Types of Himalayan Kittens

The Himalayan is a mixture of the Persian and Siamese cat. Himalayan cats are distinctive because of their beautiful color pattern, long flowing coats and sturdy, handsome bodies. There are two styles of this breed, which vary mainly in facial shape. Like the Siamese cat, Himalayan kittens are bred for a wide variety of ̶0;point̶1; colors.

  1. Origin

    • In 1950, a breeder deliberately crossbred a Persian and Siamese, then bred the resulting offspring to produce a cat with the body and coat of a Persian and the color and markings of a Siamese. In 1957, the Cat Fanciers̵7; Association recognized the breed, which was named for the similarly colored Himalayan rabbit. In 1984, the CFA chose to consider the Himalayan as a division of the Persian breed, rather than its own breed. This decision was controversial and led to those who disagreed to split from the CFA and form their own organization, the National Cat Fanciers Association.

    Breed Characteristics

    • Himalayans have a body style called ̶0;cobby,̶1; meaning they are heavy-set and well-muscled with a broad chest. Their long fur adds to their rounded appearance. Himalayans have wide, round, blue eyes; small, rounded ears; a full, round face; and a well-developed chin. Himalayans are known for being calm but affectionate. They require a considerable amount of grooming to keep their coats mat-free.

    Color Points

    • The Himalayan kitten's main coat color may be white or beige, with a uniform color being desirable. Its ̶0;points̶1; are the color that appears on its ears, legs, tail, feet and face mask. According to the Iams Cat Breed Guide, there should be a definite distinction between the body color and the point color. Point colors include seal, chocolate, blue, lilac, red, and mixes with tortie (tortoiseshell) and lynx coloration. Other colors accepted are chocolate tortie, lilac-cream and blue-cream. Lynx, or tabby-marked points accepted are seal lynx, blue lynx, red lynx, cream lynx, tortie lynx, blue-cream lynx, chocolate lynx, lilac lynx, chocolate-tortie lynx and lilac-cream lynx.

    Extreme

    • Extreme Himalayans have been bred to have a round, flattened face with a very short, snub nose which is nearly as high as its eyes. Although the extreme Himalayan is the more popular style in the cat-show ring, according to PetPlace.com, a pet-care-information website, some breeders object to this style because it reportedly can create health problems for the cats, including eye tearing and respiratory difficulties. Some extreme Himalayans require daily face washing to remove dark tear stains from under the eyes.

    Traditional

    • The traditional Himalayan (sometimes called original Himalayan) has a short, snub nose that is set lower on the face than that of the extreme Himalayan. The traditional Himalayan̵7;s nose has only a slight ̶0;break,̶1; or indentation above the bridge, whereas the extreme Himalayan has a complete break. Traditional Himalayans have a somewhat longer face than extreme Himalayans, and an up-curving mouth which many refer to as a ̶0;doll face̶1; look. Proponents of the traditional Himalayans claim that these cats have fewer health issues than their extreme counterparts.