing, or adult cat needs. As far as I'm aware its just used to add bulk and fiber. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they need a meat/organs/bones to survive. How much sawdust are you feeding?


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## jogonmd95

Meat/bone sawdust from the butcher.Sorry for the confusion.
jogon


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## zuma

I'm curious now, so it's basically what gets stuck in the saws of the butcher? And then you cook it? 

I would be worried about bone chips for one, but also you don't really know the percentage of bone and meat, do you? You may end up with a very constipated kitty, I'm guessing there would be more bone chips than actual meat or organs. It doesn't seem safe to me, but that's just my opinion


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## burt

How are you dealing with your cats eyes, I thought the doll face which I have was less maintanance but im cleaning her eyes twice a day.

I have eye envy with powder but I normally clean with a wet pad but there still is discoloration of the fur under the eye...Ughhh Persians sure are high maintanance queens...


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## catloverami

Some breeders recommended _Bausch&Lomb saline solution_ for every day cleaning of a white Persian's eyes, and_ Eye Envy _or _Angel Eyes _ two or three times a week. Persian eyes with their shortened tear ducts as a result of the flattened face and a snubby nose are an owners bugaboo. It's constant maintenance to keep a white kitty looking beautiful. Brown stains under the eyes are really unsightly.


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## Mandy and Ellie

I got really lucky with Ellie, she only gets small little "eye boogies" since she has a very "traditional" face (doll face). Tootsie is also technically a "doll face" but has a more squished face than Ellie, and she gets a lot of eye drainage... luckily she's chocolate so I don't have to worry about the stains.

My mom has a white Pomeranian who has very bad eye staining, and the breeder told her to use *distilled water* instead of regular water since the minerals in tap water/regular water can worsen the eye tearing/staining. You can buy distilled water in jugs for super cheap... or I think boil regular water yourself, then cool it, to get a similar effect. The distilled water helped her a lot.


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## jogonmd95

I'm also quite lucky, very minimal eye discharge/boogies.BUT, my problem is Kenshin is refusing to use the communal litter box. She defecates outside the box, right beside it.Will he eventually learn to use it like the other kitties or do i have get another litter box just for him. Thanks.


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## Susan

Some cats won't defecate and urinate in the same box, which might explain why Kenshin is defecating outside the box. Is he urinating inside or outside of the box? 

In any event, I believe you have 4 other cats and Kenshin is the fifth. So, adding another box would be a good idea.


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## jogonmd95

I think he's urinating inside the box i don't see any pee anywhere else. The only time he peed on the floor was his 1st day we got him.Will get him his own box. thanks.
jogon


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## jogonmd95

Kenshin got his own box.He defecated once inside the other day but now he's back at pooping outside the box!He's still apprehensive of his new box?? Its beside the other kittens' litter box.Most of the time the other kittens raids his box and messes up his litter.


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## jogonmd95

YAY!Kenshin knows how to use his box!!!


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