Fascinating History of Persian Cats

Would it surprise you to learn that the Persian cat is considered to be one of the oldest breeds of cats, although not everybody entirely believes this. Most people however do believe that the Persian cat originated in the country known as Persia which is now modern-day Iran.

It is believed that in 1620 Persians were first introduced into Italy and at about the same time they were also introduced into France, and this does seem to fit with all the documented history that we have of the Persian cat.

From France it is thought that the Persian was introduced into Britain, although at this time they did not have the long hair that we know of today. What happened is that they were bred in Turkey with the Turkish Angora cat, and this is where the long hair comes from. It does need to be pointed out that a lot of people think that the Persian was bred with the African wildcat and this is where their long hair came from.

What everybody does agree upon is that these cats are highly valued. They have always had a rarity value and they have always been the first choice of royalty. And actually at one time it was only royalty, and the wealthy that owned a Persian cat.

A number of people do think that the Persian is a descendant of Felis Libyca, which in case you didn't know is a cat that originated in Africa and Asia. The same people believe that the Persian was introduced into Europe much earlier than 1620, saying that the Persian was introduced in the 1500s by the Romans and Phoenicians.

We can be certain about the time that these special cats were first introduced to the United States and Canada. This occurred in the early 1900s, and from that time on, the cats gained in popularity, quickly becoming the most popular breed of cat in the world, which is a distinction that the breed still holds today. In fact, Persians started out as symbols, and became pets, after which they were prized for their show quality. Today, they are prized for their show and pet qualities, as many Persian owners never show their cats, while others are active exhibitors.

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