Breed: Persian
Persian cats: the daily comb, the eyes and the lion cut question
No cat coat forgives neglect less than a Persian's. It is the reason the breed fills a groomer's book in February, and the reason the lion cut has a reputation it does not deserve.
The coat
What a Persian coat is doing: cotton over cotton
Groomers describe the Persian coat as cottony because that is how it behaves. The outer hair is long and fine, the undercoat beneath it is dense and soft, and the two have nearly the same texture, so shed hair does not fall out. It stays in, twists around the hair still growing, and felts. A Persian can go from combed to matted at the skin in a week, in sheets across the belly and thighs rather than in single knots.
The undercoat is heaviest from November to March, when the cat has grown in for winter and the house is heated and dry; static from forced hot air makes every loose hair cling. The spring shed, from March through May, is when that winter undercoat lets go all at once. A Persian that was managing in January can be past saving by April if the comb has slipped to twice a week.
- Fine outer hair and dense undercoat of almost the same texture
- Shed hair stays in the coat and felts instead of falling
- Heaviest undercoat November to March, released March to May
The face
Tear staining is a daily wipe, not a grooming appointment
A Persian's flat face changes the path the tears take, so they overflow onto the fur below the inner corner of each eye instead of draining away, and the fur dries rust-colored and crusty. This is normal for the breed and it is managed at home: a soft pad with plain warm water, once a day, wiped downward and away from the eye, then patted dry. Leave whitening products alone unless your vet suggests one.
The wipe also keeps the folds of the face clean, where moisture sits. Our groomers trim the stained hair short as part of the Full Bath and the Full Service and will show you the wipe on the day. If the discharge changes color, the eye reddens or the cat squints, that belongs to your vet.
- Warm water on a soft pad, once a day, wiped down and away
- Pat the fur dry so the fold stays clean
- Any change in color, redness or squinting: ask your vet
At home
The daily comb, in the order that keeps a Persian on your lap
Daily is the number, and five minutes is enough if it really is daily. Use a metal comb with medium teeth for the body and fine teeth for the face and legs; a brush alone slides over a Persian coat and reaches nothing. Comb in layers with the cat lying beside you: lift a section, comb the undercoat beneath it to the skin, let it fall, move on.
Order matters more with a Persian than with any other breed, because the belly and britches are where the mats live and where the cat's patience is shortest. Start with the parts it enjoys, get the danger zones done in the middle while there is still goodwill, and end on the cheeks. If a small mat has started, work the comb tip into its edge. Never cut.
- 01
Comb the cheeks, chin and the top of the head with the fine comb, then wipe the eyes
- 02
Lift the ruff in sections and comb each layer to the skin with the medium comb
- 03
Comb the chest, then each armpit with the front leg drawn gently forward
- 04
Roll the cat onto its side and comb the belly and the inside of each thigh in short layers
- 05
Comb the britches and the tail, working from the skin outward
- 06
Run the comb along the back last, then end on the cheeks where you started
At the studio
The lion cut question, answered honestly: Full Service at $120
A lion cut is a body shave that leaves the head, the tail tip and often the lower legs in coat. At Dogtown it lives inside the Full Service at $120: the bath, the shaving, the trims and the nails together. It is the kind option for a Persian whose coat has felted to the skin, because combing a felted coat out hurts and clipping it off does not, and for a household that cannot keep up the daily comb. The coat grows back.
A Persian that is combed daily does not need it. That cat books the Full Bath at $95: a wash, a full brush-out, careful drying and a nail clip, which resets the undercoat that even a good comb leaves behind. Minimal Trims at $45 shorten the belly, britches and sanitary area and take out a few mats without a bath, a useful middle step through the heating season. Nail clipping alone is $20.
The groom happens in Dogtown's quiet cat room at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, away from the dogs, with cat behavior specialists who work slowly and use as little restraint as the coat allows. You book straight in, online, in the app or by phone, with no evaluation visit first, and the groomer decides on the day whether the coat can be saved or should come off. A cat that cannot be handled safely is referred to your vet.
- Full Service $120: bath, shaving, trims and nails; the lion cut is here
- Full Bath $95: a kept coat reset, with brush-out and nails
- Minimal Trims $45: belly, britches and a few mats, no bath
- Nail clipping $20
The vet
When a Persian's coat or face needs a vet before a groomer
A Persian that suddenly stops grooming itself, that mats along the spine where it used to reach, or whose coat turns greasy in a few weeks is telling you something a comb will not fix. So is a coat that comes away in clumps with skin flakes attached, or a smell that survives a bath. Ask your vet first; the groom follows once they have looked.
The face has its own list. Tears that turn thick, yellow or green, an eye that is red or held shut, a nose that runs, or a cat that rubs its face on the carpet are all vet questions. Our groomers will tell you if they notice any of it on the table and will stop short of any opinion about what it means.
- A cat that stops grooming or mats along the spine
- Greasy coat, clumps with skin flakes, or a smell a bath does not remove
- Thick or colored tears, a red or closed eye, a runny nose
- Mats fused to the skin, which a vet should see before we clip
At Dogtown
The studio that keeps Persians
Full Bath, Full Service, Minimal Trims and nails, in a quiet room built for cats who have never liked a comb.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
How often does a Persian need professional grooming?
Is a lion cut cruel to a Persian?
Why does my Persian's face stain even though I wipe it?
Can you groom a Persian that fights the comb at home?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Keep reading
Next step
Daily comb, or the kind cut.
Book a Full Bath for a kept coat or the Full Service for a felted one, online or by phone. No evaluation, and our groomers will tell you which your Persian needs.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
