Himalayan

Weight: 9 - 12 pounds
Life span: 15 - 18 years
CFA rank: 1

Breed History | Background:

Himalayan cats owe their origins to responsible breeders who carefully crossbred two popular breeds: Persians to Siamese to create a new hybrid breed with Siamese point coloring and a Persian’s long hair.
A British breeder named Brian Sterling-Webb devoted 10 years to create a longhaired color point cat and earned breed recognition from the Governing Council of Cat Fancy in 1955. Two years later, Marguerita Goforth, a California breeder, successfully petitioned the Cat Fanciers Association to recognize the Himalayan as a new breed. CFA recognized four Himalayan colors – seal point, chocolate point, blue point and lilac point.
In 1966, the first Himalayan earned a CFA grand championship title.
In 1984, the CFA combined the Himalayan and Persian breeds, making the Himalayan a separate division of the Persian breed, which ranks No. 1 in popularity among its 41 recognized breeds.

Cat Look:

This breed’s head features a round face, big, round blue eyes, small, round-tipped ears, short, snub nose and a well-developed chin.
The cobby type body is heavily boned with sturdy, short thick legs, round paws and a short tail that is in proportion to its body length.
The long, fluffy coat is thick and of fine texture. The body is white or cream, however the points come in a wide range of solid colors or tabby or tortoiseshell patterns. Flame points and tortoiseshell points rank as them most popular Himalayan looks.

Behavioral concerns:

This gentle, quiet, sweet-tempered breed is a little more active than Persians and a little less active than Siamese. They welcome playtime, but also enjoy warming laps.
Himalayans are intelligent and polite, especially when meeting houseguests.
They are not overly vocal, but speak more in a melodious tone than a demanding meow.
This breed, when properly introduced, co-exists nicely with other cats and dogs.
Himalayans prefer being “four on the floor” type cats rather than climbing up on high places or leaping.

Grooming:

Himalayans require daily brushing to keep their longhaired coats from developing tangles and mats.
You also need to wipe the face daily with a damp washcloth to prevent eye tear staining.

Suggested Nutritional Needs:

This breed has no special nutritional needs, but benefits by being fed high-quality commercial diets.

Medical conditions seen:

Fun Facts:

A Himalayan named Mr. Jinx was the feline star in the movies, Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers that starred Robert DeNiro and Ben Stiller. This breed is a popular choice in many other Hollywood flicks, including Date Movie, Homeward Bound and Prince of Tennis.
Martha Stewart owns seven Himalayan cats, all named after famous composers.
Also known as colorpoint Persians in Europe and affectionately as “Himmy” worldwide.

Glossary