The Himalayan, also called colorpoint Persian and colloquially referred to as Himmy, is a breed of cat with extremely long, fluffy fur, and the blue eyes and the points of a Siamese. Himalayan is the American term, while in Europe they are referred to as colorpoint Persians.

Himalayan Cat Origin

They were bred from Siamese (for the markings) and Persians (for coat-length and temperament), and share the characteristics of both breeds. Himalayans are now considered the same breed in some cat registries (CFA) as the modern Persian show cat since they have the exact same conformation with a pointed coat. Although, other registries consider the breed as its own breed. (TICA)

The Himalayan breed was started in 1930 by Dr. Clyde Keller, from The Harvard Medical School, and Virginia Cobb of Newton Cattery. They started out by breeding Siamese cats with Persian cats, trying to develop a long-haired, Persian-bodied cat with the color-points of the Siamese. They bred and crossbred until "Newton's Debutante" was born. This cat was the first cat recognized as beginning the Himalayan Breed.

Himalayans Appearence

Body : The Himalayan cat has short legs which makes it harder for them to jump as high as other cats do. Also they have very round bodies and weigh around 13 pounds on average.
Facial Features: Himalayans display a marked split in their facial features, as some (the "Peeked" or "Ultra-Face" variety) are incredibly Persian-like with a squashed "frowning" mouth, no break in the nose, and squinting eyes (see the Cream point cat at lower right) and yet some (the more traditional "Doll-Face" variety) have very large, round eyes, and display an almost Burmese or Tonkinese pointedness about their muzzle, with a definite break in the nose

Himalayan Cat Colors and Coats

In 1957 the Himalayan was recognized in CFA in seal, blue, chocolate and lilac point. These colors were followed by the flame and tortie points in 1964, blue-cream points in 1972, cream points in 1979, and lynx points in 1982. While seal, blue, chocolate and lilac points have been recognized the longest, it has only been recently that the chocolate and lilac point Himalayans have become competitive.

Like many long-haired cats, Himalayans need to be brushed daily to keep their coats looking their best and healthiest. In addition, they may need their face wiped daily, depending on the cat. Bathing a Himalayan is also recommended by some breeders, to help reduce the amount of oil on the cat's fur and skin.

The Himalayan Temperament

For the most part the Himalayan is not a hyperactive cat; that is to say, they are not moving all the time. Himalayan cats, like their Persian blood-lines, are laid-back and calm. As with other Persians, himmies are good with children and other animals. Very easygoing, cats that enjoy playing. Because of their heritage from the Siamese cats they tend to be more active than Persians.