Persian cats, advice?
 

If you're going for a purebred, make sure you check out the kitty's parents first (esp. for that price disparity... I believe all kitties and puppies are cute and deserve to be loved, but you want to make sure you get a healthy cat. I'm sure there's a reason for the deep discount, but you don't want to get stuck with a really sick cat or whatever because it was $450 cheaper than most other cats of that breed)

If you haven't done yet, look deep into that breed - look for common illnesses that the breed may get (lhasa apsos for example are prone to hip dysplasia like lots of other small breed dogs b/c they spend lots of time on their hind legs)... or talk to a vet.

best of luck!! post pics of your kitty when you get him/her

Go purebred if you must, but really, there are a lot of really great pets available at your local shelters and/or SPCA. I'd really recommend checking them out. Buying from for-profit breeders only encourages that practice.

Unless you plan on showing the cat, what's the point in going purebred.

A lot of pets bought from breeders and stores are in-bred & have lots of health issues. Just be careful when buying from a breeder/store & do your homework on researching the pet's history. Someone posted this on another board about backyard breeders, maybe it'll help you out!

Holy crap, I agree with Kevin. ;)

I'm a cat person, but what I know about actually owning cats couldn't fill a thimble (except that I know you don't own a cat, the cat owns you ;) ). Sadly, I will probably never own a cat, as my husband is allergic, and any children we may have might inherit the allergy.

If you're after a big fluffy cat, you can find them at shelters. My neighbors have two cats, both adopted from shelters. One of them is a big grey fluffy cat. The other is a shorthair. They are the cutest cats :)

My local shelter charges $75 to adopt an adult cat and $100 to adopt a kitten. These are shelter cats. So $50 is ringing alarm bells for me. The shelter does spay/neuter the cats and makes sure their shots are up to date. (Same with the dogs they adopt out.)

We have a white Persian that we bought years ago from someone who could no longer keep him. He's about 12 years old now, and has a wonderful temperment. While we love him to death, and especially love looking at him because he's so beautiful-I won't get another long-haired cat, simply because I like having a clean house. We also have an elderly cocker-spaniel that we got from Cocker rescue two years ago. He's more trouble, and expensive, as far as health issues go, but he's not the one making me vaccuum several times a week!! Persians REALLY shed!! And they do cough up a lot of hairballs because of the long fur.

My roommate just post-college had a Persian cat. It was really sickly and died before it was a year old. It was a really sweet cat-- just had a lot of health probs. I remember she had to snip his hair right around his rear end to keep him from pooping on himself. Not trying to dissaude you if you really want a long haired cat; just be prepared for lots of shedding and messes. Short-hairs are a bit easier, if that would be an option. Or if you have a long hair, you could do a lion cut.

My neighbour had a persian and did the exact same thing to her kitty. I must say that was the most cutest/funniest thing I've seen, but I'm sure the kitty wasn't pleased :p

Cats apparently like/don't care about the lion cut. With a fluffy Persian somewhere in the South, the cat will certainly be happier (and your vaccum/air filters will suffer less).

My parents had a Persian cat when I was younger... she lived till she was 17. She was a wonderful cat, very affectionate and pretty calm. They are gorgeous cats... as everyone already said, they shed a lot, but you had to have already known that before asking :)

ETA: I have heard that Persians (especially the ones with blue eyes) are more prone to blindness, so you know.

lol

that is the funniest/cutest thing I've ever seen

I also do know how true that is, but my cousin did have a white Persian cat with blue eyes (like the ones from the toilet paper commercial) and she was blind.

I adpoted my cat (shorthair) from the Humane Society. Normally our local human society has adoption fees that range from $75-$100, but every now and then they will waive their adoption fees and ask for donations instead. I don't know if any of your local shelters have anything like that, but I would recomend visiting a shelter/humane society/SPCA before going to a breeder. I don't know much about pure bred animals, but something strikes me as very odd if a pure bred Persian usually goes for $500 but this breeder is selling them for $50. Chances are it's not really a pure bred or there is something seriously wrong with the kittens.

She's beautiful!! Congratulations!!

Awww she's SO cute!!

What a pretty kitty!

Holy crap.. that cat looks exactly like mine.

Looks like a Maine Coon.

When I first got my cat, the shelter had named it "Roger Coon..." An pure black cat named "Coon." That was changed immediately :)

Congrats on your new pet! I'm glad you went the petfinder route, good looking out! :D

Aww, she's so adorable <3 Congrats!

beautiful kitty! i also got a Black shelter/rescue cat earlier this year. :)

AWE! Black cats are the best- I've had four of them so far and I have a huge soft spot for them.

But- because of the crazy/sickos out there, be careful around Halloween. Even if you decide to make her an indoor/outdoor cat- be sure not to let her out in October.

Oh Lordie, where do I start. Since I have to work the overnight tonight and need to go back to bed I'll make this short. First of all most "breeders" I meet are backyard breeders so to speak. In fact one of my clients I see about evey 6 to 12 months (keep in mind I am at an EC so I am not the regular vet) breeds persians and his cats are always sickly looking-chronic URI, diarrhea, nasty eyes, no nares to breath etc... Persians are known for having chronic nasal and eye problems. If you do end up getting one make sure you get a return policy and make sure you are able to tour the facility (which in most cases is some stinky persons house). If you see any of the persians with sneezing, nasal or eye discharge (which most will have) I would not purchase. Also, have the kitten checked by your veterinarian right away. They are long haired and you will be vacuuming very frequently (unless you get the cat shaved). BTW, make sure the parents have benn screened for polycystic kidney disease-a very common disease in persians that can lead to kidney failue, chronic illness and eventually euthanasia. My guess is if this person is selling them for 50$ he or she is a backyard breeder and does not have his or her cats screened for eye/kidney or nasal problems. Be aware of the cheap price you get what you pay for.

ETA: I just read the rest of the thread, congrats on a beautiful kitty and I am glad you adopted from a rescue organization :) thanks for saving a life.

thanks for the tip!

I've had persians (both show and pet) for about 16 years now and I agree with what the others have said above. Don't get me wrong, I love my cats, but they are challenging to keep. You have some options if you're interested later in getting a Persian.

Check out either TICA (The International Cat Association)
http://www.ticaeo.com/

or CFA (Cat Fancier's Association)
http://www.cfainc.org/

Both have information on all purebreeds of kitties and can refer you to reputable breeders in your area. If you haven't already, consider going to a cat show (these websites have the show calendar's posted.) I encourage going to a show not just for the entertainment value, but to see the variety of grooming that the exhibitor puts in for that breed of cat. This is also a good place to pick up a business card or two for some breeders/catteries you are interested in. Ask questions of the breeder; most breeders are happy to give information about their cats, their cattery, experience, etc.

If you do contract with a breeder, it is always good to see the cattery, ask what is included with the contract (all sets of kitten shots, cattery certified pkd negative, etc.)

http://www.pkdaware.com/


There are also some other avenues you can pursue. If you're serious about a persian, you might consider The Persian Rescue Pages. Depending on your area, there is probably one near you.

I love my cats but they require a lot of work. They need to be brushed daily (depending on the fur texture, some tend to matt just by looking at them), eyes checked to make sure they're clear and wiped, claws clipped. I bathe mine once every two weeks and they get blow dried. Their ears get cleaned and checked to make sure they don't get mites.

They're cuddle bugs (at night one sleeps with me and one sleeps on my husband's head) and we've been grateful for every moment that we've had to share with these kitties.