The Himalayan kitten is a breed of long-haired cat that is identical in kind to the Persian cat. The only difference that is noticeable is the Himalayan kitten’s point coloration, obtained by way of crossing the Siamese cat with the Persian cat, and its very blue eyes. Sometimes, a good deal of controversy still remains with regard to what is considered a Himalayan breed and what is considered a Persian breed. Accordingly, the International Cat Association regards the Himalayan as a separate breed, yet the Cat Fanciers’ Association looks at the Himalayan breed as just a color variety of the Persian breed.
How They Look
The Himalayan is not of the petite variety, but more of a heavily boned feline. They have round body and are very broad, plus their coats only add to the rounded look that they already have going.
There are two main facial types when it comes to the Himalayan. There are the extreme and the traditional. Both have small and rounded ears that are set low on the head. They have round eyes with full cheeks and a prominent chin. The extreme face gives the cat a round and flattened look.
The traditional also has a round head, but the nose is different and they have an up turned mouth.
What You Should Know About the Himalayan Kitten
The Himalayan breed is regarded as sweet-tempered, highly sociable and intelligent. Due to their heritage from Siamese cats, they are more energetic than the Persian breed. Its body features short legs and is round in shape, thus disabling the breed’s ability to jump as high as breeds of other cats.
There are two kinds of Himalayan kitten: the Ultra-face or the Peke and the Doll-face or the Traditional. Because a Himalayan kitten has heritage from the Persian breed, it is susceptible to a gene that causes Polycystic kidney disease or PKD. However, a simple test is capable of revealing which cats in particular are carriers of the PKD gene, thus allowing their owners to get them either neutered or spayed.
When picking out a Himalayan kitty, you want to get a healthy one, which you should be able to identify by clear, bright eyes, a well-groomed coat and the lack of mucous around its nose, eyes or nose. Make sure you only pick out a Himalayan kitty that is older than 6 weeks because choosing one younger may jeopardize its ability to obtain both immunity as well as nourishment from its mother. Finally, it’s a good idea to choose a compatible kitten, so ensure that, when you pick it up, it relaxes and purrs in your arms instead of struggling and hissing.
Raising a Himalayan Kitten
The Himalayan is a very sweet and affectionate animal but is also a very time consuming feline as well. This kitten needs the affection of their owner and loves to be combed and loved.
Once you bring a Himalayan kitty home, it should be easy to integrate it to your environment, especially if you’ve got no other pets. Allow your kitty to explore your home and even provide it with some alone-time so it can adjust properly. You might also want to utilize the so-called “gentling” technique to instigate a closer bond with your new Himalayan kitten.
You also need to make certain that you attend to feeding your new kitten just right, especially since it is a growing cat. To develop and grow properly, a Himalayan kitten will require the right proportions of fats, protein, minerals and vitamins. As such, the rule is to only feed your new kitten with cat food that’s been specifically formulated to satisfy the kitten’s nutritional needs.