Five Personality Traits of the Persian Cat

Persian cats are very popular, and are regularly one of the top ten breeds of cat on both sides of the Atlantic. Much of their popularity is due to their looks, for with their gorgeous long fur and unique flat faces, they are definitely one of the most beautiful of all cat breeds. Indeed, a fluffy Persian kitten in hard for anyone to resist. But the Persian is popular for its laid back and loving personality too. Here we take a look at the most usual personality traits of the Persian cat. A word of warning, however – all cats are different, just like all people. So there is no guarantee that your particular Persian will be as described below. But it is likely to be very similar. So if you want to know what it is like to own a Persian, or be owned by one, then read on...

Persian Cats are Friendly and Loving

Persian cats are incredibly calm and loving, both towards their owners and often towards strangers too. They love being picked up and held, and will often sneak on to a stranger's lap, purring loudly. Indeed, it is this aspect of the Persian personality that endears them to people perhaps more than anything else, and ensures that owners are happy to put up with the constant grooming and care that owning a Persian requires. Persians are trusting cats, and tend to assume that because they love people, everyone will love them back – and they are usually right about this. They are also happy cats, and are content just to sit quietly with their owners, asking for nothing more.

Persian Cats are Quiet and Soft Voiced, and They Love Purring

Persian cats rarely miaow, and they certainly don't yowl or carry on long conversations with their owners in the way that Siamese, Burmese, and Maine Coon cats may do. Indeed, if you want a cat that continuously advertises its presence, don't get a Persian. Most of them have very soft voices, and only use them when really necessary. But one thing Persian cats do a lot is purr. They have sometimes been described as purring machines! One of my Persians used to just walk around the house purring, often for no apparent reason. It was as though she was simply saying that life was good. For this reason they are excellent antidotes to the stress of ordinary everyday life, and it is hard to be miserable if you have a Persian cat around.

Persian Cats are Undemanding

Persians rarely make demands on their owners. You will experience none of the miaowing and demanding food that owners of some other breeds find to be normal when you have a Persian. They are just prepared to love you, but expect very little in return beyond food, water, a place to sleep, and a little love and care. Most of the time they will simply sit quietly, or just curl up and sleep the day away. Many of them don't even object to being groomed frequently, which is just as well, since most Persian coats need daily grooming, sometimes even twice a day for some Persian coats. And if you decide to show your Persian cat, preparation for the show will be at least a full day job! So it is lucky that most of these cats are simply prepared to accept this as a part of life.

Persian Cats are Extremely Laid Back

As will be clear from most of the above, the Persian is a very laid back cat. Indeed, chilling out comes as second nature to these cats. Although some of them enjoy going outside, this is a cat which will not object to living entirely indoors. Perhaps because of this, they don't tolerate noise as well as some other breeds, so if you have a very noisy household, make sure that your Persian cat has somewhere quiet where she can retreat and hide. They can be playful, but not especially so. And they aren't keen on boisterous children, even less so than more active cats, so again, make sure that your Persian has somewhere quiet which she can call her own if you have excitable kids in the household.

Persian Cats are Not Very Intelligent

Perhaps the only downside to this beautiful, laid back, friendly breed of cat is that they are not over-endowed with brains. Indeed, some people have even accused Persian cats of being stupid, although this is rarely the case; they are too much like typical cats to be really thick. But intelligence is not their strong point, although there are some exceptions to this in the case of individual cats. So Persians are rarely good hunters, and it is quite hard to train them, not because they don't want to please their owners, but because they seem to have difficulty in understanding what is required. To take an example, I once had a Persian who found it very difficult to learn to use a cat flap. It wasn't that he refused to do so; he simply didn't understand how it worked, and found it very hard to learn. But patience and understanding eventually worked, and after about six weeks he got the hang of it. That is the typical Persian! But some of them are brighter than this, so if yours is, then count yourself as lucky.

Conclusion

As mentioned above, not all cats conform to this general description of the Persian personality. Indeed, I once had a Persian cat who was quite outgoing and adventurous, and always getting herself into trouble. I had another Persian who was a bit of a Prima Donna; she expected everything to be done just right for her, and complained quite loudly if this didn't happen. But this is rather unusual, and most Persians are not like this. Indeed, if you want a quiet life and a laid back cat, and aren't worried about the fact that Persian cats do require a lot of care and grooming, then this is probably the ideal cat for you.