Himalayan Cat

About the breed

The Himalayan is the one domestic cat where experts still cannot agree whether it counts as its own breed or is simply a colour variety of another one. Whatever the official classification, it is a long-haired cat with the compact body of a Persian, blue eyes and the darker "points" of a Siamese - a combination no other cat shares.

A Persian with Siamese colouring

The Himalayan was created by deliberately crossing Persian and Siamese cats, combining the Persian's body type with the Siamese's colourpoint pattern and blue eyes. Early work began in the 1930s at Harvard University, with results published in the Journal of Heredity in 1936, though the breed was not yet officially recognised. In Britain, breeder Brian Sterling-Webb spent roughly a decade developing his own line, recognised in 1955 as the "Longhaired Colourpoint" by the GCCF. In the United States, the CFA granted breed recognition under the name "Himalayan" in 1957.

Is it even its own breed?

The answer depends on which registry you ask, which is unusual for a cat breed. The CFA (since 1984) and the British GCCF treat the Himalayan as a colourpoint variety of the Persian rather than a separate breed, TICA lists it within the same standard group as the Persian, and the World Cat Federation merged it with the Colorpoint Shorthair and the Javanese into a single breed called simply "Colourpoint." Only a minority of registries, including the American ACFA, recognise it as a genuinely independent breed. In practice this mostly matters at cat shows: the same cat may be entered as a "Persian, colourpoint division" rather than a "Himalayan."

Appearance and coat

The body is cobby - compact, low on the leg and broad-chested - exactly like a Persian's. The head is round and massive, the nose short and pushed in, the ears small and rounded. The coat is long and thick all over, including the tail, ears and toe tufts. The signature colourpoint pattern means the body stays pale while the cooler extremities - face, ears, legs and tail - carry the darker colour; the standard requires blue eyes on every pointed Himalayan, whereas solid-coloured Persians usually have copper eyes. Most colours are accepted except mink and sepia.

Temperament

The Himalayan is considered one of the calmest and most devoted cat breeds - unlike its vocal Siamese ancestor, it is fairly quiet and rarely demanding with its voice. It enjoys being near its family without being clingy, making it a good match for a quiet household that wants a cat happy to settle nearby rather than climb the curtains.

Coat and eye care

The long coat is this breed's biggest commitment: without daily brushing it mats quickly, especially behind the ears, under the legs and around the tail. The short nose also makes tear staining common, so wiping the face with a damp cloth every day is worthwhile. The facial folds and ears need regular checking and cleaning too.

Health

Because the Himalayan is genetically a Persian, it inherits the same health predispositions. The most significant is polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a hereditary condition in which cysts form in the kidneys; before DNA testing became routine, studies found the mutation in up to nearly half of Persians tested, and responsible breeders now use the PKD1 DNA test to exclude affected cats from breeding. The flat face (brachycephaly) can bring breathing difficulty, tear duct problems and corneal damage, and the head shape is linked to a somewhat higher risk of complications at birth than in cats with a normal-length face. Regular heart checks are also worthwhile, since hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is reported more often in Persians than in the general cat population. With careful breeding and regular veterinary care, a Himalayan can still live a long, good-quality life.

Who it suits

The Himalayan suits owners with a fairly calm lifestyle who can spare a few minutes every day for brushing and wiping facial folds. Its placid nature makes it a good apartment cat, and it is generally friendly with children and other calm pets, but it is not the best choice for a first-time owner who has not yet dealt with daily long-coat grooming and the health monitoring a brachycephalic cat needs.

Pros & cons