About Himalayan cats

    The Himalayan is a gentle, loving companion that loves to play and cuddle and will always put his or her nose into whatever your doing to try and help. They will express themselves when wanting to eat or play and love there lap time. In many ways there like the Persian cats having long hair and both flat faced and traditional faced. Himalayans are striking with there beautiful blue eyes and coloring, used in commercials, movies, tv shows, cat t shirts, mother day cards and more. Himalayans make for a ideal house cat, though not entirely hypoallergenic, the Himalayans like the Persians tends not to trigger as much of a allergic reaction as other cat breeds. The males grow to 11-13lbs and the females 8-11lbs and Himalayans come in many colors, chocolate, blue, seal and red are but a few. Unlike the Persian the Himalayans eyes only come in a deep vivid blue.

HISTORY OF THE HIMALAYAN.

    The Himalayan or Himmie is also commonly referred to as the Himalayan Persian. The Himalayan is a Persian cat with colorpoint markings. The breed gets its name from the Himalayan rabbits who have similar coat color. Attempts to cross a Persian and Siamese began in the 1920's. These cats were named " Malayan Persians " however quickly disappeared. Creating the Himalayan was not a easy combination to do, taking breeder Virginia Cobb and Harvard medical school researcher Clyd Keeler years to develop long haired cat with distinctive color points of the Siamese. The first official kitten to be called a Himalayan was named Newton's Debutante. The Himalayan cat was recognized as a breed in it's own right by the Cat Fanciers Association in 1957. However in 1984 the association decided to reclassify the Himalayan as a color variety of the Persian. There are other that still classify the Himalayan cat as separate from the Persian. The Himalayan may have lost some of it's standing to the Persians but the Siamese is no longer a part of the Himalayan breeding program. 

APPEARANCE.

    The Himalayan cat, just like the Persians has two types; the traditional or dollface, and the peke-faced which has the more extreme squashed-looking facial features. The Himalayan's head is large and round,eyes are also round and always blue. Short nose, full cheeks and small ears with rounded tips. The head is supported by a short, thick neck and a robust, muscular body. A body type known as " coby ". The legs are short, thick and strong with large, round, firm paws. The tail is short but proportional to the length of the cats body.

PERSONALITY.

    The Himalayans and Persians have many things in common and there personality is no exception. They are laidback, docile, sweet and enjoy being petted on your lap. They reserve their affections for those in the home they feel most comfortable with. They love to be close and cuddle with the humans they trust. They are quiet cats who like routine and a calm home where little changes on a daily basis. They will let you know if they want or need something, whether food, a toy or someone to play with. They have a gentle temperament and are content being left home alone and don't require constant attention, happy just adorning a chair, bed or sofa.

COLORS.

    The Himalayan coat colors react to temperatures. Your Himalayan may have a lighter coat in summer and a darker coat in winter, of course these changes typically come along with lots of shedding. Sometimes the kittens appear grayer or darker in body color than desired. But their coats typically change and lighten as they grow. Sometimes the reverse can also occur; light faces and tails can darken as these kittens grow older and are away from moms body heat. A Himalayan kitten can also exhibit both at once, having it's body lighten and it's point markings grow more pronounced.

HAIRBALLS.

    The beautiful long hair of a Himalayan does pose some threat when ingested. A large hair ball in kitty's tummy could cause a intestinal blockage requiring emergency surgery. The best way to avoid this is to brush your kitty's hair daily to remove loose hair, reducing the number of strands sticking to kitty's tongue during there grooming procedures.

HIMALAYAN HEALTH.

    Respiratory distress: Thanks to their flat faces inherited from their Persian ancestors, Himalayan flat faced cats can develop breathing troubles. Owners can often allay any wheezing by simply wiping their cats faces regularly, but a visit to the vet is in order if it continues.

    Progressive retinal atrophy: Not to be confused with overactive tear ducts that Himalayans cats are also prone to having, this unpredictable genetic condition eventually leads to blindness. While a simple wipe of the eyes with a warm washcloth will take care of overactive tear ducts, the latter comes with no possible treatment.

    Polycystic kidney disease: Breeders should always screen the parents of their Himalayan kittens for this deadly genetic illness. Testing is especially important if there is a recent non-Himalayan Persian cat ancestor.

    Weight gain: Like Persian cats, Himalayans can gain weight rather easily. Keeping them busy with toys, lazor lights and cat teasers can help keep them active since they are disinclined to run and jump very much on their own,