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You & Your Cat
by David Taylor

The Complete
Cat Book
by Richard H. Gebhardt

Breeding
Pedigreed Cats
by Carolyn M. Vella, John J. McGonagle

Feline Husbandry Diseases and Management in the Multiple Cat Environment
by Neils Pedersen

Persian Cats and Other Long Hairs
by Jeanne Alice Ramsdale

The Cornell Book of Cats : A Comprehensive and Authoritative Medical Reference for Every Cat and Kitten
by Mordecai Siegal (Editor), James R. Richards (Editor), Cornell Feline health

Guide to Owning a Persian Cat : Feeding, Grooming, Exhibition, Temperament, Health, Breeding
by Juliet Seymour

The Complete Book of Cat Breeding
by Dan Rice

The Cat Fanciers' Association Cat Encyclopedia
by Will Thompson (Editor)

Cats for Dummies
(1st Ed)
by Gina Spadafori, Paul D. Pion

Persian Cats
by Marianne Mays

Cats:Caressing the Tiger
by National Geographic
(video)

Persian & Exotic Shorthair Cat Care

THE VET

After you bring your new persian or exotic home, you will need to make an appointment with a veterinarian to have your cat examined. The health guarantee in your cat's purchase agreement probably has a time frame within which you must have this done. Make sure that your vet receives the vaccination record information, provided by your breeder, so that he/she can schedule all needed boosters and additional vaccinations for your persian or exotic. Your vet can also council you on an appropriate time for your pet persian or exotic to be spayed/neutered.

AT HOME

A new home can be a stressful situation. It is recommended that your persian or exotic kitten be confined to a small area, at first, to familiarize him/her with the location of the litter box and to protect him/her from any hazards. Check your home for possible dangers, such as, household chemicals, house plants which may be poisonous, etc. Baby-proof your home.

NUTRITION

Changing your persian or exotic's diet abruptly or overfeeding will cause diarrhea! If you intend to feed your cat something other than what it is accustom to, be sure to change gradually. Begin by mixing approximately one part new food to about five parts current food. Slowly increase the ratio of new food each day until you eventually are feeding nothing but the new food.

I don't recommend that you feed grocery store commercial cat foods unless they are of the "professional" type. Many grocery store cat foods are high in ash and may cause your cat dangerous urinary tract blockages later. These foods are also likely to be loaded with artificial coloring, and the like, which may cause your cat to react by vomiting frequently, or possibly cause other problems. I recommend that a "professional" cat food be fed such as Iams, Nutro Max, Science Diet, etc. You can find these foods at pet stores, feed stores, and sometimes at your vet's office. Feeding these foods is, of course, not always fool-proof, since any ingredient in the cat's diet could cause reactions, but in general I feel its your best bet.

GROOMING

You now have some work ahead of you if cat or kitten is a Persian. It is recommended that you comb your persian once a day and wash it well, at least every other week. Persians can become notoriously matted, especially on the belly, under the arm-pits, behind the ears, and under the tail. Pay close to these areas. You will need a metal long tooth comb and a gentle wire slicker brush. Soft bristled "cat brushes" do nothing for the persian's long coat. Be careful not to brush too hard and hurt your cats delicate skin, but be sure all the hair is combed down to the roots. Frequent grooming will be easier on you and your persian or exotic– the cat, and then probably you, will become cranky from pulling on matted fur.

If your persian does become matted, it is recommend that a groomer shave off the matted areas with an electric grooming clipper. You should not try this yourself unless you're an experienced groomer. It is very easy to accidentally cut the cats skin. You may even want your groomer to shave your persian's body, or maybe just its belly, to minimize your grooming task.

You will need to give your persian a bath approximately every other week. This also will help greatly to keep your cat from matting. Dirt and oil cause the coat to mat quickly. Exotics can go longer but use the same shampoos and techniques as I recommend for persians. I recommend that you use a shampoo with a citrus emulsifier base or any good grease/oil cutting shampoo. Shampoos that cut the grease and help make the coat fluffy and not clumpy. You may also use Dawn dish soap or LOC (Amway), which are favorites of most cat breeders, to cut the oils. I do not use a conditioner unless the coat is dry and damaged. Conditioners tend to weigh the hair down and make your persian or exotic look droopy or clumpy. It is probable that your kitten has been bathed several times before you got it, since kittens are always getting messy. The more you bathe and blow dry your persian or exotic, the better he/she will behave during these grooming tasks.

As you probably know, cats groom themselves by licking their fur. Persians and exotics all vary in their interest in personal hygene. Some may lick obsessively and ingest a lot of hair. Others may not lick themselves at all. Hair that is swallowed is expelled either through the feces or by vomiting occasionally. To help this process, give your persian or exotic a commercial hairball remedy. Follow the directions on the label. I prefer to tailor the frequency of the maintenance dosage on how much interest the cat takes in licking itself.

Remember to check and clean inside the ears gently with a cotton swab. If you notice that the insides start to become very dirty with a dark reddish-brown crusty matter, and the cat tries to scratch its ears and shake its head frequently, your cat probably has ear mites. It is important to treat this with an ear mite medication, as ear mite infestation can lead to infection and ear damage. Be sure to follow the directions on the bottle.

Trim the tips of the nails with a finger nail trimmer as needed. Watch for the vein inside. You can see it from the side of the nail. You don't want to cut too closely and make the nail bleed.

A persian or exotic's eyes tear and become goopy. This occurs because of the persian or exotic's short nose. Bacteria causes the discharge to become rust-brown and stain the face. You will need to wipe under and around the eyes with a clean warm wet paper towel or washcloth preferably twice a day. You may also use a commercial eye stain cleaner such as Diamond Eye. To see results from using an eye stain remover you must use it religiously, twice a day. You will notice improvement in two weeks.

Should you notice an unusual amount of redness or swelling of the inner eye lids, squinting, frequent rubbing or thick whitish discharge, see your vet.

RECOMMENDATIONS & REVIEWS

The Book of The Cat,
Edited by Michael Wright & Sally Walters
This is an excellent book for all cat owners, if you can find a copy. I understand it is now out of print. It contains lots of good information on all aspects of cat ownership.

The Complete Cat Book,
by Richard H. Gebhardt
This book has excellent photographs of show quality cats. In addition to it's general cat care information, it explains very nicely showing, breeding and standard characteristics of all cat breeds. It includes a very nice persian section.

Feline Husbandry Diseases and Management in the Multiple Cat Environment
by Neils Pedersen
This book is a must-have if you intend to breed cats. It covers diseases and management, as the title indicates, as well as breeding, breeding problems, housing, etc.

If you intend to begin breeding and showing persian or exotic cats I recommend that you subscribe to
The Cat Fanciers Almanac which is the official magazine of The Cat Fanciers' Association, and also
The Persian News, which covers all aspects of breeding and showing persian cats.

A-Z of Cat Diseases & Health Problems : Signs, Diagnoses, Causes, Treatment by Bradley Viner

The Cat Lover's Book of Fascinating Facts : A Felicitous Look at Felines by Ed Lucaire