Introduction
The Himalayan, also known as the Himmy and the Colorpoint Persian, is a breed of cat which was developed by crossing a Persian with a Siamese. This intelligent lap cat is known for forming extremely close bonds with their people and for their relaxed personalities.
The Himalayan is medium to large sized cat with a stout body build. Their very long, thick, and fluffy hair should be brushed daily to avoid knots and tangles, and pet owners should expect moderate to high shedding from this breed.
They have characteristics flat faces, just like the Persian, but they are distinguished from the Persian by their blue eyes and Siamese point colorations.
Temperament
As one of the most devoted cat breeds, pet owners of the Himalayan can expect their cat to be with them, or near them, wherever they are in the home. The Himalayan can be playful, but this cat spends most of their time ‘supervising’ their humans. They are very vocal as well with a pleasant sounding meow which many pet owners enjoy.
Health
The Himalayan is a healthy breed with a life expectancy of 15 years, but they can carry a gene which can cause kidney disease. A test for this gene is available and Himalayans which carry this gene should be spayed or neutered.
History
Since the development of the Himalayan in the 1950’s, there has been some controversy surrounding whether the Himalayan should be considered as its own distinct breed or as a type of Persian breed. This controversy remains, even though the Himalayan is usually shown in its own class at cat shows. Currently, the development of standards for the breed is still underway.