The Hamalayan Cat



History

The first Himalayan kitten was part of an experimental breeding program started by Dr. Clyde Keeler and Virginia Cobb in 1931. In Canada in the 1950’s Ben Borrett started work on a similar breeding program with the goal being to create a colorpoint longhair cat breed and in 1955 the GCCF recognized the Himalayan cat breed as a Colorpoint Longhair.

Marguerita Goforth began a breeding program to create a Persian type cat that had Siamese markings. She was instrumental in getting the Himalayan recognized for championship and in 1957 this cat breed was recognized by American associations.

Description

The Himalayan cat breed has the body and the coat of the Persian with the beautiful colors and patterns and blue eyes of the Siamese.

This cat breed is a medium to large cat with a short cobby body type. The head is round and large with a short, thick neck. The eyes are round and large and set far apart. The ears are rounded at the tip, small and set low on the head. The tail is in proportion with the body and is short and thick.

The coat of the Himalayan cat breed is long and silky and this makes it require daily grooming sessions. The undercoat needs to be kept tangle-free and the top coat silky and shiny.

This is a cat breed that should be considered only by people who have the time and the will to commit to the grooming needs of this long haired cat.

The ears, face mask, tail, legs and feet show the color of the cat. The body color is uniform with a definite contrast between the body color and the point color.

Personality & Temperament

This long haired cat breed is loving and affectionate. The Himalayan is not a very active cat breed but rather prefers to cuddle on your lap. Due to their Siamese genes, they are talkative, communicating with you in soft chirps and quiet meows.

They like to play with toys such as a piece of scrunched up paper or a ball of string. They are more suited to a quieter household but do get along well with children and other pets.