Persian Cat Fanciers Association Breed Standard:

Below the printed standard are links to pictures of the different colors of Persian cats.

Balance and refinement are the essence of the breed, where all parts come together in a harmonious whole, with neither too much nor too little consideration given to any one feature. For cats in the tabby division, the 20 points for color are to be divided - 10 for markings and 10 for color. For cats in the bi-color division, the 20 points for color are to be divided 10 for "with white" pattern and 10 for color.

GENERAL: the ideal Persian should present an impression of a heavily boned, well-balanced cat with a sweet expression and oft, round lines. The large round eyes set wide apart in a large round head contribute to the overall look and expression. The long thick oat softens the lines of the cat and accentuates the roundness in appearance.

HEAD: round and massive, with great breadth of skull. Round face with round underlying bone structure. Well set on a short, thick neck. Skull structure to be smooth and round to the touch and not unduly exaggerated from where the forehead begins at the top of the break to the back of the head, as well as across the breadth between the ears. When viewed in profile, the prominence of the eyes is apparent and the forehead, nose, and chin appear to be in vertical alignment.

NOSE: short, snub, and broad, with "break" centered between the eyes.

CHEEKS: full. Muzzle not overly pronounced, smoothing nicely into the cheeks.

JAWS: broad and powerful.

CHIN: full, well-developed, and firmly rounded, reflecting a proper bite.

EARS: small, round tipped, tilted forward, and not unduly open at the base. Set far apart, and low on the head, fitting into (without distorting) the rounded contour of the head.

EYES: brilliant in color, large, round, and full. Set level and far apart, giving a sweet expression to the face.

BODY: of cobby type, low on the legs, broad and deep through the chest, equally massive across the shoulders and rump, with a wellrounded mid-section and level back. Good muscle tone with no evidence of obesity. Large or medium in size. Quality the determining consideration rather than size.

LEGS: short, thick, and strong. Forelegs straight. Hind legs are straight when viewed from behind.

PAWS: large, round, and firm. Toes carried close, five in front and four behind.

TAIL: short, but in proportion to body length. Carried without a curve and at an angle lower than the back.

COAT: long and thick, standing off from the body. Of fine texture, glossy and full of life. Long all over the body, including the shoulders. The ruff immense and continuing in a deep frill between the front legs. Ear and toe tufts long. Brush very full.

DISQUALIFY: locket or button. Kinked or abnormal tail. Incorrect number of toes. Any apparent weakness in the hind quarters. Any apparent deformity of the spine. Deformity of the skull resulting in an asymmetrical face and/or head. Crossed eyes. *

*The above listed disqualifications apply to all Persian cats. Additional disqualifications are listed under "Colors".

For the complete Persian cat breed standard in pdf format, which includes scoring, please visit the CFA web site. This document requires Adobe Acrobat Reader ™. To down load a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader visit this site.