The Himalayan Persian

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The Himalayan Persian

by Linda Berg

INTRODUCTION

The HimalayanPersian cat is one of

the most beloved of

pedigreed cats.Enjoyed and

appreciated by judges,

pet owners and

breeders, over

343,000 Himalayanshave been registered

since 1957. In 1998there were 2,428

Himalayans shown;

that is an average of 5.6 entries per show in kittens, championship and premiership. Himalayans have

achieved over 41 national awards since 1981 and over 175 regional awards since 1992.

HISTORY

The Persian is a widely recognized and popular breed and formed the basis of the early

hybridizations that resulted in the development of the Himalayan cat. The early evolutionof the Persian most likely occurred on the high, cold plateaus of Persia (now Iran andIraq). When these cats with a longer, silky coat were brought to Europe by the

Phoenicians and the Romans, the Europeans were impressed. Over the years the Persian

cat has been purposely bred to perpetuate and accentuate the longhair trait. . Work todevelop the colorpoint Persian, or Himalayan, began in the U.S. around 1950. The

genetics of the Siamese color were known to involve a single recessive color factor which

produced both blue eye color and the colorpoint pattern. The colorpoint pattern (alsoreferred to as the Himalayan or Siamese pattern) is caused by the Siamese gene, one of

the genes in the albino series. All of the albino genes influence whether and where

pigment will be deposited in an animal's hair and skin. The effect of the Siamese gene is

also impacted by the temperature of the skin. Pigment (color and pattern) is deposited inthe hair at the coolest parts of the body, the parts that receive the least circulation: the

extremities of the body feet, face, ears and tail. The first step in working toward a

colorpoint Persian was to cross the Siamese and the Persian. This early work wasfollowed by years of breeding the offspring to obtain a group of cats with long hair and

the colorpoint pattern. The colorpoint longhairs were bred back to Persians, and their

offspring were interbred. After many years breeders had cats with many of the basicPersian characteristics and colorpoint coloring. At this point, the next step in the work



began - that of obtaining breed recognition from bona fide registry organizations.

In England, Brian

Sterling-Webb perfectedhis long-haired colorpoint

over a period of 10 years.

In 1955 he approachedthe Governing Council of

the Cat Fancy (GCCF)

and requested recognitionfor this new variety of

longhaired cat. Since he

and other breeders were

prepared to describe anddefend the work that had

gone into the

development of this new

color, recognition wasgranted and the

Longhaired Colourpoint was accepted as a breed in England.In North America, Mrs. Goforth applied for breed recognition at the CFA Annual Meeting

held in Washington, DC on December 18, 1957. Mrs Goforth contended that although the

Himalayan standard was identical to the Persian standard, the cat was not a Persian, but anew breed of longhair. With this philosophy as a basis for the Himalayan, these cats

received recognition and were granted foundation record registration with CFA. The rules

governing the acceptance of new breeds and colors at the time required breeders to show

three generations of pure Himalayan colorpoint breedings in order to be eligible for championship competition.

THE HIMALAYAN TODAY

Over the next ten years the Himalayan grew rapidly in popularity. The vast majority of

Himalayans, however, failed to meet the breed standard, which called for Persian type.

Many breeders had stopped using regular crossings to solid color Persians in their

breeding programs. Instead, they were breeding existing colorpoint to colorpoint and as aresult, the advancement of the Himalayan as a breed that met the Persian standard was

small and, in many cases, not measureable. The Himalayan was becoming a long-nosed,

colorpoint longhair.In the 1970s Himalayan breeders began to look at and evaluate the goals that they were

attempting to achieve. It was apparent to many that they needed to begin to work in

earnest toward breeding cats that had better Persian type. To accomplish this, they beganto outcross to Persians on a regular basis, and kept the best of the offspring to be used in

their breeding programs. After a time, colorpoint longhairs with better Persian type began

to appear in the show ring. These cats looked more like Persians, and as a result, wereable to compete with Persians for those coveted final awards.



The next logical

question to follow

was: If our catslook like Persians,

and are now

competitive in typewith Persians, why

are they competing

as a separate breed? Many

breeders began to

discuss the

possibility of creating a place for

the Himalayans

within the Persian division system. Even so, there were still a number of Himalayan

breeders who enjoyed the "old" Himalayan style and whose cats could no longer competein the show ring with the typier colorpoints. Some of these breeders began a movement

away from the Persian type toward a standard that was based on the way the cats lookedin the '60s. One glance at the Himalayans in the show ring today tells you that this vision

was not achieved. In 1984 the Persian Breed Council had the following question on their

ballot: "Should the current Himalayan Breed be accepted as a Division of the Persian?"The question presented on the Himalayan Breed Council ballot, on the same subject was:

"The Himalayan Breed should: A) Remain as is B) Become a new division of the Persian

Breed."

Both breed councils voted against the proposed change, and yet the CFA Board of Directors elected to move the Himalayan into a division of the Persian breed. The

rationale for this highly controversial determination was that the decision added

consistency to the breed structure. Bi-Color Persians had shorthairs behind their pedigrees and were considered hybrids, and yet they were accepted to championship in

1970; therefore, the fact that Himalayans had Siamese behind them should make no

difference to this transition of acceptance as a division of the Persian breed.For the last 14 years Himalayans have been consistently winning in the show ring.

Overall type has dramatically improved, and many fine examples of the breed have gone

on to achieve regional and national wins. As with any breed, the Himalayan is still a

masterpiece in the making, but early and contemporary colorpoint Persian breeders can be very proud of where we are today.

COLORS AND PATTERNS

The Himalayan has made enormous progress in type over the past 20 years. Much of this

is related to the devotion and the hard work of the breeders and some of it is related to the

merging of the Himalayan breed into the division structure of the Persians. TheHimalayan of today is a vastly different cat from what it was at its conception.



In 1957 the

Himalayan was

recognized in CFA inseal, blue, chocolate

and lilac point. These

colors were followed by the flame and

tortie points in 1964,

blue-cream points in1972, cream points in

1979, and lynx points

in 1982. While seal,

blue, chocolate and lilac points have been recognized the longest, it has only beenrecently that the chocolate and lilac point Himalayans have become competitive. Since

1992 we have seen a large increase in the number of chocolates and lilacs achieving

grand champion status. The genetics of chocolate and lilac are complex. As a result, there

have been only a few breeders willing to work with those colors. The improvement intype is a direct result of the dedication of these few breeders.

Chocolate is a recessive and in its homozygous state produces chocolate and lilac. Inother words, both parents must carry the recessive allele for chocolate in order for any of

their progeny to show the color. If the recessive color factor is inherited from both

parents, the cat will show chocolate. If the recessive color factor is inherited from onlyone parent, the cat will be heterozygous for chocolate, carrying the chocolate factor

invisibly and showing the colors of the dominant genes. These cats are known as

chocolate "carriers."

The flame points and the tortie points have always been the darlings of the Himalayanworld. With the contrast between the blue eyes and stark white coat of the flame point

and the wonderful mottled patterns that can be presented in the tortie point, these are

VERY striking colors. In addition, the tortie and flame points are known for their "special" personalities which we blame on the "red" factor in their genetic makeup.

The cream points and the blue-cream points are the dilute versions of the flames and

torties. The cream points and the blue-cream points can be very striking with their softness of color, and often have a much clearer coat than their dominant relatives.

Last, but not least, come the lynx points, which are currently the most sought-after colors.

The lynx points have striped or tabby points which separate them from other colorpoints.

These colors are the result of the combination of the dominant agouti (tabby) gene andthe recessive melanin-inhibiting gene of the Himalayan color pattern. Documentation of

breedings between tabbies or silvers to Himalayans started showing up in the 1970s.

PERSONALITY

For the most part the

Himalayan is not ahyperactive cat; that

is to say, they are not

moving all the time.

They like to play and



they are active, but they like their lap time and prefer to be doing whatever you are doing!

The best way to describe colorpoint Persians is to say they are "people oriented." As I sit

here writing this article I have a Himmy on my lap and another on my desk. They liketheir people! Himalayans will often attempt to "help" you do whatever it is that you are

doing, whether it is reading the paper, making the bed or reading blueprints. (My husband

just loves it when they help him read blueprints from work!) They ARE in the middle of all of your activities, and they express themselves with a wonderful melodious voice. All

they ask of us is our complete devotion!

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

As with any longhair cat, the Himalayan requires grooming maintenance. The Himmy

should be groomed on a daily basis, and weekly baths are not uncommon in many

catteries. If you are thinking of entering a cat show, then the Himalayan requires a muchmore rigorous grooming schedule. (When I say rigorous, depending on the coat, it could

mean a bath every other day! It all depends on the coat your Himmy is wearing.) For the

most part Himalayans have been groomed and bathed since they were young kittens so

they agree to the process without too much complaining. Breeders of the colorpointPersian are sometimes criticized for breeding "extreme" cats with "pushed in faces" and

"running eyes." Responsible breeders pay close attention to the overall beauty of expression no matter how short the nose. It IS possible to breed a beautiful Persian with a

very short nose that breathes and tears normally. They are not PRONE to respiratory

problems - they are generally healthy, vigorous cats.

THE FUTURE OF THE HIMALAYAN CAT

As popular as the Himalayan is, it is hard to believe that its fashionableness might

diminish over the years ahead. Since there is not a specific disease or genetic fault that

plagues the Himmy, we can expect that the breed will remain healthy well into the nextcentury. As responsible breeders we do, however, owe the future breeders of the

Himalayan cat a legacy of health, diversity and harmony. This means we need to face our health issues, such as PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) or PRA (Progressive Retinal

Atrophy), head on and work to eradicate them from the breed so our Himalayans can

remain healthy for the next generation of breeders.

Which brings us to an important challenge facing us as breeders - the mentoring of new breeders. The cat fancy in general needs new breeders and new breeders need mentors. As

you place your kittens with their new owners/breeders, take the time to use your expertise

to teach them so that they can continue the breed in the same positive way that you have.We all know how easily one can be discouraged when there is no one with whom to talk

over problems or questions. Take the time with a new breeder; it will pay off with

healthy, happy Himalayans well into the future.References

* Newton, N., "The Himalayan - The Impossible Dream." 1980 CFA Yearbook.

* Lamb, B., "Celebrating The Legacy - Renewing The Dream." 1987 CFA Yearbook.

* Lamb, B., "The Himalayan Persian...And the Dream Goes On!" 1998 CFA Yearbook.* Jacobberger, P., CFA Judge.



A Cinderella Story -

The History of Bicolor & Calico Persians

Bobara Pendergrast, Olde Calico Cattery

CFA Yearbook 1978

Perhaps, I need hardly mention that an orange with white is an orange spoilt, and thatsuch a specimen would be neither shown nor bred from in England. Breeders in this

country are far too prone to keep cats with more or less white on them, when, if they

could only be made to see this subject in the right light, it is far better to chloroform suchmismarked specimens or sell them entirely for pets than to keep them as breeding cats,

thereby tending to ruin their strain both in value and reputation.

The above paragraph was printed from Cat Review,

June 15, 1904, p.p. 5, 6, 7,

8, 9 and again printed in part in the 1965 CFA

Yearbook. It was in anarticle concerning the

breeding of orange (red)Persians and clearly shows

us one fact; that Bi-colors

have certainly been presentfrom the beginning and

born in the same litters as

our solid Persians. Thenwhy did the author advise

they be chloroformed? One

simple answer is - the color was not fashionable or popular at the time. So, because ahealthy kitten was born with an unpopular coat color, it was sometimes put to sleep. How

sad!

Further research showed us that in the United States Bi-Colored Persians were in CFA's

first stud books, and blue and white, and orange and white Persians are in showcatalogues in the early 1900's. Even though the color was not "in Vogue" a few breeders

kept the gene alive. It can never be documented but the white spotting factor was

probably carried down through the solid white Persian. The all white cat being the onlysolid that can mask a color or pattern. Looking through old cat magazines, such as The

Cat Courier and old show catalogues, one sees at a glance the colors in Persians most

seen were blues, whites, red tabbies, silvers, a few smokes and brown tabbies. The Cat

Couriers in the early 1930's makes only rare mention of creams, blue creams, or tortoiseshells. They, too, were not the "in color." Therefore, the answer to the question,

"Where did the Bi-Color and Calico come from?" does not require any dark, mysterious,

or involved genetic answers. Quite simply, it was there at the beginning; however it wasnot the color that breeders wished to work with. It was, therefore, pushed aside for the

time being.



Sometime in the late

1940's, Mrs. Dorothy

Anderson (Jay-KayCattery) in Cincinnati,

Ohio, decided it was

high time Calicoes wereaccepted for

championship

competition. Inapproximately 1951 she

showed Calicoes as

AOV'S, she wrote

letters, talked with judges and did

everything in her power

to establish this beautiful color in the particolor class. It is safe to say she singlehandedly

was responsible for the Calico being accepted for championship competition at the 1955CFA Annual in Texas. Mrs. Anderson then proceeded to breed the first five Calico

champions. The first champion was Jay Kay's Lou Ann who later became a QuadChampion. Her second champion, Jay Kay's Jeanamea was All American calico from the

year 1957 through 1966. Bi-colors were not accepted with the Calicoes in 1955. Male and

female Bi-colors were being born in the same litters as the Calicoes and yet could not beshown except in the AOV class.

I received my first Persian at this time as a gift for my ninth birthday. Ladybug was a

beautiful silver, and about a year later I delivered her first litter (and mine) on my

mother's green satin down bedspread. I will never forget that! Needless to say neither willmy mother! Despite this monumental occasion I entered my first serious breeding of

Persians many years later. I with a blue female, and my sister, Margee Cotton

(Cottonpatch Cattery) with a blue male she purchased. I realized before long that the patched cat was my favorite; but after acquiring several tortoiseshells I was still

dissatisfied. One day I saw a picture of a calico Persian in a book and that was it! All I

could think about was getting a calico. Little did I know how hard that would be! Monthsof letter writing and phone calls resulted in contact with Dorothy Anderson's address, and

I became the proud owner of a red and white bi-color male kitten, Jay Kay's Baron of

Olde Calico. At that time it was quite an accomplishment to acquire a cat of this color. In

order to add to my breeding program I purchased a red female from Don Salamone andDoug Brenner. Glenorchy Elfyn of Wyldewood was bred by Augusta Clarendon, her sire

was GR.CH. Larks-Purr Ruadh of Glenorchy and her dam Wyldewood Penelope, both

red. The realization of what Elfyn would mean to my bloodline would not be fullyapparent for years to come. Although not a show cat herself, she had the ability to

produce type more than any female I have ever owned. She and her daughters, (three

torties and four reds) were the foundation of my cattery. Elfyn did not have a long life butto this day my best kittens are still produced when line bred back to her. Her daughter,

Ch. Olde Calico's Chitty Bang-Bang (Tortie) was bred to Baron (red and white) and as a

result my first calico was born. What a thrill when Chica-Boom made finals in her first

kitten show.



In 1967 several other breeders began to show bi-colors in the AOV class with hope for

their championship recognition. Barbara Tergeson (Ahl-Win Cattery) in New York City,

showed her two imports, Ch. Pathfinder's Poppysocks and Ch. Pathfinder's Mistysign bred by Norah Woodifield in England. Mrs. Barbara Maier (Briargate Cattery) contacted

a dozen or so bi-color breeders and organized the National Bi-Color Club (NBC). Mrs.

Maier published a newsletter and with this began to roll the ball and snowball it did!Let me digress a moment to explain about showing in the AOV class to those of you who

have never had this experience. To present a new color to the cat fancy can be most

exciting and satisfying; but at the same time dull and exasperating. There is virtually nocompetition when showing AOV'S. Most judges and breeders were helpful and

encouraged us to show the bi-colors extensively. Even though type at this time left a lot to

be desired, they had to be shown so that judges could become familiar with this color.

Unfortunately, there were also a few whose comments made exhibitors feel like uninvitedguests in the particolor class. Public acceptance of the bi-colors from the time the first

one was shown was so great, that it was apparent that our cause was a worthwhile one.

No new color or breed can endure the test of time unless their unique beauty merits it.

Miss Norah Woodifieldwas producing more

calicoes and bi-colorsthan any other breeder in

the world at this time.

The cats wereoutstanding in their

color, pattern, and

unusual heavy bone.

After I purchasedseveral of her fine cats

she sent me a picture of

a black and white male,Pathfinder's Tangle. His

picture left me

speechless! Our catfancy had yet to see a bi-

color such as this. I waited another year and then he was finally mine. His picture

appeared in an ad in Cats Magazine prior to his arrival and we received over ninety letters

in two weeks. Tangle was indeed the big bicolor breakthrough! Tangle was shown once inOctober, 1970, as an AOV. There was overwhelming praise from the judges as well as the

public. They praised his outstanding bone, body, and pattern. At long last, we felt at home

with the particolors. The bi-colors were accepted for championship competition inMemphis, Tennessee, on December 13, 1970. Tangle was scheduled to appear before the

CFA board, and on that same morning he lost his life in a fire along with fourteen other

cats in our cattery. This was the moment of the bi-color's greatest achievement, yet thesaddest day in my life.

Mrs. Jane Martinke had been one of the strongest opponents for the recognition of bi-

colors. She voiced her opposition to the CFA board and in articles written for Cats

Magazine. It must be recorded, however, that Mrs. Martinke's fairness to them in the



show ring once they were accepted for competition was greatly admired. In her last show,

her longhair finals included a blue-cream and white as Best Open and Fifth Best Cat.

Now that bi-colors no longer had to be shown as AOV'S, breeders who had beenunwilling to show until championship status was achieved came forward. Many breeders,

both novice and experienced, became interested in the brilliant colors of these Persians.

Type quickly improved and in the 1973 show season, Susan Ellsworth (Vogue Cattcry)made history by producing CFA's first bi-color Grand Champion - GR.CH. Vogue's

Sunny Side Up, a beautiful cream and white male. Sunny paved the way for the future bi-

color grands. The 1974 show season produced CFA's first calico Grand Champion,GR.CH. Beirut's Wildfell. Ironically, it took twenty years to produce the first calico

Grand (since their acceptance in 1955) but it took only three years to produce the first bi-

color Grand (since their acceptance in 1970). This proved the enormous interest that

developed in these colors. In the same year a black and white male, GR.CH. Beirut's Hailto Reason, bred and owned by Dorothy Akers, made grand. In the following year, 1975,

only one bi-color made Grand, GR.CH. Olde Calico's Artful Dodger, a black and white

male, breeder/owner, Bobara Pendergrast. In 1976 we celebrated America's bicentennial

and we also observed the bi-color boom! This year five bicolors and one calico gainedtheir Grand Championship. Bill and Gayle Lee (Lee's Cattery) presented a blue and white

kitten to the cat fancy. Lee's Chief White Cloud was to be the first bicolor to place inCFA's national kitten awards. His excellent type, perfect pattern, and winning personality

charmed both the judges and the audience. Chiefie became second best kitten of CFA

National and took thirty-one best kitten awards in twelve shows.In forty-eight rings he took forty-six final wins. He granded in two shows at nine months

of age. The Lee's also produced the only calico to grand in 1976, GR.CH. Lee's Sugar and

Spice. GR.CH. Lee's Apricot Brandy Alexander, a cream and white male with extreme

type, huge round eyes, and heavy bone granded at nine months of age in two shows.Brandy was to be the first bi-color to place in CFA's Top Twenty. He was awarded fourth

best cat nationally. Brandy received fifty-two Best Cat wins and in two shows was Best

Cat across the board. His litter brother, GR.CH. Lee's Huckleberry Finn, a red and whitemale, owned by Eleanor Pittman, granded on the west coast. The bi-color grands had all

been males until 1976 when the first female bi-color granded, I bred a cream and white

female, GR.CH. Olde Calico's Milk N' Honey, who was sold to Kathy and Walt Cycak and beautifully shown by them in the southern region. At the same time, in the midwest

region GR.CH. Olde Calico's Crackerjack, a red and white male, granded, also bred by

Bobara Pendergrast and owned by Lynn Johnson. During the next show season another

female bi-color granded. A red and white, GR.CH. Olde Calico's Cherry Bounce, bred byBobara Pendergrast, owned by Cathy Green and Paul Rogers. GR.CH. Darcy's Most

Happy Fella, also a red and white, bred and owned by Kathleen Mayer attained his grand

this same year. Beirut's Bold Ruler of Clareway, a black and white male, bred by DorothyAkers, and owned and shown by Clare Johnson on the west coast made the 3rd Grand

Champion for 1977.

The year 1978 was another big one for the calico and bi-color with the following sixmaking Grands: GR.CH. Lee's Scrum-Dilly-icious became the first blue-cream and white

to grand, bred and owned by the Lee's. A few weeks later another blue-cream and white,

GR.CH. Rothgeb's Bonnie of Lelabelle, bred by Beth Webb and owned by Linda Bedsole

in the southern region granded. Two calicos made grand: GR.CH. Lee's Painted Doll,



bred and owned by the Lee's, and GR.CH. Satterlee's Todi, bred and owned by Charles

Satterlee. Mrs. Eleanor Pittman showed a black and white female to her grand, GR.CH.

Beruit's Bint Ibn Caliph, bred by Dorothy Akers. GR.CH. Clareway Cheers another lovely black and white female also granded on the west coast. Cheers was bred and

owned by Clare Johnson.

After May 1, 1978, a black and white male, GR.CH. Lee's Super Sugar Crisp, bred andowned by Bill and Gayle Lee attained grand.

The 1978-1979 show

season promises to bea very exciting one.

Bi-colors are

prominent in all the

show reports. GR.CH.Clareway Cheers has

been shown since May

1, 1978, making many

finals and several bestCat wins. Another

beautiful black andwhite female, Arahn's

Arabesque, took a best

Cat award in her firstshow at 10 months of

age. In her second

show she made all four finals including two Best Cats as an open. Arabesque was bred

and is owned by Seymour Lazerowitz.Kalico Rainbo's Front Page News lived up to her name when she made all four finals and

third best kitten in the Best of the Best at the largest show of the year, The Empire Cat

Show in New York City. She is a calico bred and owned by Kathy and Walt Cycak.To date, there are twenty Grand Champion calicos and bi-colors. This includes every

color in both sexes with the exception of a blue and white female. It follows that this spot

will be filled soon and the list will continue to grow. As we progress we will begin to seethe Van shown more frequently and then, hopefully, the first Van Grand Champion. If

anything can be more eye catching than the bi-color, and calico, it surely must be the Van.

Breeding Practices

Perhaps in years to come there will be additional information available on the genetics of

white spotting. At this time there is hardly more than a few paragraphs in any one book

concerning the breeding of calicos and bi-colors. The main reason one can not findresearch material about white spotting is because to date the hard facts are not known.

There are few facts, and a great deal of guesswork, and a lot of probabilities. As a

breeder, I would like to share some of the observations I have recorded over the pastthirteen years. I have kept a close watch over every kitten born in my cattery, my sister's

cattery, and others who are breeding calicos and bi-colors. I watch particularly for pattern

inheritance and degrees of white spotting. I have arrived at some definite conclusions,

and will continue to study and learn about others. The following chart does not involve



complicated genetic symbols as they are too difficult to understand.

To start one must study the chart carefully in order to become familiar with the degrees of

white spotting. This chart was very carefully prepared after studying over 400 litters of spotted kittens and considered as accurate as possible to date. The solid white cat has

been excluded which leaves the eight degrees of white spotting. Also excluded is the solid

with only a locket or perhaps a small button. We all should know that any solid color Persian can produce a kitten with a small locket. This usually happens when there are no

bi-colors anywhere in the background. On the other hand, it could happen to a solid born

in bi-color litters. The locket has appeared in solid bloodlines for many years; long beforethe bi-color became popular and was introduced into solid lines. It is, therefore, unlikely

that the bi-color can be held responsible for the appearance of lockets. It is now a popular

belief that it is the result of an entirely different genetic factor.

This chart was devised to help the breeder produce better marked bi-colors and calicos; patterns that will come as close as possible to our standard. It must be understood that not

every bi-color or calico will be marked similar to one of these; but they should be close.

For example, your cat might fall just inbetween four and five, etc.

To continue, No.1

being the lowestdegree of white

spotting in carrying

very little white onthe top side and not

much more on the

underside. The face

will usually haveonly a white

splash. The

undersides of No. 1should have a full

white bib but the white on the underside will be a very narrow line normally ending near

the belly button. The lower undersides being colored rather htan white, the front legs mayonly have white on the feet. No. 1 really carries too little white to be used successfully in

a breeding program unless the type is excellent, but even then it presents a risk. We must

remember that pattern is extremely hereditary. No. 1 should always be bred to another bi-

color rather than solid.At first glance No. 2 appears to have an adequate amount of white; however, this is very

deceiving. You will notice there can be an inverted V blaze on the face and the white has

now extended further up the front legs although they usually will have some patching.The undersides of this degree will have more white than No. 1 but most of the time it will

divide at the middle with color, then the lower undersides will be white. The white still

has not extended much higher on the back legs and No. 2 still is not a good choice for breeding expecially if crossed to solids.

No. 3 is finally getting close to our standard. This cat will have a good inverted V and for

the first time we have a full collar. Front legs can be all white or nearly so with maybe a

couple of small patches of color. The white on the underside has widened to cover most



of the undersides. The only white No. 3 lacks is the back legs. White may be extended

further up on the hind legs than No. 2, but not all the way up. We still have not achieved

the nice saddle. The white is easiest to acquire on the front of the cat first. The white highon the back legs is very hard to accomplish. No. 3 when bred to a solid will usually

produce kittens marked like No. 2.

No.4 is perfect! Now we have it! The symmetrical balance of white to color. A beautifulhigh inverted V, all white front legs, wide collar, and finally a saddle. The white has now

extended all the way to the hips on the back legs. Now something else has happened, a

white spot has appeared on the top of the back. This patch of white can be from a fewsprinklings of white hairs to a spot the size of the palm of the hand. It is a very important

patch, along with the white up high on the back legs, it denotes a bi-color that can safely

be crossed to solids and for the most part still reproduce its pattern.

As we continue to No. 5 we see a big change. White has taken over as predominant color.There are quite a lot of differences in No. 4 and No. 5 but there also can be an

overlapping of these two patterns. In this degree we have suddenly lost the collar. More

patching again appears on the legs and the color has become definite divided patches on

the top of the back. The underside again should be all white with an occasional buttonspot of color. Sometimes the undersides of the back legs will be colored as if the cat has

pants on. This cat in an excellent choice if one is going to cross solids as it should produce kittens marked similar to No. 4 and No. 5 Most breeders and judges alike would

like to see bi-colors marked as No. 4 and calicos to always appear as No. 5. Since the two

are littermates, one cannot expect the calicos to always appear as No. 5 and the bi-colorsas No. 4. More realistically it would seem either No. 4 or No. 5 would fall within the

standard and would make a very attractive calico or bi-color. My personal preference is

No. 4 for both the calico and bi-color as the calico with the No. 4 saddle pattern still will

have good patching with the white splash and saddle. It is actually the most balanced of all the patterns. Those who prefer the "more white" calico similar to No. 5 (a very flashy

calico) will just have to accept the bi-color littermates with this much white.

We follow to No. 6 where the white is now taking over. More white on the back and themost dramatic change is the split color on the head. If this cat was produced from two bi-

colors (or calico) then it has the chance to reproduce as the Van. One could not be certain

until it was bred several times to solid color. No. 6 carries too much white to fit thestandard but if type is good, this is a striking pattern and could be shown; however,

faulted for incorrect pattern, just as No. 1 and No. 2 would be.

No. 7 is the pattern of the newly accepted bi-color or calico Van. No. 7 will probably

always breed as a Van but has a few body spots that usually appear near the shoulders or hips. The tail color will extend onto the body somewhat, this is called tail extension color

as opposed to a separate body patch.

No. 8 is a perfectly marked Van. The color is confined to the extremities: head, tail, andsome leg spots. There is no doubt that this pattern will produce only calicos and bi-colors.

This fact makes the Van a very important part of any bi-color breeding program,

especially when solids are used. Since the Van breeds genetically different, I will refer to patterns No. 1 through No. 5 as standard bi-colors and calicos.

It is very important to consider ratio and pattern inheritance. When you purchase your

first bi-color or calico give special attention to pattern. Naturally, the most desirable

pattern in your male would be the Van. Vans are very scarce at this time and, therefore,



difficult to obtain. You might have to consider another pattern. One suggestion is a male

marked as No. 4 or possibly a higher number. Females should also be marked well; but

the male will be the most important as he will be bred to all of your queens. Pleaseremember that good type is an important factor in choosing any cat for breeding. We have

all heard the expression, "Build the house before you paint it." This is true in most cases;

but when dealing with a pattern that is hereditary, it would be better if we could try and"paint the house as it is being built."

The question most frequently asked is, "How many bi-colors can you expect from a solid

to bi-color cross?" The expected ratio in an average litter of four would be two bi-colorsto two solids. This will only balance out over a large number of breedings. Similarly,

when two bi-colors or calicos (other than Vans) are bred, you would expect one solid, two

bi-colors and one Van. As stated before, when a Van is bred to a solid, all offspring will

be standard bi-colors. When a Van is bred to a standard bi-color, two Vans and twostandard bi-colors should result. A Van bred to a solid cannot produce a Van. In theory,

when a Van is bred to a Van, all offspring will be Vans, but to my knowledge this has not

yet been tried. Pattern inheritance is a very tricky subject. To date, there is no conclusive

evidence as to the mechanics. I can only tell you what I have seen through my own breeding experience. My observations are only generalities as there are always exceptions

in a subject as complex as white piebald spotting.

Use of Solids

One sees from the above ratios that the use of solids produces far more solids than most

bi-color breeders would like to have. Years ago, type was so poor on the bi-colors thatsolids had to be used extensively. One can see by the pictures shown in this article that

type has improved so greatly that by careful selection solids should no longer be needed.

If solids are to be used, any color solid (this includes torties and blue-creams) isappropriate except perhaps the solid white. The white of the solid white cat presents an

entirely different genetic makeup than the white on the bi-color. The use of the solidwhite will not increase the white on the bi-color offspring. The result that follows is alitter of mostly all white kittens. If you are very fortunate you may get one bi-color in

four. Perhaps the primary reason that the white is not the best choice is that one-half of

the all white kittens will carry the bi-color gene and no one can tell which one is carrying

it until they are bred.OTHER SOLIDS CANNOT CARRY THE BI-COLOR GENE. A red, black, etc, for

example, born from bi-color parents will breed as any other solid from solid background.

One should also avoid the use of tabbies or the smoke gene unless you intend to start a breeding program with these colors.

Many beautiful solids have been produced from bi-color breedings and are making their

grand championships. A very typey red female CH. Zion's Hot T'Molly was fourth bestkitten in the North Atlantic region. She was bred by Barb Warshefski and owned by Barb

Warshefski and Kathleen Mayer. Her sire was a red and white, GR.CH. Darcy's Most

Happy Fella, and her dam a calico, CH. Zion'& Sassy Face. GR.CH. Kalico Rainbo's PotO'Gold is a beautiful bluecream that has a cream and white dam, GR.CH. Olde Calico's

Milk and Honey, breeder/owner Kathy and Wait Cycak. GR.CH. Lee's Candy Bar, a

lovely tortie, has a red and white sire, CH. Lee's Candy Man, breeder/owner, Bill and

Gayle Lee. GR.CH. Olde Calico's Pzazz, another bluecream, has a calico dam, Olde



Calico's Americana, and I'm sure this will happen more frequently in the future.

One of the most difficult questions to answer is, "How do I produce a well-marked

pattern?" The surest answer is to start with well-marked cats as they usually reproducethemselves. If you have been unable to do this and perhaps own bi-colors with

insufficient amounts of white, your task is difficult at best. Many people mistakenly

assume that by breeding a cat with "not enough" white (such as No. 2) to a well-markedcat (such as No. 4) you will increase the amount of white on all their kittens. I have

found, however, the offspring which are standard bi-colors often half will be marked like

the sire and half like the dam. Instead of the white increasing on all the kittens, the patterntends to repeat itself from each of the parents. Although I'm not sure why, many times it

helps to breed a poorly marked bi-color to a dilute solid or bi-color rather than dominant.

For example, a No. 2 pattern should produce more white on it's offspring when bred to a

blue or cream as opposed to a black or red.Facial markings can also be hereditary. I have seen males consistently throw the same

type markings on their kittens' faces. Even though the inverted V is preferred in the

standard, some breeders would rather have a variety of facial marks such as a colored

chin as opposed to white or an occasional spot on the muzzle. Whatever your preference,remember that the cats you choose to breed from will probably throw their facial marks;

but this will not be important as the amount of white on the body. A saddle (white up highon back leg) and full, wide, white on the underside, should be much more important than

a cat that might possess a perfect inverted V and collar, but still not enough white on the

body to pass on good pattern to offspring.The way to produce the No. 8 Van is to cross two well marked (No. 4 or No. 5) cats.

When a Van results from crossing two poorly marked bi-colors (for example, No. I

through 3) his pattern will usually include body spots. Our standard for Vans allows a few

small body spots. but more than this could result in a transfer to the standard bi-color class, Since the Van crossed to solids will produce only standard bi-colors, what kind of

pattern can it be expected to produce? Probably he will mask a pattern from either his

dam or sire. When purchasing a Van you should look closely at his parents. If they are notwell marked even though you have acquired a Van he could throw poorly marked kittens.

A mistaken idea is that owning a Van will cure your pattern problems. Unless he is from

well-marked parents, he will produce all bi-colors, but not necessarily well-marked ones.From the previous discussion it is obvious that a typey, No. 8, male Van from parents

marked as No. 4 or No. 5 would be unequaled in value to any bi-color breeding program.

Obviously, much more research is needed and I would hope that my observations will

encourage qualified researchers to further study piebald spotting.

Persian Vans Accepted for Championship Competition

My first Van was a red and white male born around 1971. He was marked as No. 8 andhis offspring were closely watched for many years He was bred mostly to solids and, of

course, never produced a solid. We then observed the breedings of several other Vans.

Breeders during this period commonly called Vans, "Harlequins." Harlequins were shownin the AOV class until their acceptance in October, 1977, at the New Jersey board

meeting. Prior to their acceptance, there was some opposition to the name "Harlequin"

mainly because some felt it denoted a spotted animal such as the harlequin Great Dane.

Dick Gebhardt suggested the name "Van" in relation to the pattern of the Turkish Van.



Although it will be hard for some of us to get in the habit of calling the cats "Vans"

instead of "Harlequins," it was well worth the change to have these outstanding colors

recognized for championship competition.To conclude the subject of pattern inheritance, I would like to comment on the term

"tortie and white." The word "calico" is exclusively American and denotes a cat which is

white with red and black patches, similar to No. 4 or No. 5 on our chart. The term "tortieand white" is English or European and denotes a cat which is white with red and black

patches, also similar to No. 4 or No. 5 on our chart. The American calico standard and the

English tortie and white standard are virtually identical. Some members of the cat fancyhave suggested a new class called "tortie and white" which would be composed of calicos

with insufficient amounts of white similar to No. I or No. 2 on the chart. There is no

reason to make a different class for these cats since they are genetically identical to other

calicos. Solid color Persians are genetically denoted as ss. Standard bi-color and calicosare denoted Ss. The so-called "tortie and white" is still Ss. The only difference is an

improper amount of white in relation to our standard. One of the reasons some people

feel the so-called "tortie and white" is genetically different is the addition of cream to the

coat. However, I would point out that whenever red appears on the undersides of a cat itwill be many shades lighter or cream. It would be absurd to call a solid red "red and

cream" simply because it's underside hair was many shades lighter. So, on an improperlymarked calico, in the absence of sufficient white, there will naturally be more black and

red and where this red appears on the undersides it will appear as cream. In no way does

this suggest a genetic difference. It is also strikingly apparent that a single cat cannot phenotypically express both dilute and dominant colors. Their second contention is that

the more brindled coat pattern as opposed to well defined patches proves genetic

differences. The fact is the amount of white determines the degree of patching. Naturally,

a cat with insufficient white would display more brindling. Again, no genetic difference.If a class should be formed for mismarked calicos and be called "tortie and whites," I

would assume they would be marked as No. I and No. 2 degrees. What would we do with

our bi-color litter mates marked as No. I and No. 2? Should we form yet another class for mismarked bi-colors? All standards are written as the perfect example for the breed and

color described. I would suggest that instead of forming a class for mismarked calicos,

that breeders strive to improve pattern and produce as close to the standard as possible.All bi-color breeders will at one time or another have a kitten born with excellent type

and improper color. I feel this cat should be shown and, if the judge sees fit, faulted for

color pattern just the same as that same judge would fault a blue-cream, etc., whose

patching was not correct. This would only be fair to all.

The Future of Calicos and BiColors

The popularity of bi-colors and calicos is growing stronger every day. In 1975 a specialtyclub was formed for these colors in Northern New Jersey. The Persian Bi-color and

Calico Society holds monthly meetings and hosted a genetic seminar in 1976. The club

has around sixty members from all over the United States. Kathy Cycak is the currentsecretary, and those interested in the club should write to her at: RD 3, Box 319,

Freehold, New Jersey, 07728.

In years to come, bi-colors may be seen in even more colors. There could be black smoke

and whites, cameo and whites, and this past year a silver and white was shown as an



AOV in the Empire Cat Show. Introducing a new color to the bi-color should not be taken

lightly and a well planned breeding program should be carefully studied. For a very long

time I wanted to work with the brown tabby and white. In recent years this has been alarge part of of my breeding program. This may be one of the hardest colors and patterns

to breed. One not only has to keep the proper amount of white, but at the same time keep

the intricate tabby pattern and color. Then, most important to top it off with good type.Even though it has been difficult, the development of the brown tabby and white has been

most exciting.

Over ten years ago, Mrs. Virginia Coughlin (CO-MC Cattery) famous for her browntabbies, wrote an article about her "brownies" which appeared in the CFA News. I would

like to include for you the last paragraph of her article as it did so much to encourage me

when bi-colors were in their infancy.

"Seeing the brownies improve in just a few short years should challenge all newcomers inthe cat fancy. There are many lagging color classes that cry out for dedicated interested

breeders. It is my hope that someone will pick up the torch and restore these seldom seen

colors to their place in the sun." Yes, bi-colors and calicos have come a long way since

1904. May they live happily ever after!

The Himalayan Persian

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