How to Care for a Persian

The most difficult part about caring for your Persian cat will be - surprise - keeping the knots out of that gloriously long coat.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Talk to your vet about feeding if you have a kitten younger than 6 weeks old.
2. Feed kittens younger than 6 months canned kitten food three to four times a day.
3. Reduce feeding to two times a day at about 6 to 8 months of age.
4. Keep dry kitten food and fresh water available at all times.
5. Change to adult food at 1 year of age. Mix 1/4 adult food with 3/4 kitten food and gradually increase the amount of adult food over 5 to 10 days.
6. Feed your cat the good stuff - avoid generic brands. Don't feed your cat food intended for other animals; cats have specific dietary requirements.
7. Mix dry cat food with wet. Cats like variety, too.
8. Don't give your cat bones, and avoid uncooked food. Table scraps are OK in moderation.
9. Don't give your cat milk - it can cause diarrhea.
10. Have female cats spayed at 4 to 6 months of age; males neutered at 6 to 7 months. Female cats can go into heat and begin reproducing as early as 4 months, and get pregnant again while still nursing the first litter, so don't wait.
11. Keep an identification tag with your address and phone number on your cat.
12. Scoop waste from the litter box daily, and clean the box and refill it with clean litter weekly.
13. Comb your Persian's fur every day, and give her a bath once a week or so to keep the fur clean and knot-free. If it gets too matted, shaving might be the only solution.
14. Clean your Persian's eyes and nose often - they tend to produce discharge.

Tips & Warnings

• Persians are best kept indoors because their fur will become filthy and unruly if left outside. Cats can be happy indoors if they have a companion pet, toys, scratching posts, window shelves and lots of attention from you.
• You might be able to train your cat to walk on a leash or harness - but watch out for dogs.
• Hold your cat with one hand under her chest and the other hand under her back legs, keeping her close to you.
• Play with your cat or kitten with toys, not your hands, which can encourage biting and aggressiveness. If your cat bites, blow in her face before pulling your hand away.
• Reward your cat when she's good instead of using physical punishment when she's bad, which will only make her scared of you or cause her to act out when you're away. A loud noise or squirt of water can help stop bad behavior.
• Give your cat her own "garden" (from a pet store or vet) so she won't eat your plants, some of which may be poisonous. Or, to prevent plant eating, place cedar blocks or hot chili peppers on the soil, or hang the plants out of your cat's reach.
• Besides wreaking havoc with your Persian's coat, the outdoors poses many possible dangers, including fights, disease, getting lost, hypothermia, traps and getting stolen.
• Small objects such as buttons, needles, shoelaces and tinsel can be hazardous if your cat eats them.
• Keep household cleaning chemicals and medicines in places safe from your cat's curiosity.
• Certain plants, such as poinsettias, can be fatal to your cat, as can the water in the base of your Christmas tree stand.
• Take uneaten food away from a kitten after 10 minutes - overeating can cause diarrhea or vomiting.
• Your cat can be strangled or suffocated by plastic bags with handles.
• Hide electrical wires - your kitty might try to chew them.
• Keep toilet lids down. Drinking the water can make kitty sick, and in the worst-case scenario, she might drown.
• Make sure your window screens are secure. Cats don't always land on their feet, and they don't have depth perception.
• If your cat refuses to use a clean litter box, see your vet - it could indicate a health problem.