These adorable flat-faced cats have existed since the 1600s from Mesopotamia which was later called Persia, giving these cats the name Persian. Today, they are an expensive and highly sought-after breed with prices going from $1,000+ for a single kitten. But the subject at hand that I would like to focus on is the health issues that Persian cats face, and why they are more susceptible to diseases. This topic is very near and dear to my heart, since I happened upon owning a Persian cat at the beginning of the school year.
Meet Sammy, my cat that my sister got me from craigslist (long story). Cute, right? In a Garfield/ grumpy cat sort of way. The biggest problem I faced was how often he tears up. It sounds like a simple issue, but it was occurring constantly. Every night when I would pet him, he would build up a brown layer of crust around his eyes. It didn’t matter if I cleaned his face a few hours ago, it was inevitable that the tears would stain his fur again. This led me to do some research.
Persian cats have a very distinctive feature- their flat face. Scientifically, it is called a brachycephalic structure, which leads to tear ducts that are not fully developed. Typically, cats have ducts to drain excess liquid in their eyes to their nose. In this case, flat-faced cats have tears that cannot drain properly, leading to the fur around their eyes to be stained. The staining comes from the tears oxidizing to turn into a reddish brown color. The official diagnosis for this is called epiphora- which is a cause for concern for most cats but is a common occurrence for Persian and Himalayan cats.
Having watery eyes is not the only consequence of the brachycephalic facial structure. Some of the others include: brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome (BAOS) which can cause respiratory problems; maxillary dorsal rotation (rotation of the upper jaw upwards) and brachygnathism (the top jaw is abnormally short). This can cause dental problems, and make it harder for the cat to groom himself. Exophthalmos, when the eyeball protrudes, can lead to an increased risk of corneal ulcers. Cats with the more severe forms of brachycephaly are highly likely to develop these conditions.
This leads us to the age-old question- is it unethical to breed these kinds of cats? There are even more loveable breeds of dogs with this condition: pugs, bulldogs, shih tzus, boxers, etc. Would the solution be to stop the breeding of these animals? I love Sammy, but I still believe we should end the breeding and continuation of brachycephalic animals. Choosing a pet for aesthetic reasons, especially when it compromises their quality of life, just feels fundamentally wrong to me. At the end of the day, our love for animals should include decisions that prioritize their health over our preferences.
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Künzel W, Breit S and Oppel M (2003) Morphometric investigations of breed-specific features in feline skulls and considerations on their functional implications. Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia 32: 223
Monnet E (2004) Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome. World Small Animal Veterinary Association conference 2004, 6-9th Oct, Rhodes, Greece. Available from VIN Associate, accessed 8.2.11
O’NEILL, D. G., ROMANS, C., BRODBELT, D. C., CHURCH, D. B., ČERNÁ, P. & GUNN-MOORE, D. A. 2019. Persian cats under first opinion veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders. Scientific Reports – Nature doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49317-4
