While Persian cats aren’t that different from any other cat. There are some helpful tips and products that can make caring for a Persian cat easier.
1. Food Bowls
Bowls with low sides are better for cats in general because they won’t bother their whiskers while eating. But Persians with flat faces or shorter noses especially should be eating from a flat dish with low to no sides. I strongly advise against plastic as it can harbor bacteria. Glass, stainless steel or ceramic is best. However care should be given with ceramic because if it chips it can also harbor bacteria.
Here is a beautiful dish which allows the cat to eat in a comfortable position.
The glass dishes I use I bought from a thrift shop. Another great alternative is coffee cup saucers. You do not have to only look at pet stores for food bowls.
2. Litter
Because Persians have long beautiful coats, it is important to keep it clean. Litter that sticks to cats feet and hair is one of the worst things that can happen. It is unattractive, messy, unsanitary and the cat can digest the litter when trying to clean itself. In my experience wood pellets are the best option because there is no clumping, stickiness or tracking. Never has this litter stuck to my cat. This is also the least expensive option.
You can read my post about wood burning pellets here. You can find them at home improvement stores and farm supply stores. These pellets are not labelled as cat litter but work perfectly.
Below are other options that will not stick to your cat’s feet and are also eco-friendly and biodegradable.
Worlds Best Cat Litter – corn based
Feline Pine – wood based
Sweat Scoop – wheat based
3. Grooming Tools
This is the most expensive and time-consuming part owning a Persian cat. Brushing is the most important part of grooming which will prevent matting. Mats are not simply a bad hairdo but they the mats pull on the skin and can be very painful for the cat. Having different brushes is necessary. See my post here for my favorite brushes. If you do not invest the time to groom your cat regularly you will have to take her to the groomers much more often.
4. Hairballs
There are many products and food on the market that claim that they prevent hairballs. While any cats can have hairballs, long-haired cats are more prone to them. I believe a healthy diet and consistent grooming is the best prevention. For me that healthy diet is a homemade raw meat diet. I don’t buy into a lot of the hairball prevention products, snacks, foods, gels etc. I have found coconut oil to work very well as a natural and healthy alternative to petroleum jelly.
5. Nutrition
Feeding your cat a high quality species appropriate diet will have positive effects on their cat’s coat. You do not want to have diarrhea or litter sticking to your cat’s longhair. I feed my cats a homemade raw meat diet. This is the most nutritional and moisture rich diet they are biologically designed to eat.
Results of high quality diet:
- Shiny coat
- Decreased to no hairballs
- Poop is smaller, drier, and very low odor
- Long-term health benefits
- A healthy fit cat will be better at self-grooming than an obese cat
Whether you feed homemade raw, commercial raw or high quality wet food, the quality of food you feed will have a direct impact on your cat’s coat and overall health.
6. Eye Cleaning
Persian cats that have the extreme face or peeked face have problems with eye drainage and stains. The flatter the face the more draining and the more often the cat’s face needs to be cleaned. The amount and frequency of care varies greatly from cat to cat. Depending on the size of the nose, flatness of the face and just the cat itself. Some will need to be cleaned several times a day and others once a week or not at all. See how I clean my Persian cats’ eyes here.
Do you have a Persian and have any other helpful tips? Please share in the comments.
Read a Groomer’s Dos and Don’ts of Grooming Persian Cats
Hi. I’m planning to rescue a one month old persian cat and give him a new home soon. Can you give me some some tips and advices on how to take care of it? Thanks
Author
Congratulations! One month old though, what happened to its mother? Cats should never be removed from their mother until minimum 2 months but 3 months is even better.
Hello. I feed my Persian in a low side bowl/plate approx 20cm in diameter. I find she still ends up with food everywhere surrounding the bowl. Any ideas how to stop this? Specific bowls for flat faced cats?
Author
My cats too like to pick up the food and eat it next to the bowl. I don’t think there is any way to prevent this. I use a mat under their bowls which helps a lot with cleanup. This is the one I use.
Hello I am wondering if you could help me. I have a long haired Persian and his eyes water a lot I do keep on top of them but when I come from work they tend to dry and crisp up and sometimes when I clean them I knock a scab off and it bleeds this pains me as I don’t want him to be hurting. What can I do to prevent this or is it something I am doing wrong. I use those pads with warm water. And dry them afterwards. Like I said it doesn’t happen all the time just now and then.
Any info would be great
Becky
My persian 10months old is so picky when it comes to food. Before she eats pellets for the past 7 months, afterwhich i introduced wet food but she is starting to lose weight yet she eat well. Apetite for dry food becomes pale and she prefers more of wet food. How can i make my pet go back somehow to at least eat dry or pellet food once in awhile. Wet stuff are quite pricey.
Author
Honestly it is not a bad thing if she doesn’t want to eat dry food. Even the cheapest wet food is better for her than any dry food. Feeding dry food once in a while is okay but feeding her mostly wet food will benefit her health greatly in the long-run. Feeding cats only dry food keeps them in a constant state of dehydration which will cause long-term damage on her organs. Thanks for reading and commenting!
I have just seen this I have had a nightmare with my persian with foods, He will not eat any wet food whatsoever. I have tried all sorts. When he was a kitten he used too. Now he will only eat certain dry foods. But I have seen it is a health problem. What can I do??
I am curious about your suggestion for using pellets in the litter box. One of my boys is very messy and tracks litter out of the box. It is a full-time job keeping that area clean. But…how do the pellets work with urine? I assume, you can easily remove the solids, but having trouble figuring out what happens with liquid. Could you please explain in more detail?
Author
Thanks for your comment! The urine turns the pellets to sawdust which can be thrown away or composted. Its easiest with a sifting litter box. I made a DIY litter box click here to see. This should help explain things. Because the litter is so incredibly cheap, you can be more generous at throwing away unused litter.
We hear more and more about pellets ; Mum is thinking of trying it for us. Do you use those from Landi ? Purrs
Author
Yes Landi or Coop Brico, Let me know if you do try them.
Thank you for the tips. I have a rescue that I was told is Persian and she has long fur. I am going to read about the wood pellets. I have been wanting to try using pellets, I heard it is more economical than regular and with 15 cats every little bit helps.
Author
Yes very economical. In one year I spent $10 on pellets for one cat. That would be $150 a year for 15 cats :-) It has to be the most economical and eco-friendly option out there. If you do try please let me know how your cats adjust to it, I know sometimes adult cats do not like sudden changes.
I just got a Persian kitten. Should I transition him to these pellets slowly or just swap the litter completely in one go?
Author
Wtih both my cats, Elizabeth was 3 months and Cornelius was 6 months old when I brought them home. I switched to pellet litter on the first day. Kittens are much easier to switch. I would try it. If you run into problems you could transition slowly. I’d love to see photos of your kitten. Please tag me on instagram :-)
We’re not Persians, but some of those tips could apply to us as well. We have dishes like the pretty raised one…’cept ours are plain white. :)