Breed: Himalayan
Himalayan: grooming and care
Breeders crossed Persians with Siamese to make the Himalayan, and the cat kept the Persian's coat and face along with the Siamese points. This guide covers what that mix means for the comb, the eyes and a visit to the studio.
The breed
In CFA's standard a Himalayan is a Persian with points, so its coat care is Persian coat care
CFA shows Himalayans inside the Persian breed, as the division with the pointed pattern: a clear body color, with the ears, legs, feet, tail and mask in the cat's basic color, and deep vivid blue eyes. The coat is the Persian coat, which CFA's standard describes as long and thick and standing off from the body. VCA's breed profile traces the Himalayan to Persians crossed with Siamese and dates CFA's recognition of it to 1957.
VCA lists seal, chocolate, blue and lilac points and a weight of 9 to 12 pounds, and describes a gentle, quiet cat, a little more active than a Persian and a little less than a Siamese. That temperament helps on the grooming table. The coat does not: VCA says plainly that a Himalayan needs brushing every day to keep its long hair from tangling and matting.
- Pointed pattern: colored ears, legs, feet, tail and mask on a pale body (CFA)
- Eyes: deep vivid blue (CFA)
- Coat: long, thick and standing off the body, brushed daily (CFA, VCA)
- Size: 9 to 12 pounds (VCA)
Every day
Comb the coat and wipe the face every day, in two short sessions if that is easier
CFA calls a steel or Teflon-coated comb with long coarse and fine teeth essential for this coat, and VCA asks for daily brushing plus a daily wipe of the face with a damp washcloth to prevent tear staining. Neither job is big when it is daily. Five minutes with the comb in the evening and half a minute with the cloth in the morning keep a Himalayan's coat and face in hand.
CFA also sets the order for baths: occasional, and only after a thorough combing and a nail clip. The order matters at home and at the studio alike, and it is why a coat that has already pelted goes to the Full Service rather than straight into a bath. If you comb daily, most baths can wait for the studio.
- 01
Use the coarse teeth of a steel comb on the ruff, chest and sides, lifting the coat in layers
- 02
Switch to the fine teeth for the cheeks, behind the ears and under the chin
- 03
Comb the belly and the armpits while the cat is still settled
- 04
Finish with the britches and the plume of the tail, working from the skin out
- 05
Wipe below each eye with a soft, damp cloth and pat the fur dry
- 06
Check the claws weekly; CFA pairs a nail clip with every bath
The eyes
Tears roll down a Himalayan's face instead of draining, so the wipe manages it rather than curing it
VCA's page on tear overflow names Persians and Himalayans among the flat-faced breeds whose tear film fails to enter the duct and simply rolls off the face. The signs are damp fur under the eyes, reddish-brown staining, odor and irritated skin. On a dark seal-point mask the stain is easy to miss, so check by touch: damp or crusty fur under the eye means the wipe is overdue.
VCA's advice is to keep the area as clean and dry as possible, remove any build-up and keep the fur around the eyes trimmed short. It also warns against using any product without your vet, and against anything containing hydrogen peroxide near the eyes. Trimming close to the eyes is work for the studio, as part of Minimal Trims at $45 or the Full Service at $120, not for scissors at home.
- Daily: a soft, damp cloth below each eye, then dry
- No product near the eyes without your vet, and no hydrogen peroxide (VCA)
- Redness, odor or discharge under the eyes: your vet first
The lion cut
When a Himalayan's coat pelts, a lion cut is kinder than combing it out
A pelt is a coat that has felted into a solid layer close to the skin, and a comb cannot open it without pulling. At Dogtown the answer is the Full Service at $120: a full bath, shaving, trims and nails, with the body clipped short and the coat left on the head and the end of the tail. The coat grows back, and a Himalayan that restarts from short hair is far easier to keep on a daily comb.
The pale body of a pointed cat also shows wear sooner than a darker coat would. Grease along the back and staining on the britches and the sanitary area stand out on white or cream fur. Minimal Trims at $45, a trim and partial shave without a bath, tidies the britches and the area under the tail between baths, and the Full Bath at $95, with water, a brush-out and nails, resets a coat that is still combable.
The flat face
A flat face handles heat and stress less easily, so a Himalayan's groom runs cool and unhurried
VCA's page on brachycephalic airway syndrome names the Himalayan among the best-known flat-faced breeds. Mouth breathing is the most common sign, mildly affected cats breathe noisily, and signs are often worse in hot or humid weather. VCA's advice is to keep affected cats out of heat and humidity, limit stress and keep them lean, because obesity makes the symptoms worse.
The groom is planned around that. Cats are groomed in a quiet room at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, away from the dog floors, by cat behavior specialists who keep restraint minimal and stop before stress builds. On a humid Cape Ann summer day, an early booking and a carrier kept out of the sun on the way in help more than anything on the table. A cat that cannot be groomed safely is referred to your vet.
- Mouth breathing or noisy breathing: mention it when you book
- Humid summer days: book early and keep the carrier shaded
- An overweight Himalayan: ask your vet, since weight worsens breathing signs (VCA)
At Dogtown
The cat studio for a flat-faced coat
Four cat services from $20 to $120 in a room kept for cats, where the pace is set by the cat on the table.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Is a Himalayan the same as a Persian?
Can I use a tear stain remover on my Himalayan?
How often does a Himalayan need a professional groom?
Do I need an evaluation before booking my Himalayan's groom?
My Himalayan is fine with our dog. Does a groomer that takes dogs worry it?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- CFA: Persian, including the Himalayan division
- VCA: Himalayan breed profile
- VCA: epiphora (tear overflow) in cats
- VCA: brachycephalic airway syndrome in cats
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Points, plume and a clear face.
Book a Full Bath at $95 for a kept coat, or the Full Service at $120 when the coat has pelted, online or in the Dogtown app. No evaluation visit first.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
