In short, the answer to this question is, yes, Persian cats are high maintenance. This issue doesn’t mean they have to be. There are ways that you can manage to groom your Persian, so they are less so. Why grooming, you ask? Because their thick, silky fur is the issue at the top of the list. However, Persians do suffer from other problems that can cause their owner more work if these happen to rear their heads.
How do Persians compare to other cats?
There are a few other cats that are high maintenance along with the Persian. Persians can have problems with their tear ducts. Your job, keep the area around their eyes clean. They can have breathing issues as well because of their cute, smushed faces. It seems cuteness comes with a price. These appear to be lesser issues when compared to more severe problems. These problems include polycystic kidney disease (PKD), progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), bladder stones, cystitis (bladder infections), and liver shunts. If you’ve gotten your Persian from a reputable breeder, they’ve done what they could to breed these issues out of their line of cats. If any of these become a concern to you, you should take your kitty to the vet.
Other cats that are high maintenance.
Himalayan
Like the Persian breed, they need to be groomed daily and have some of the other health issues that Persians do. The reason being is that Himalayans are closely related to the Persian.
Munchkin
These cute little fluffs have been bred to have short, little legs. This can cause injury if they try to follow their cat nature and jump too far. This can lead to damage. Allowing your Munchkin to become obese is also a danger to their short legs. These cats don’t have few if any, congenital problems.
Sphynx
What could be wrong with a virtually hairless cat? They can have health issues that make them a little higher maintenance than some other breeds. They are prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle. They can also have what is called hereditary myopathy. This affects their muscles, which can lead to them not being able to swallow as well as other problems. This issue is rare, and breeders are working on breeding it out. Sphynxes are also prone to skin conditions and periodontal disease. You will have to brush their teeth.
Manx
These tailless cats can have spinal issues. This can cause problems going to the potty. Usually, if your Manx has a spinal issue, it will show by the time they reach six months old. You may notice difficulty walking or walk with a stiff or hopping gait. With no tail, this breed can have spinal defects. Your Manx may have trouble defecating or urinating if they have any spinal issues. Problems usually appear by six months of age. A Manx kitten likely has some spinal issues if they are displaying difficulty walking or walking with a stiff or hopping gait.
Peterbald
Have you ever heard of these cats? I haven’t until doing some research. These cats are similar in looks to an Oriental shorthair, but there are differences. The most significant difference is that these cats with peach fuzz for a coat are quite delicate. Rough treatment can hurt their skin. They can suffer from sunburn. These cats need a domain that is quiet and indoors. I don’t think I’d want a kitty that is so delicate, it would be like owning a piece of fine china. I’d be afraid of breaking it.
Maine Coon
These cats also need to be groomed regularly. Their coat isn’t as dense as a Persian’s, but it is long and prone to mats. My Maine Coon girl, Acacia, needs to be brushed about once a week and check their coat daily or every other day for tangles and mats. They do suffer from a heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), hip dysplasia, and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
How do you groom a Persian cat?
The first step is to realize that having a Persian in your home will require you to groom them. Once you understand that, it will make this job more manageable. The other important thing is to set the perfect grooming schedule for you and your Persian. These sessions can be great bonding times for you and your Persian kitty.
Your Persian has a beautiful, thick, silky coat, and you want it to stay that way. Daily grooming is a necessity. The Persian fur is so thick it needs regular brushing to keep it at its fluffiest best. When grooming your cat, you will want to be sure you do their eyes, nails, and ears.
Before you start grooming, you’ll want to have these tools on hand. I won’t add detail here as there is a more in-depth post here on the blog. You should have a brush and maybe a comb, clippers for fur and nails, shampoo, coconut oil, cotton balls, ear cleaner, and styptic powder. The brush and perhaps a comb are pretty much self-explanatory. They are used for precisely the thing you use your brush for. The clippers for fur are a bit different than those for nails, of course. One is used to cut hair, and the other is used to trim your cat’s claws. The shampoo, you’ll want to bathe your Persian to be sure they stay clean and fluffy. Coconut oil will help loosen a mat if you can’t get it free. Styptic powder is used when you draw blood by clipping a claw to close or even if you’ve clipped what you thought was all fur and caught a bit of skin. This powder stops the bleeding.
Clip your kitty’s nails first be sure to have your cotton balls and styptic powder ready just in case.
You’ll want to brush your Persian before you bathe them. This will allow you to be sure all the tangles or mats if they have them are removed. Plus, it gives you a chance as much shed hair off them as well.
Once or twice a month, after proper brushing, you should bathe your cat.
Your Persian may have trouble with their tear ducts, which can lead to staining around the eyes. You can keep this cleaned up by using a stain removing solution. Wipe their eyes daily with this solution.
Also, they can get wax build up on their ears so you should clean them with an ear cleaning solution. Use this solution on a cotton ball and clean the inside of their ear.
This is a condensed version of the grooming steps you’ll want to take with your Persian. For more information, read the more in-depth guide by following the link above.
Following a schedule and using the steps above, you will find that your relationship with your high maintenance Persian becomes more natural. You must set up a plan and stick to it.
Some Persian may not like being groomed. In this case, break up your grooming routine into smaller sessions.
Conclusion
The biggest reason Persians seem so high maintenance is that they need to be groomed every other day if not daily to keep their fur in great shape. If you don’t groom them regularly, their hair can become matted, making getting their coat back into shape time consuming, hard work. So, you see, having a grooming schedule is best for you and your Persian.
Persians do have some health issues and need grooming daily, but this shouldn’t keep you from bringing one home. They are loveable, balls of fluff. Besides, even humans have health and grooming issues that we must take care of, and we don’t keep that from having another human living with us.
Hope this article was helpful to you. Remember to keep your Persian groomed on a schedule, and any issues you have or had will disappear or at least diminish.
Let us know how we did on this subject? How do you cope with your Persian’s grooming needs? Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear from you.