The Himalayan
Himalayan, breed of longhaired cat, with Siamese-type coloring and a Persian-type
body and coat. The first attempt to produce a Himalayan was made in 1924
by crossing a Siamese with a longhaired cat. However, it was not until
1935 that the first pointed longhair was born. This cat, named Debutante,
was very Siameselike in shape; it took many years of selective breeding
to produce cats with the desired Persian body and Siamese coloring, which
consists of a light color over most of the body and a contrasting color
on the face, ears, feet, and tail.
The modern Himalayan has a
round, massive head set on a short, thick neck. The nose is short and broad,
the ears small and tilted forward. The body is cobby (thickset and low
on the legs). The face, ears, legs, feet, and tail are clearly defined
and colored like the Siamese; the Himalayan comes in most Siamese colors,
including seal point, blue point, tortie point, and lilac point. In some
cat associations, the Himalayan is known as a colorpoint longhair.
Many cat associations permit
the Himalayan to be crossbred with the Persian and the exotic shorthair
(a shorthaired Persian), since the standards for the three breeds are essentially
the same.
