Himalayan Cat

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Himalayan Cat
Himalayan Cat

Video: Himalayan Cat

Video: Himalayan Cat
Video: Cats 101: Himalayan 2024, March
Anonim

The Himalayan cat is a breed of long-haired cats similar to the Persian, but with blue eyes and color-point color. Was bred by crossing Persian cats with Siamese. They are soft, calm and even-tempered cats that make excellent companions for adults and children. The Himalayans love to play, although they prefer quieter fun. Unlike other breeds, cats rarely give voice.

Weight: 4-6.5 kg.

The cost (price) of a kitten: in Russia - from 4000 rubles (from hand), with a pedigree from 5000-10000 rubles (pet-class) to 25000-50000 rubles (breeding and show-class) In America, kittens cost between $ 300 and $ 1,500, and in the UK, between £ 300 and £ 1,300.

Life expectancy: 14-16 years on average.

Country of origin: UK, USA.

Breed diseases: cutaneous asthenia, hereditary cataract, psychogenic alopecia, increased lacrimation, polycystic kidney disease, breathing problems, etc.

The breed is recognized by felinological associations: FIFe, WCF, TICA, CFA, AACE, ACFA / CAA, CCA.

Seal-point Himalayan cat, photo of cat breed photo
Seal-point Himalayan cat, photo of cat breed photo

Seal-point Himalayan cat, extreme type

Himalayan cat: buying a kitten

Tips for keeping and feeding, caring for teeth, eyes, ears and claws of Himalayan cats

Nicknames for Himalayan cats

Himalayan cat: tips for grooming

History

The Himalayan cat is the result of crossing Siamese and Persian cat breeds. The name of the breed was given because of the similarity with the color of the Himalayan rabbits, which are characterized by a dark color of the protruding parts of the body - muzzle, ears, tail, paws, and a light color of the rest of the body.

In the early 1930s, thanks to the efforts of Margarita Gorfort, Virginia Cobb and Dr. Clyde Keeler, Persian color-point cats, called Himalayans, appeared in the United States. In 1935, a breeding program for breeding similar cats also began in England. Only after long experiments on crossing Siamese cats with black and blue Persian cats were short-haired black kittens obtained, which later, when crossed with each other and with their parents, gave color-points in the offspring.

In the future, work was carried out in the direction of eliminating long noses and big ears, that is, on bringing them as close as possible to the Persian type. The breed received official recognition in 1955 in Great Britain, and in 1957 as an independent breed in the USA. In 1961, the Himalayan Persians were recognized by all the leading clubs in America.

The popularity of the new breed grew rapidly, and very soon the Himalayan cats became (and still remain) one of the most appreciated among lovers of breeds. In 1966, the first Himalayan cat won the CFA Grand Champion title. In 1984, due to the complete convergence of the exterior types of the Himalayan and Persian cats, CFA merged the Himalayan breed with the Persian, giving the Himalayans the status of a "sub-breed".

Himalayan cat appearance

Like the Persian cat, the Himalayans have two types in the breed: traditional and extreme. The head is round and massive. The jaws are powerful, the cheeks are full and prominent. When viewed in profile, the forehead, nose and chin should line up in one vertical line. The nose is snub-nosed, the same width as the length, with a distinct stop. Ideally, the "stop" should be above the middle of the eye.

Himalayan cat of chocolate color, photo of cat breed photo
Himalayan cat of chocolate color, photo of cat breed photo

Himalayan cat, chocolate color, extreme type

The eyes are large and round, with a soft expression giving the typical sweet expression. The color of the eyes ranges from blue to light blue. The ears are small, rounded, tilted slightly forward and not too open at the base, set wide apart. The chin is well developed, round and strong. The neck is short, wide, massive. The body is large or medium, muscular, with a broad chest and a straight back. The legs are short, thick and strong. The feet are wide and round, with tufts of hair between the toes. The tail is short, in proportion to the length of the body. The coat is long, dense, thin, shiny, with a silky texture, the undercoat is thick.

Body color from fawn to white. Dark marks are found on the face, ears, limbs and tail. Accepted colors: seal-point, chocolate-point, blue-point, lilac-point, red-point, red-links-point, cream-point, cake-point, chocolate-cake-point, blue-cream-point, lilac -cream-point, seal-links-point, blue-links-point, cake-links-point, blue-cream-links-point, chocolate-links-point, lilac-links-point, chocolate-cake-links-point, lilac-cream-links-point.

Genetics of colors of the Himalayan cat

The color of the coat on prominent areas of the body in Himalayan cats can vary depending on mutations in other genes. Wild type, with original, unaltered color genes, is a striped or brindle (tabby) color. Accordingly, a cat of this "wild" type, carrying the Himalayan gene, will have a lynx point, have a brindle - "lynx" pattern on the protruding parts of the body. The streaking disappears when the agouti gene changes and becomes an inactive non-agouti gene; if an animal carries a pair of non-agouti genes, it becomes solid and just black. A black cat with a pair of Himalayan genes is a seal-point color, that is, the hair on the protruding parts of the body has a dark brown - "fur seal" - color.

In cats carrying the orange gene, instead of the real pigment, a relative orange is formed. The hair color turns out to be red. The presence of the orange gene and the Himalayan gene leads to the color, which is designated as red-point - the protruding parts of the animal are fiery red. In males, the orange gene is always unpaired and determines the red color of all hairs on the protruding parts of the body, being in the singular. However, females have two different situations: animals with a pair of orange genes have only red hair on protruding parts of the body, and females with one orange gene carry the so-called tortoiseshell color - tortie point, when areas of red hair are interspersed with areas of a fur seal.

The seal point color is most common among Himalayan cats. The next most common colors are lynx-point, red-point and tortie-point. Rarer and more valuable colors are blue-point, cream-point, blue-cream-point and chocolate-point.

The rarest and most exquisite combination is Lilac Point Himalayan cats with a delicate bluish-pink (lilac) coat on the protruding parts of the body. It requires the simultaneous presence of a pair of Himalayan genes, a pair of chocolate genes and a pair of blue genes, in the presence of a pair of non-agouti genes. It is extremely difficult to maintain such a combination of mutant paired genes in generations.

The Himalayan cats with tortoiseshell colors - tortie point and blue cream point - deserve special attention. They combine two colors at once in one animal. Like two different colored cats in one. Therefore, for example, a tortoiseshell cat and a seal-point cat will give birth to seal-point, blue-point, red-point (cats), cream-point (cats), tortie-point (cats) and blue-cream-point (cats).

Seal-point male Himalayan cat, photo of cat breed photo
Seal-point male Himalayan cat, photo of cat breed photo

Seal point young Himalayan cat, traditional type

The nature and temperament of the Himalayan cat

The Himalayan cat is an affectionate, intelligent, gentle, people-oriented cat with a calm temperament. It is a great companion for older children. Ideal for living with elderly or single people. Himalayans build strong bonds with several family members at once.

Considered a "silent" breed. They do not require a lot of space, which makes them ideal pets for a city apartment. Himalayan cats fully enjoy a quiet home life. They do not like loud sounds or changes, they usually hide from strangers. They get along with other (non-aggressive) pets, including rodents and birds.

They are more active than Persian cats and can run after a toy for several hours. They do not require constant attention. Nevertheless, they like to be next to the owner, to sleep with him in the same bed. They crave affection and love. They love to lie on their knees when they are stroked and hugged.

They do not like to climb kitchen tables, refrigerators, curtains and top shelves. Instead, they usually lie in an armchair or sofa, bask on the windowsill in the sun and watch life with interest from the outside.

Himalayan cats love to play with toy mice, crumpled paper balls, and run after the beam of a laser pointer. Despite their average activity, they easily learn various tricks and commands, for example, "give a paw", "bring a toy", "ask", etc.

Persian cat
Persian cat

Article on the topic Persian cat

Reproduction

Females mature earlier than Persians of other colors. There are up to 6 kittens in a litter. Himalayan kittens, like Siamese, are born very light, almost white, with pink paw pads and a nose. The color of the ears appears in the first months of life. The "mask" on the face appears gradually - from the nose and further.

Himalayan cat health

Himalayan cats live an average of 14-16 years, but there are also long-livers. Life expectancy directly depends on the conditions of detention, care, proper feeding.

Himalayan cats have relatively good health and strong immunity. But due to the special structure of the muzzle, they have increased tearing and breathing problems. They are also prone to obesity, so you should stick to the diet and not overfeed your pet.

The Himalayans, due to their long coat, are sensitive to heat - they quickly overheat. Therefore, in the summer, they must either be completely cut (for non-display animals), or kept in an air-conditioned room.

Of the most common diseases of Himalayan cats, it is worth noting: polycystic kidney disease (hereditary disease), hyperesthesia syndrome (wave-like skin rolling syndrome), primary seborrhea (redness and itching of the skin, causing hair loss), eye diseases (progressive retinal atrophy, entropy, syndrome Cherry eye, glaucoma), susceptibility to fungal infections (eg, ringworm), urolithiasis and calcium oxalate crystalluria, dermatosparaxis (extremely fragile skin prone to bruising; this skin is soft and pliable to the touch, there is too much of it and it forms folds), allergies, von Willebrand disease (hereditary blood disease characterized by the occurrence of episodic spontaneous bleeding, which is similar to bleeding in hemophilia),hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dental problems (misaligned teeth, extra teeth or their absence, tooth resorption, periodontitis), arthritis, apocrine (epitrichous) cysts, idiopathic facial dermatitis of Persian cats.

20 nicknames for Himalayan cats

For male kittens: Ju (Lius), Jules, Juliusz, Zolli, Ilianu, Julian, Dassius, Shaggy, Keiser, Sisar.

For female kittens: Julie, Juliet, Pushha, Flafy, Julitta, Cesarin, Sheona, Reenie, Frederica, Ayres.

See the full list of nicknames …

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