Himalayan
The Himalayan is a Persian carrying the Siamese pointed pattern, produced deliberately in the 1930s and 1950s by breeders in Britain and America who wanted the Persian coat with colourpoint markings.
Some registries treat it as a separate breed, others as a Persian colour division.
It has the Persian's long dense double coat, cobby body and flat face, with the pale body and dark points of the Siamese and, always, blue eyes. The temperament is Persian: quiet, sweet and sedentary, though many Himalayans keep a streak of Siamese playfulness and are a little more inclined to talk.
3 himalayan photos, newest first
Living with a himalayan
The coat mats without daily combing, and a neglected Himalayan ends up clipped under sedation. This is the breed's central commitment and there is no way around it.
Eyes need wiping most days because the shortened tear ducts overflow and stain the pale face.
Flat-faced lines can struggle to breathe and overheat; a more moderate muzzle is kinder. Polycystic kidney disease is common in Persian-derived lines and is DNA testable — insist on seeing results. Dental crowding and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy also occur.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual cats vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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