Himalayan Cat

History
The first deliberate cross between a Siamese and a Persian was made in 1924 by a Swedish geneticist, but it wasn’t until 1935 that the first pointed pattern longhair was born. In the early 1930s two Harvard medical employees crossed a Siamese female with a black Persian male, not to create a new breed, but to establish how certain characteristics were inherited. This mating produced a litter of black, shorthaired kittens. They then bred a black Persian female with a Siamese male. The outcome was the same. This is not surprising, since long hair and the color point pattern are both governed by recessive genes. Both parents have to possess the genes in order for the traits to be expressed in the offspring.

By crossing a female from the second litter with a male from the first, they produced Debutante, a cat that possessed the Siamese body type and color pattern and the long hair of the Persian. Debutante looked more like today’s Balinese than today’s Himalayan. At this point, the Harvard employees, having learned what they wanted to know about genetics, ended their experiment.

During the same year, British fanciers formed a breeders’ club, hoping to produce a pointed pattern breed with the Persian hair type and conformation. Breeders in America showed interest in the same goal.

World War II interfered with the breeding program, both in Europe and in the United States. Finally, in 1950 American breeder Marguerita Goforth succeeded in creating the long awaited Persian-like Colorpoint. The CFA and the ACFA recognized the breed in 1957 under the name Himalayan, named for the color pattern found in other animals, such as the Himalayan rabbit. By 1961 all major U.S. cat associations recognized the Himalayan.

While this was going on in the States, British breeders were also working to create the breed. In 1955 the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy recognized the Himalayan under the name Color point Longhair, a name that remains to this day.

In 1984 the CFA united the Himalayan and the Persian breeds, reasoning that the body type was the same for both breeds. Also, since the Himalayan requires occasional outcrosses to the Persian to preserve the type, no registration or status problems would occur for the Himalayan/Persian hybrids if they were considered varieties of the same breed. This policy continues today. Himalayans are considered part of the Persian breed and are called Pointed Pattern Persians. Persians that carry the color point gene are called color point carriers.

Personality
Himmies, as fanciers call them, are perfect indoor cat companions. They are gentle, calm, and sweet-tempered, but they possess a playful side as well. Himalayans love to play fetch, and a scrap of crumpled paper or a kitty toy will entertain them for hours.

Himalayans are devoted and dependent upon their humans for companionship and protection. They crave affection and love to be petted and groomed.

Like their Persian siblings, they are docile and won’t harass you for attention the way some breeds will.

The Himalayan is a color division of the Persian and you can find the Standard for it on the Persian History page.

Himalayan/Persian Division Color Patterns

HIMALAYAN (POINT) PATTERN: Body: clear color is preferred with subtle shading allowed. Allowance should be made for darker color in older cats but there must be a definite contrast between body color and point color. The points, consisting of ears, legs, feet, tail, and mask show the basic color of the cat. The ideal mask extends from above the eyes down through the chin and stretches beyond the eyes from side to side..

CHOCOLATE POINT: body ivory. Points milk-chocolate color, warm in tone. Nose leather and paw pads: cinnamon pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

SEAL POINT: body even pale fawn to cream, warm in tone, shading gradually into lighter color on the stomach and chest. Points deep seal brown. Nose leather and paw pads: seal brown. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

LILAC POINT: body glacial white. Points frosty grey with pinkish tone. Nose leather and paw pads: lavender pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

BLUE POINT: body bluish white, cold in tone, shading gradually to white on stomach and chest. Points blue. Nose leather and paw pads: slate blue. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

FLAME (Red) POINT: body creamy white. Points deep orange flame to deep red. Nose leather and paw pads: flesh to coral pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

CREAM POINT: body creamy white. Points buff cream with no apricot. Nose leather and paw pads: flesh to coral pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

TORTIE POINT: body creamy white or pale fawn. Points seal with unbrindled patches of red and/or cream. . Nose leather and paw pads: seal brown and/or coral pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

BLUE-CREAM POINT: body bluish white or creamy white, shading gradually to white on the stomach and chest. Points blue with patches of cream. Nose leather and paw pads: slate blue and/or pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

CHOCOLATE-TORTIE POINT: body ivory. Points chocolate with unbrindled patches of red and/or cream. Nose leather and paw pads: cinnamon pink and/or coral pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

LILAC-CREAM POINT: body glacial white. Points lilac with patches of cream. Nose leather and paw pads: lavender pink and/or pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

HIMALAYAN LYNX (POINT) PATTERN: Mask must be clearly lined with dark stripes, vertical and forming the classic "M" on the forehead; horizontal on the cheeks. The mask contains light rings around the eyes and dark spots on light whisker pads, clearly outlined in dark color edges. Inner ear light with ticking on outer ear. Markings dense, clearly defined and broad. Legs evenly barred with bracelets. Tail barred with lighter underside. No striping or mottling on body.

SEAL LYNX POINT: points beige-brown ticked with darker brown tabby markings. Body color pale cream to fawn, warm in tone. Nose leather: seal brown or brick red. Paw pads: seal brown. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

BLUE LYNX POINT: points light, silvery blue, ticked with darker blue tabby markings. Body color bluish white, cold in tone. Nose leather: blue or old rose. Paw pads: blue. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

FLAME (Red) LYNX POINT: points deep orange flame ticked with deep red tabby markings. Body color creamy white. Nose leather and paw pads: flesh to coral pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

CREAM LYNX POINT: points pale cream ticked with dark cream tabby markings. Body color creamy white, significantly lighter in tone than the points. Nose leather and paw pads: flesh to coral pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

TORTIE LYNX POINT: points beige-brown with dark brown tabby markings and patches of red. Body color creamy white or pale fawn. Nose leather and paw pads: seal brown, brick red and/or coral pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

BLUE-CREAM LYNX POINT: points blue with darker blue tabby markings and patches of cream. Body color bluish white, cold in tone. Nose leather and paw pads: blue, old rose and/or pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

CHOCOLATE LYNX POINT: points milk-chocolate ticked with darker chocolate tabby markings. Body color ivory. Nose leather and paw pads: cinnamon pink or coral pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

LILAC LYNX POINT: points pale frosty grey with pinkish tone ticked with darker lilac tabby markings. Body color glacial white. Nose leather and paw pads: lavender pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

CHOCOLATE-TORTIE LYNX POINT: points milk-chocolate ticked with darker chocolate tabby markings and patches of red. Body color ivory. Nose leather and paw pads: cinnamon pink and/or coral pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.

LILAC-CREAM LYNX POINT: points pale frosty grey with pinkish tone ticked with darker lilac tabby markings and patches of cream. Body color glacial white. Nose leather and paw pads: lavender pink and/or coral pink. Eye color: deep vivid blue.