Patterns
The mix of colours results in a cat with patches of red and patches of black, chocolate or cinnamon. The size of the patches can vary from a fine speckled pattern to large areas of colour. Typically, the more white a cat has, the more solid the patches of colour. Dilution genes may modify the colouring, lightening the fur to a mix of cream and blue, lilac or fawn. Occasionally brown or blue / grey tabby patterns are also seen (sometimes called "torbies"). Tortoiseshell also can be expressed in the point pattern.
The description "tortoiseshell" (also called "calimanco" or "clouded tiger" in North America) is typically reserved for cats with brindled coats that have little or no white markings, while those that are white with orange and black patches are described as calico (in the United States) or tortoiseshell-and-white (in the UK). Calicos with a tabby pattern are also known as caliby or more commonly torbie. Tortoiseshells and calicos are not specific breeds of cat. The tortoiseshell markings appear in many different breeds.
In the USA, there was an attempt to establish the Silver Persian as a separate breed called the Sterling, but it was not accepted and Silver and Golden longhaired cats, recognized by CFA more specially as Chinchilla Silvers, Shaded Silvers, Chinchilla Goldens or Shaded Goldens are judged in the Persian category of cat shows.
In South Africa, the attempt to separate the breed was more successful: the SA Cat Council (SACC) registers cats with 5 generations of pure bred Chinchilla as a Chinchilla Longhair. The Chinchilla Longhair has a slightly longer nose than the Persian, resulting in healthy breathing and no tearing of the eyes. Its hair is translucent with only the tips carrying black pigment: a feature that gets lost when out-crossed to other coloured Persians. Out-crossing also may result in losing nose and lip liner, which is a fault in the Chinchilla Longhair breed standard.
Because their fur is too long and dense for them to maintain themselves, Persian cats need regular grooming. To keep their fur in its best condition, they must be bathed regularly, dried carefully afterwards, and brushed thoroughly every day. Their eyes need to be checked for problems on a regular basis because some animals have trouble keeping them clean.
A Persian cat without an established and registered pedigree is classed as a domestic longhair cat.
A domestic longhaired cat is the proper name for any cat with medium or long fur, if it is not a pedigreed member of a recognized breed. They make excellent family pets for people who are prepared to give their coat the extra care it needs.
Domestic longhairs come in all the standard cat colours including tabby, tortie, bi-coloured etc. If their fur combines several shades of the same colour they may be referred to as a smoke.