With his appearance of angelic sweetness, his flowing coat with silver highlights, and his emerald green eyes, the Chinchilla is a cat like no other. His sophistication may lead you to believe he’s for elite owners only, but this isn’t true. Actually, he’s one of the most popular Persians.
The chinchilla Persian is one of the oldest modern cat breeds. In 1888, a cat named “Silver” was the first Chinchilla to appear in a Crystal Palace cat show. As was often the case, the chinchilla Persian was invented and selectively bred by the British, from a cross between a blue Persian and a silver tabby Persian. The result was a cat with a very unique coat in which each hair had a dark tip and a silver base. The first known stud, Silver Lambkin, was bred by Miss Vallence. He went down in history by becoming the favourite cat of Queen Victoria’s grandson. When Silver Lambkin died at the age of 17, he was stuffed and placed on exhibit at the South Kensington Natural Science Museum, where he can still be seen today. Silver Lambkin was a far cry from today’s Chinchillas: He had hazel eyes and a fairly short coat with tabby markings. But the craze for this new variety had begun, and it is still alive today.
The Chinchilla is first a Persian, with all the typical Persian traits. It is a short, fairly stocky cat with heavy bones and a short tail. It has a round face, small ears, a domed forehead, a very short nose, and a firm chin. Its coat is long on the entire body, with a lovely ruff and a well-furnished tail. However, the Chinchilla is a special kind of Persian. Its enormous eyes, outlined with black around the rims, are of a colour like none other: a blend of emerald green with turquoise highlights. The depth of the Chinchilla’s gaze is what is sought above all in this variety. Its round eyes give it a very sweet expression and cause the cat to appear both surprised and smiling. The Chinchilla’s other trait that distinguishes it from other Persians is its coat colour, for which it was named. The chinchilla, a small rodent, exists in a silver variety with hair that is lighter at the base and darker at the tip. The same is true of the chinchilla Persian: While the best specimens may appear white when viewed from afar, their coat is actually sprinkled with silver. In black Chinchillas, the tip of each hair is black over 1/8 the length, especially on the cat’s back. The face, belly, and ruff are pure white. Because of the absence of pigmentation in most of the hair, the Chinchilla’s coat is finer, more supple, and more flowing than that of most other Persians—yet another mark of refinement in the eyes of its admirers.
Two other very similar varieties are often born in Chinchilla litters. The first, the Shaded Silver, resembles the Chinchilla on all points except that it appears slightly darker because the coloured tip of the hair is a bit longer (up to 1/3 black is allowed). This gives the coat a pewter cast, rather than a silver cast. The cat’s face and legs are also darker, but it has the same emerald green eyes and the same black outlines. For some unknown reason, Shaded Silvers are often closer to the classic Persian standard than Chinchillas. The other variety is the Golden. (Picture on the left of a Shaded Golden Persian.)For quite a while, kittens with colored coats were born in litters of Chinchillas and Shaded Silvers. While all Silvers are born with tabby markings that disappear gradually with age, these apparently non-silver kittens were considered of poor quality and sold as companion cats, until breeders realized that as these kittens grew, they also lost their markings and came to resemble Chinchillas exactly except for one point: Their white undercoat was replaced by a warm apricot color; thus the name Golden. Just as there are Chinchillas and Shaded Silvers, there are Chinchilla Goldens and Shaded Goldens, depending on the length of the tipping. Today, Goldens are a highly prized variety.
Like all Persians, Chinchillas are fairly calm cats that adapt well to family life. However, they need an owner who can spend time on the daily brushing necessary to keep their long coat in good condition. Most of all, the Chinchilla likes being close to people and is good at telling you that his place is in your lap. But don’t take him for a stuffed animal and especially not just a pretty face, for his fifteen minutes of playtime - some call it craziness - are amazingly lively. The Chinchilla may be a cat for lovers of beauty, but he’s still a cat, after all!
Read the article in our cat show section about: Chinchilla And Silver Shaded: A Subtle Alchemy
Consult the Persian breed card in our encyclopaedia
To find a Chinchilla, Shaded Silver, or Golden for you, contact a breed club for a list of serious breeders.
CHINCHILLA CLUB OF FRANCE15, rue de la République 41110 Mareuil sur Cher Tel: 02 54 75 07 45
EURO SILVERBP22 76320 Saint Pierre les Elbeuf Tel: 02 35 78 34 97
CHINCHILLA, SHADED SILVER, AND DERIVATIVES CLUB12, rue Bildstein 67500 Hagueneau Tel.: 03 88 93 50 41
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