Caring for a Persian Cat

The Persian cat has long and abundant fur that you will need to care for daily; you must brush your cat every day using a flat brush with plastic bristles. You can also use a metal brush with round spikes to avoid damaging their sensitive skin.

The cat should get used to this process from a young age; this way, brushing will become a moment of care, relaxation and bonding. Your aim is to remove the knots and tangles that may have formed during the day as well as removing dead hair. You will notice your Persian cat loses a lot of hair when you brush them.

If you do not brush your Persian cat daily the only option will be cutting the knots and tangles, spoiling their beautiful coat. Besides this aesthetic matter, there can be more serious consequences to not brushing your cat.

As you know, cats lick themselves to stay clean. Persian cats can swallow some of the dead hair that has not been removed through brushing, and it is quite likely that they will develop trichobezoars, otherwise known as hairballs in the intestinal tract. In the best case scenario, the cat will vomit the hairball; at worst, it could cause an intestinal blockage that poses a medical emergency.

Furthermore, the long hair of the Persian cat, if poorly maintained, could become a nest for fleas. Besides daily brushing, another aspect of caring for a Persian cat consists of bathing them every 2 to 3 months with specific shampoo for cats that respects the pH of their skin.

Here you can learn more about caring for a Persian cat's coat.

Persian cats have teary eyes; this lacrimation is more or less abundant according to each cat and season, but in all cases it must be cleaned every day with a cotton pad or soft toilet paper dipped in water.

In order to clean your Persian cat's eyes, apply the moistened soft paper just below the tear duct and the inner corner of the eye, gently removing the secretions accumulated just below and around the eye. Then dry with a soft, dry and clean paper. Change the paper for each eye to avoid carrying micro-organisms and dirt from one eye to another.

It is very important to clean your cat's eyes daily, because otherwise the abundant lacrimation will build up and form a scab. Often it will not be enough to simply dampen the scab to remove it, but we will have to scratch a little, leaving the skin very irritated and with a small wound that will become further irritated with our cat's new lacrimal secretions.

In many Persian cats, tear secretion is such that their eyes have to be cleaned twice a day. If you see the tears begin to show a red zone, go to a pet supply shop and ask for a specific antioxidant product. Here you can learn more about cleaning the eyes of a cat.

Persian cats produce more or less earwax according to each cat, but in general it is advisable to cleaning their ears weekly so to prevent mites, fungi or bacterial infections and also to keep your cat get used to the procedure.

With soft toilet paper dipped in water clean up all the external surface on the inside of the ear. Use a cotton swab to clean the grooves of the ear, but never enter the swab into the ear canal. If you have doubts, it is better to simply use toilet paper.

You should trim your Persian cat's claws every 2 weeks; as with cleaning the eyes and ears, you should get your cat used to the procedure from a young age. We recommend clipping the cat's nails just before bathing them to facilitate the handling.

It is said that Persian cats are sedentary cats that only live inside the house. However, many are actually quite curious and adventurous, and like other cats go into the garden and hunt. If this is the case of your Persian cat, keep in mind that if there are other cats in the neighborhood they may get into a fight; Persian cats, with their flat nuzzles, cannot bite to defend themselves. Preventing your cat from wandering around without supervision will prevent possible attacks.

Due to their more common sedentary lifestyle, Persian cats tend to gain weight easily, which can lead to heart problems and urinary calculi. Therefore, it is extremely important that your Persian cat follows a balanced diet.

To reduce the risk of becoming overweight and of developing urinary calculi, you follow one of our simplest tips on caring for a Persian cat: play with your pet often so that they get enough physical exercise.

Ensure you feed them at regular times and avoid acidified dry feed. And don't forget to take a look at our articles on the common diseases of Persian cats and our tips and guidelines on physical exercise for obese cats.

Caring for a Persian cat is very important to maintain their beauty, but most importantly their health and happiness. It takes effort, but your four-legged friend deserves it!

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