Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Himalayan Cat

Himalayan Cat
Himalayan Cat by dacktyl2009

The Himalayan is a breed of long-haired cat identical in type to the Persian, with the exception of its blue eyes and point coloration, which were derived from the crossing of the Persian with the Siamese. In Europe they are referred to as Colourpoint Persians or Colourpoint Longhairs.

While the Himalayan is considered a breed separate from the Persian by The International Cat Association, it is grouped together with the Persian and Exotic Shorthair(shorthaired version of the Persian) under a "Persian Breed Group standard". The Cat Fanciers' Association considers the Himalayan a color variation of the Persian rather than as a separate breed, although they do compete in their own color division.