Himalayan Cat Breed

The Himalayan cat is a breed of long-haired cat identical in type to the Persian . . .




. . . with the exception of its blue eyes and its point colouration, which were derived from the crossing of the Persian with the Siamese. Although similar breeds have existed for hundreds of years, the Colourpoint Persian, as they are commonly referred to in Europe, was only begun in the 1950s. 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 colour variation of the Persian rather than as a separate breed, although they do compete in their own colour division.
It was for the colour that the breed was named Himalayan: a reference to the colouration of Himalayan animals, in particular the Himalayan rabbit.