Blacks have glossy patent finishes that glisten with intensity. Their pale silver-blue coats are most beautiful when viewed in natural lighting. Blues, once the apex of the breed, have been interbred with other colors to produce a more uniform type.
The coat color for all solids should be sound to the roots and free from markings or shadings. The other solid colors have brilliant copper eyes. Some have brilliant copper or deep blue eyes, others the surprising combination of one blue and one copper eye of equal intensity. In the Solid Division, only the pristine whites come in three different eye colors. While the white Persian has long been the darling of photographers and advertisers, Persians come in an astonishing number of colors, which are divided into seven color divisions for purposes of competition. It is wise to establish the routine of the bath when they are young.
An occasional bath, attempted only after a complete comb-through and clipping of the nail tips, will keep the coat clean, healthy and beautiful. Proper maintenance requires a daily run-through with a metal comb to eliminate the potential drawbacks of tangles and hairballs. Their long flowing coats require an indoor, protected environment. Pleasurable as an unexpected sunbeam, their companionship is close and enduring. Persians are tremendously responsive and become a constant source of joy and delight to their owners.
Playful but never demanding, they love to pose and will drape themselves in a favorite window or chair, enhancing the decor in much the same way as a treasured painting. They like to have their feet firmly planted and are not given to high jumping and climbing. Persians have short heavilyboned legs to support their broad, short bodies. They communicate delightfully with their large expressive eyes and make charming pets for all ages. Their quiet, melodious voices are pleasant and non-abrasive.
Creatures of habit, they are most at home in an atmosphere of security and serenity, but with love and reassurance, can easily adapt to the most boisterous of households. Their sweet, gentle, personalities blend into most households once they feel secure in their new environment. Persians, with their luxurious coats and open pansy-like faces are the number one breed in popularity. They were called Persian for their “country of origin,” but hieroglyphic references as early as 1684 B.C. As the dusty desert caravans wound their way westward from Persia and Iran, it is supposed that secreted among the rare spices and jewels on the basket-laden camels was an even more precious cargo, an occasional longhair cat.