Persian kitty question

[filfilksq]

Hello all, I didn't really know where to post this, so it's going here!

I recently adopted a Persian kitty, the guestimate is that she's less than a year old (EDIT: I take that back, the woman we adopted her from said they thought she was 1-2 years old), but not a kitten. She was rescued, unfortunately a previous owner had put her outside and abandoned her. So she's been through a lot but after all that really is a very sweet and affectionate cat.

My question is about her ear muffs (if that is the correct term). She is a grey-white tabby, but has these large ruffs of fur behind her ears. I've looked at a lot of pictures of Persian cats but can't seem to find any that show this kind of ear hair -- not inside the ear, but going in a row along the base of the ears at the back. Is this normal/unusual for Persian kitties?

Thanks in advance!

Kate

[filfilksq]

Ummm, would it be better if I posted this somewhere else?

[Catkiki]

Could you post a pic of your kitty? Someone will be along shortly to answer your question!

[otto]

Hello and welcome and hurray for you for rescuing this kitty!

Perhaps she is not pure Persian, and has other blood lines in her to give her such a full mane. Can you give us some pictures? What's her name?

[filfilksq]

I wish I had been the one to actually rescue her, but that was someone else's doing. There are a lot of expats living over here, and sometimes people move on short notice or aren't prepared for the responsibilities of a cat. Long story short, one family had her but had to move quickly so they gave the cat to a neighbor. The neighbor kept the cat for a few weeks but for whatever reason didn't want to deal with her anymore so put her outside. I can hardly comprehend that she survived -- never having lived outside, and in the heat we have here with her fur, plus the large number of feral cats in the area.

Anyway, she started showing up on the doorstep of another expat, who took her in and got her fixed up (she was seriously emaciated and had wounds from feral cat attacks); and this person was then looking for a permanent home, which is where we come in. Me and my kids are really happy with her, and she has been great even with my small children.

So here are some pics of her ears:





And just because I think she's beautiful, here's a pic of her in her entirety, lol:

[filfilksq]

Oh, and I forgot to say that the kids named her Natasha. We've had her for about a month.

[otto]

She's gorgeous. Yes I would definitely say she has other breed in her though the name that give her that unusual look escapes me at the moment.

You may not be the one who initially rescued her but you gave her a forever home and that counts as rescue.

She is clearly living the good life. Looks like you keep her coat well groomed. Do your children help you brush her? How much does she weigh? I'm wondering how much is fur and how much is cat!

[filfilksq]

It's a lot of fur. She's put on some weight even since we've had her, I don't know her exact weight but I can tell by picking her up. I suppose she must have layers of fur, because when I brush her it is different colors underneath.

We brush her a lot every day, the kids really like brushing her and she *loves* it; she's gotten better about letting me get to her "problem areas", like on her neck and under her legs. She did develop a sizeable matt under one leg that she wouldn't let me touch, so she had her first trip to the kitty salon (a.k.a. the vet) where they shaved off the matt (and a couple of smaller ones she had on her neck).

She's also extremely skittish about me touching her feet, so I had the vet trim her nails for me as well -- but with such furry feet I may have had a professional do them anyway as I'd be afraid I'd not see things properly and hurt her.

I guess the impression I always had about Persian cats is that they are aloof (I don't really know why), but she really is not like that. I have been very pleasantly surprised.

[NorthernGlow]

She's very beautiful! My British Longhair also has tufts behind his ears when he has his longer summer coat (he shortens it for winter..).
Had to add: aaah, look at all that fluff! I love it!

[GoldenKitty45]

Whites, blues tend to have more coat - its called "cotton" coat and I've seen this on those colors. Blacks and some other colors have a silkier and flatter laying coat.

I don't think she's really mixed - she's a Persian.

Also when grooming - use a fine and medium toothed comb, not a brush. Brushes don't do much and as you've found out, the coat will get knots/tangles. Combs do a much better job. And with her have a cotton coat, she HAS to be combed every day!

BTW. looking at the pics again - she's a lovely Blue-Cream color - that's why you see other colors when brushing

[FerrisCat]

I agree with GK, I don't see anything that would indicate she's a mix.

Persian grooming is quite intensive, especially for show cats! It involves trimming and plucking and tweezing like you wouldn't imagine. Your girl is just in her un-groomed coat

[motoko9]

I can't believe someone would abandon such a lovely animal! Oh well - that person's loss is your gain.

She's gorgeous, and she is lucky to have found such a good home!