What Kind of Cat Is A Himalayan?
November 15, 2021
Photo: ASPCA
One of the most popular breeds of cat, the Himalayan makes a great pet for people who like to cuddle.
The Himalayan is a longhaired, double-coat cat with a life expectancy of 9 to 15 years. Despite their long fur that gives them a larger appearance, Himalyans only grow up to 7 to 12 pounds.
Descended from the Persian and Siamese cat, the Himalayan is considered a sub-breed of the Persian. Seal point features distinguish the Himalayan from the Persian. They have striking blue eyes, light-coloured bodies and dark faces, ears, feet and tails. In cat shows, however, the Cat Fanciers' Association judges the Himalayan in their own class, according to colour variations such as the following:
- Chocolate
- Seal
- Lilac
- Blue
- Flame
- Cream
Affectionately known as ‘Himmies,’ the Himalayan’s name has nothing to do with its origin. Instead, it gets its name from the natural colouring of Himalayan animals, such as the Himalayan rabbit.
Himalayans are extremely affectionate cats who love attention. They make the ideal companion pets and get along with other pets and family members. They love nothing more than to sleep all day or cuddle up in your lap. Sometimes they can be timid, especially around new people and even though they love the attention kids give them, they’re not big fans of loud noise or rough play.
Similar to the Pug, Himalayan cats have a smooshy face and small head. They require daily grooming to keep down hair balls and matting. And those adorable doll-like faces need regular cleaning too to keep their eyes free from infection and to prevent staining.
It is believed that the Himalayan breed first made an appearance in the 1930s at Harvard when researcher Clyde Keeler and cat enthusiast Virginia Cobb cross-bred a Siamese with a Persian cat as part of a study on feline traits and characteristics. As a result of this experiment, a cat by the name of Newton’s Debutante holds the title of the very first Himalayan. Whether this cat’s descendants went on to create a progeny of Himalayans or not, the popularity of the breed grew in the 1950s and was picked up in England by breeder Brian Sterling-Webb in 1955 and Margaret Goforth in the U.S. in 1957.
The rest, as they say, is history.