Medium to large, cobby cat with Persian body type and Siamese colorpoint pattern. Long luxurious coat and blue eyes.
Created in the 1930s by crossing Persians with Siamese to combine Persian body type with Siamese colorpoints. Considered a variety of Persian by some registries. Popular companion breed.
Typically 4-6.4 kg and 25-33 cm at the shoulder — published as one range rather than separately for males and females.
Generally described as dependent, gentle, intelligent, quiet, social, sweet and calm.
That is the breed in general, not a promise about one animal. Ask the breeder what their own line is like, and meet the parents before you decide.
Breed reference from The Cat API.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. The Cat API; UC Davis VGL — Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD1), breed list includes Himalayan. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Breed-level information from The Cat API. It describes the Himalayan in general; any individual animal can differ.
Known hereditary risks for the Himalayan breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
4 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)A thickening of the heart muscle that can cause sudden cardiac death; Cornell's Feline Health Center lists Persian — of which the Himalayan is a colour variety — among the breeds where HCM is more prevalent than average. No specific causal DNA mutation has been established for Persian-type HCM, so a genetic test cannot rule it out.
What to ask for
Cardiologist echocardiogram of both parents (no validated breed-specific DNA marker exists)
A Persian-derived recessive mutation in AIPL1 causes early, rapid retinal degeneration, with severe vision loss typically by 16 weeks of age in affected kittens. UC Davis lists Himalayan directly among the breeds this test applies to.
What to ask for
PRA-pd (Persian-derived progressive retinal atrophy) DNA test on both parents
The flattened Persian-type face narrows the airway (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, which can be severe), shortens the tear ducts and deforms the eyelids, causing chronic eye discharge and corneal exposure, and crowds the teeth. This comes directly from the facial shape itself and cannot be tested away while keeping that shape.
What to ask for
No DNA test exists — assess the parents' own breathing and facial conformation in person, or ask for a vet's airway assessment
An autosomal dominant mutation causes fluid-filled kidney cysts from early in life, usually progressing to renal failure in mid-to-later adulthood. The Himalayan is the colourpoint Persian and carries the identical PKD1 mutation as the Persian and Exotic Shorthair.
What to ask for
PKD1 DNA test on both parents
This is where Himalayan owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
That is not the same as none existing. Publishing a litter is part of a breeder's subscription here, so a Himalayan breeder can have a litter and no listing — ask them directly.
See Himalayan breeders