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Persian kitty question

post #1 of 31
11/7/09 at 5:45am
Thread Starter 
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
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post #2 of 31
11/7/09 at 7:20am
Thread Starter 
Ummm, would it be better if I posted this somewhere else?
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post #3 of 31
11/7/09 at 7:35am
Could you post a pic of your kitty? Someone will be along shortly to answer your question!
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post #4 of 31
11/7/09 at 7:36am
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?
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post #5 of 31
11/7/09 at 7:58am
Thread Starter 
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:

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post #6 of 31
11/7/09 at 8:00am
Thread Starter 
Oh, and I forgot to say that the kids named her Natasha. We've had her for about a month.
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post #7 of 31
11/7/09 at 8:02am
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!
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post #8 of 31
11/7/09 at 8:19am
Thread Starter 
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.
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post #9 of 31
11/7/09 at 12:25pm
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!
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post #10 of 31
11/7/09 at 3:53pm
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
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post #11 of 31
11/7/09 at 4:02pm
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
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post #12 of 31
11/7/09 at 4:46pm
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!
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post #13 of 31
11/7/09 at 5:41pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone! You know, at first I was hesitant because of the long hair, but it hasn't been a huge a chore as I had feared. In fact, I find it kind of therapeutic myself to brush/tend her.

I had looked for a comb both at the stores and the vet, but to no avail. We're in a smaller town over here, I may need to have someone bring one from the States. Are the matt combs I've read about (the ones with the small blades down on the tines) particularly helpful? Any other tools I should look into getting?

Thanks again!

Kate
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post #14 of 31
11/7/09 at 6:20pm
Thread Starter 
Can I also ask a possibly stupid question -- how do you tell the difference between blue and gray in a cat? I looked at the Blue Persian Cat Society website, and they had some pics in there that looked a lot like my kitty -- even some with similar ear hair!

http://www.bluepersiancatsociety.co.uk/
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post #15 of 31
11/7/09 at 8:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
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!
Coming from the only active Persian breeder on this website, yup she's definitely a Persian!

We love ear fluff!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by filfilksq View Post
Can I also ask a possibly stupid question -- how do you tell the difference between blue and gray in a cat? I looked at the Blue Persian Cat Society website, and they had some pics in there that looked a lot like my kitty -- even some with similar ear hair!

http://www.bluepersiancatsociety.co.uk/
Gray is a slang term for Blue cats
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post #16 of 31
11/8/09 at 4:17am
The common term for Blue is grey - most people that really are not into cats use grey for Blue and orange for Red colors.

Another is tan for Cream

Don't worry - if you stay in here long enough we'll "correct" you Especially me! I'm big on using the correct color terms on cats.
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post #17 of 31
11/8/09 at 4:57am
Thread Starter 
So I was looking on a Persian cat website (I think it was a breeder site) and they talked about blue persians and silver persians. Now I would have thought gray would be slang for silver, apparently not, lol. So how do you tell the difference between blue and silver, and do the taupe/tan (wait, that would be "cream", right?) markings on my kitty provide any help with determining her color?

Thanks for bearing with me, I'm feeling rather dense...
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post #18 of 31
11/8/09 at 5:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45 View Post
The common term for Blue is grey - most people that really are not into cats use grey for Blue and orange for Red colors.

Another is tan for Cream

Don't worry - if you stay in here long enough we'll "correct" you Especially me! I'm big on using the correct color terms on cats.
Yes, me too. It drives me crazy when people call Red Cats "orange"! LOL!
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post #19 of 31
11/8/09 at 5:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by filfilksq View Post
So I was looking on a Persian cat website (I think it was a breeder site) and they talked about blue persians and silver persians. Now I would have thought gray would be slang for silver, apparently not, lol. So how do you tell the difference between blue and silver, and do the taupe/tan (wait, that would be "cream", right?) markings on my kitty provide any help with determining her color?

Thanks for bearing with me, I'm feeling rather dense...

I would call your Natasha blue with cream. Silver IS silver, there is a distinct difference.
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post #20 of 31
11/8/09 at 5:13am
It's a little hard to see her pretty face in the photos, but it looks like she has a "real" nose, so she might be a Doll-Face Persian. These Persians look more like the very earliest examples of the breed, before the peke-faced look with the totally flat profile became the breed standard. Her ears look like my cats' ears.

I have two Doll Face Persians, and they are fabulous! They are both playful and talkative teenagers, and as charming as they are beautiful.

Congratulations!
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post #21 of 31
11/8/09 at 5:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45 View Post
I don't think she's really mixed - she's a Persian.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FerrisCat View Post
I agree with GK, I don't see anything that would indicate she's a mix.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WellingtonCats View Post
Coming from the only active Persian breeder on this website, yup she's definitely a Persian!
I stand corrected!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bunnelina View Post
It's a little hard to see her pretty face in the photos, but it looks like she has a "real" nose, so she might be a Doll-Face Persian. These Persians look more like the very earliest examples of the breed, before the peke-faced look with the totally flat profile became the breed standard. Her ears look like my cats' ears.

I have two Doll Face Persians, and they are fabulous! They are both playful and talkative teenagers, and as charming as they are beautiful.

Congratulations!
Perhaps that's what threw me off. I didn't think her face was all that "smushed". In fact I thought I saw some oriental in her. My tiny little Ootay (rb 5/09), I was told many times, had some Persian in her judging by her pushed in face, I never saw it myself. I know someone who has adopted five and fosters other rescued persians and they all have the "smushed" faces, at least, all the ones she's rescued so far..

Very interesting thread!
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post #22 of 31
11/8/09 at 5:31am
Thread Starter 
I'm really not one to judge about the nose, if I can I'll try to get a shot of her face and post it. She did have her neck hair trimmed to remove some small matts, which I think has given her whole face a different look. I mean, before you couldn't see her chin at all and now she has a little chin with some fuzz on it. Her nose is a lot flatter than the typical American shorthair cat (the only other kind I've owned), but I'm not sure if it's the "right" flatness, kwim?
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post #23 of 31
11/8/09 at 6:18am
She would be a "pet quality" Persian with the longer nose. I really hate the term "doll-faced" - some market pet Persians as that so they can get high prices - its not the standard for the Persian, but not all Persians will have the extreme face for the show ring. There are pet quality Persians born in reputable breeders cats.

The cream patches mixed in her coat make her a Blue-Cream (some call it Dilute Tortoiseshell which is the same color). A Silver is white with black tipping on the ends of the hair. Those are known as Shaded Silvers. You also can have a Silver Tabby in Persians which is silver/white coat with black tabby markings.

Here is a picture of a Shaded Silver and a Silver Tabby Persian.

http://www.hugostar.com/female-info.asp?ID=3
This is actual a Silver Tabby Exotic SH (the shorthair version of a Persian)

Shaded Silvers - some are more of a Chinchilla with very little tipping - the shaded have darker tipping on the coats.

http://www.wyndcreste.com/franciscan..._silvers.shtml
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post #24 of 31
11/8/09 at 10:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45 View Post
A Silver is white with black tipping on the ends of the hair. Those are known as Shaded Silvers. You also can have a Silver Tabby in Persians which is silver/white coat with black tabby markings.
You can also have other than black silvers, i.e. blue silvers, red silvers, well actually any color+silver. You can tell the difference from solid color to silver when you look at the roots of the cats fur. In silvers there's clearly visible part where the tipping ends and the rest of the hair looks like pure white.
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post #25 of 31
11/8/09 at 12:55pm
She is gorgeous!!!
I don't think she is a "doll-faced", or long nosed... I see a regular flat faced Persian in her - maybe not as extreme, but she definitely has the Persian face with the short nose and all IMHO.
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post #26 of 31
11/9/09 at 3:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45 View Post
She would be a "pet quality" Persian with the longer nose. I really hate the term "doll-faced" - some market pet Persians as that so they can get high prices - its not the standard for the Persian, but not all Persians will have the extreme face for the show ring. There are pet quality Persians born in reputable breeders cats.
Martice reads my mind.

Here are two of my babies to compare:

Just to confuse you - here's a Blue Silver



Blue Tabby (no silver)



Silver Tabby (Black)



Blue Cream Silver (the whole works!!!)



Another Blue Silver (& me)



Blue



Blue Tabby & White (again no silver)



Sorry for everyone else who has seen these photos before. Just a selection of our 2008 babies for you. Plenty more blue/silver/gray etc to show you if you like.
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post #27 of 31
11/9/09 at 5:18pm
Never heard of blue-silver till I saw it in the Maine Coon classes And in the Ocicats we have Blue-Silver so I can see the difference now.
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post #28 of 31
11/9/09 at 8:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by WellingtonCats View Post
Sorry for everyone else who has seen these photos before.
Don't think anyone's complaining Sam
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post #29 of 31
11/9/09 at 9:40pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the pictures -- those kittens are so beautiful!

So the cream color will only come with blues, or are there also black and cream (with or without silver)?

When you breed them, are you able to reliably predict what you will have in a litter? I mean, if you breed a blue and cream with a blue and cream, will the kittens all be blue and cream? Or if you mix and have, say, a black silver with an all-blue, is there any way to predict what the litter will look like?

Just curious, and thanks again for everyone's input!

Kate
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post #30 of 31
11/10/09 at 7:30am
Not sure if anyone has ever bred two blue creams together--nearly all blue creams are females, and the males are typically sterile!

There are ways to predict what colors you will get in a litter, but you need a working knowledge of the genetics behind cat coat color inheritance. Certain traits are dominant, such as tabby and silver(inhibitor.) Other traits are recessive, such as solid and dilute, so you also need to know what recessive colors your cat might be carring.

Some colors are sex-linked. Red is carried on the x-chromosome. Female cats are XX, so a tortie (or blue cream) has a copy of red on one x-chromosome and a copy of black on the other x-chromosome. Fertile male cats (XY) have only one x-chromosome, so they are either red or black. If they are tortie, they are either XXY or chimeras--in which case they can't reproduce or they can only reproduce as a red or a black.
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