Artistic Science

sterlingkato:

In 1958, breeder and author P. M. Soderberg wrote in “Pedigree Cats, Their Varieties, breeding and Exhibition —
“Perhaps in recent times there has been a tendency to over-accentuate this type of short face, with the result that a few of the cats seen at shows have faces which present a peke-like appearance. This is a type of face which is definitely recognized in the United States, and helps to form a special group within the show classification for the [Persian] breed. There are certainly disadvantages when the face has become too short, for this exaggeration of type is inclined to produce a deformity of the tear ducts, and running eyes may be the result. A cat with running eyes will never look at its best because in time the fur on each side of the nose becomes stained, and thus detracts from the general appearance […] The nose should be short, but perhaps a plea may be made here that the nose is better if it is not too short and at the same time uptilted. A nose of this type creates an impression of grotesqueness which is not really attractive, and there is always a danger of running eyes.”

Other conditions which the Persian is predisposed to are listed below:

• Dermatological - Primary seborrhoea, Idiopathic periocular crusting, Dermatophytosis(ringworm),[45] Facial fold pyoderma, Idiopathic facial dermatitis (aka dirty face syndrome), Multiple epitrichial cysts(eyelids)
• Ocular - Coloboma, Lacrimal punctal aplasia, Corneal sequestrum, Congenital cataract
• Urinary - Calcium oxalate urolithiasis (Feline lower urinary tract disease)
• Reproductive - Cryptorchidism
• Gastrointestinal - Congenital portosystemic shunt,[46] Congenital polycystic liver disease (associated with PKD)
• Cardiovascular - Peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia
• Immunological - Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Neurological - Alpha-mannosidosis

Neoplastic - Basal cell carcinoma, Sebaceous gland tumours

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“A show-quality Persian has an extremely long and thick coat, short legs, a wide head with the ears set far apart, large eyes, and an extremely shortened muzzle. The breed was originally established with a short muzzle, but over time, this characteristic has become extremely exaggerated, particularly in North America.”

Traditional Persians had a visible muzzle where as the newer more exaggerated versions have a virtually flat profile with a well defined ‘break’ between the eyes. One could literally hold a modern Persian’s face to the broadside of a wall and it would match up perfectly. 
Their nose doesn’t even extend past the bugle of their eyes. 

As with dog breeds like the Bulldog, Pug, and Pekingese, the Persian cat as well as it’s short haired prodigy the Exotic have a brachycephalic skull. This means the bridge of their nose is curved upwards, in most cases to extreme proportions: 


 
In turn this can cause difficulty breathing, crowded teeth, missing teeth, and can even cause a female cat’s kittens to have difficulty breaching the birthing canal; they sometimes get stuck.


Their bodies can often develop deformities as well due to their standard ‘stocky, short legged, cobbled legs’ being a preferred look for the breed. A common issue that can arise as a result is ‘Feline dwarfism’ which typically manifested as noticeably short legs.

Although it appears the breed should be healthy and their average life span is hailed to be 15 years or more, this breed is often riddled with health issues. In fact it’s one of the top cat breeds that will almost be certain to develop some kind of health issue in its lifetime. It’s rival being the Siamese which has also been greatly exaggerated from it’s former self. 
Although it’s not common mental retardation due to a condition called hydrocephalus (a condition in which the brain swells) as well as syringomyelia in which is caused by a malformation in the lower back of the skull which reduces the space available to the brain, compressing it and often forcing it out (herniating it) through the opening into the spinal cord. These can also happen in the more extreme skull types for the breed. 

The Persian is a cat of timid and lazy personality, but it’s also a breed which has the highest potential to live a very uncomfortable life. 
Many people own one and in most cases they’re happy cats. However, they, like the handful of pedigree dogs sharing their physique, are victims of pure vanity over functionality. 

(Source: kato-ren)