The Himalayan cat is the long-haired, color-pointed variety developed from Persian and Siamese breeding.
Breeders combined the Persian’s long coat and body type with the Siamese’s pointed coloration and blue eyes. The resulting cats have a Persian-like silhouette with darker color on the face, ears, legs, and tail and a lighter body.
In some cat registries, Himalayan is treated as a division or color variety of the Persian rather than as a completely separate breed. Other organizations have used Himalayan as a distinct breed name. This difference in classification explains why references may describe the cat in two ways.
The Himalayan should not be confused with the Balinese, which is the long-haired variety of the Siamese. The Birman is also color-pointed and long-haired, but it has its own history and distinctive white gloves.