Does anyone own a Persian?

[Geepers]

We have put down a deposit on a gorgeous, fluffy, cream Persian kitten. However, although i had done a bit of reading about them before, now we are almost due to collect her I am having serious doubts as to whether we are up to the amount of care some websites imply they need.

Specific concerns are grooming, eye care, ear care, clinkers round the bottom because they are so hairy and specific dietary needs.

I am seriously thinking that maybe we would be better off forfeiting our deposit and getting a cat who is easier to care for, but less beautiful.

So are Persians really high maintenance? Or is it really not as bad as it sounds?

[Geepers]

Anyone....?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Weeeelll... I am not a fan of their squashed faces buut I don't think it is as bad as it sounds. Last cat was part Persian (so we were told) and VERY furry. You need to start brushing her from the get go, so that she is used to it and enjoys it. Ours objected violently to be brushed (brushing her involved ski gloves and a long handled brush!) and we sometimes had to cut the knots out of her fur. But how hard is it really to brush a cat a couple of times a day? It's hardly demanding or time consuming when you think about it.

Eye care...no idea. Our Maine Coon gets eye snot - you can get eye wipes for cats from places like Pets R Us or whatever these places are called. Maybe someone who knows more about Persians can advise you on this one.

Diet - well, our last cat had a gluten allergy. Most cat food is wheat based, so we ended up buying extortionately expensive little tins from the vet for about a year, after which we weaned her carefully back onto a rice based dry cat food which was marginally less expensive (helped by the fact that FIL worked for a pet food company and we got all of the "split" bags). Current puss also has difficulty with wheat based cat food (it makes him aggressive), so I guess whatever cat you get, this could be a problem.

Clinkers - both our last cat and current one have very hairy arses. Last cat kept herself clean quite happily, no problem. This one either scrapes the clinkers off on the top of the litter box (he has a Modkat litter box, which he enters from the top) or the bathroom floor (boak). But this has only happened about twice. Cat poo is generally hard and they manage to get it off the fur quite easily, usually by flicking the tail.

Does that help?

[Bearcat]

Our old cat was a chinchilla (think the cat in the James Bond films).
I combed him from a very early age, but he could still get knots under his arms and between his back legs.
he used to love to lies on his back on my knee and allowed me to slowly snip his knots of with a pair of scissors. I did get the occasional swipe and scratched hand from him and more or less managed to keep him under control for 17 years.
Once the nurse from the vet came to our home and put a mask over his face and gave him a most brilliant grooming (I did feel sorry for him though whilst it was happening).
He did sometimes have diarrhoea which used to mess him up a bit and I used to shower his back end (see my post on bathing cats).
As far as bathing cats eyes use boiled water (which you have then cooled of course) with some salt in for manky eyes.
He was hard work and to be honest I wouldn't have a long haired cat again, but I didn't give a thought to all this stuff before I had him and once you have got a cat you just do your best for them.

[ihavenewsockson]

I had a lovely blue persian and he had a great temperament.
Kept himself very clean, unless he had a tummy upset- inwhich case, we swaddled him in a towel and showered his bum (nice!)

Not very gracious for a cat but loved a cuddle.

[Geepers]

Thanks everyone.

Well we collected her and have been home with her for about an hour. OMG she is soooo hairy. She is just laying in her bed at the moment, absolutely terrified i should think but i hope she warms up to us. I have to say she doesn't strike me as the most playful cat in the world but that might be because we have a very bouncy BSH kitten ruling the roost at the moment.

Her name is Fi-Fi Fluffle-Toes from the Pink House.

[Geepers]

She is so timid. I just put her in her litter tray so she knows where it is and she curled up in a ball and tried to hide in it :(

I've returned her to her bed and am just leaving her for now. When we brought our other kitten home she was confident from the get-go.

[Bearcat]

Sounds just like our Ted (BSH) when we brought him home 7 years ago.
I don't think he ever recovered from coming to live with us!
He was extremely shy and never wanted anything to do with us. Took him 2 years to sit on our knee (only if a newspaper was there though) and never for long. we're maybe up to 15 mins max now though.
If we try to pick him up (and you know how big BSH's are) he will try if he's feeling sharpish to jump through your hands.
I put it down to not being handled enough as a kitten and pedigree cats cannot be rehomed until 3 months old.
We love him though and he does us in his own perculiar way.
I'd say just keep trying to handle her and don't let her get away without being handled, or you'll end up like us!

[Geepers]

She is 24 weeks so has obviously spent a lot time with her breeders in her first home. We we actually told she was 18 weeks so a little annoyed that I am going to have to get her spayed almost immediately.

She hasn't used her litter tray yet and takes any opportunity to hide in a corner or behind the sofa, but she is now laying right next to me and has rolled over to let me tickle her tummy.

I don't blame her for being nervous. If i was dumped in this house I'd be jittery too ;)

Will make sure i handle her lots but i suspect that her personality has formed already.