Is this breed right for you?
     Persians are the most popular cat breed in the world. 80% of all registered pedigree cats are Persians (see article Breed Popularity); but many of the Persian kittens end up in pet shelters or right in the street! And where has their beautiful long hair gone? It’s tangled, matted, dirty and smelly. All this happens just because their owners didn’t know that special everyday attention is needed to their cats’ fur.
         If you’re looking for a good-looking luxury item, then a cat is not it, better get some sort of antique or a gold conversation piece. No trouble, and it costs much less in the long run. If you want to get a cat, then make sure that you can fulfill the necessary obligations. If you plan on getting a long-haired cat then know that one of these obligations is that proper daily grooming is administered. Owners who comb their kittens every day will have an adult cat that will accept grooming as routine.
        Shorthaired cats clean and groom themselves better than longhaired cats, because there is so much less to clean. Short hair never gets tangles or knots, and dirt is much easier to get at. On the other hand, long hair, despite its beautiful appearance gets the most problems. Individual hairs get tied to each other and tangled. These tangles are incubators for small parasites. Various debris, dirt and old skin cells are added to the mess. Your cat’s skin will get irritated. This can lead to serious diseases. If your cat’s hair gets this bad, you’ll probably have to shave the tangles right off.
        When buying a cat for its good looks make sure you have what it takes to keep the cat’s good looks.

Brief Grooming Guide

        Persians have to be groomed daily without fail from the time they are kittens, so they get used to getting brushed. Use a steel brush with medium thickness of bars to get the larger tangles out, and a fine steel brush to prevent small knots between individual hairs. Plastic brushes can be used but they break easily. Preferably comb some talcum into your cat's fur to take out dirt. For the face, which has short fur, use a toothbrush.

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