Persian Cat Breeders: One Question Sorts Them All
Which registries force the kidney test, which just suggest it, the popularity numbers three bodies disagree on, and the Canadian pedigree rule nobody explains.
Published August 21, 2026 3 min read
Contents
Verifying a Persian breeder starts with three letters: PKD. Polycystic kidney disease historically ran through this breed at rates that made testing the whole ballgame, and the registries answer differently, which makes "is the line PKD tested?" the single most revealing question you can ask. The map: MANDATES a negative test for full UK registration (since 2016, a registration gate, not advice); Australia's encouraged testing from 2004 without gating registration; and carry no testing requirement in the documents we read. A UK Active-Register kitten arrives with the answer built in; a US kitten arrives with a question you must ask. The good news behind the question: where testing took hold, it worked (the pillar's health section carries the measured before-and-after).
The popularity numbers, three ways
How popular is the Persian? Depends which registry you ask, and the disagreement is the finding: ranks it #3 two years running; 's own Top Five page omits the Persian entirely; and 's dated table puts it 8th in the UK with a falling count, while GCCF's own undated marketing copy still calls it "most popular", a self-description its own current table corrects. We print the dated tables and skip the taglines.
The Canadian mechanism, finally pinned
A rule two of our earlier breed dossiers flagged without solving, answered by this one: accepts a Persian for registration with a 3-generation OR a 7-generation pedigree from any other recognized association. If you are importing or buying across the border, that asymmetry decides paperwork timelines, and no cattery page we read explains it as plainly as the registry's own rule.
The UK's ten-club ecosystem
's Persian world runs TEN color-specialist breed clubs, two of which exist specifically for the Colourpoint/Himalayan question: the most specialised club ecosystem of any breed we have researched, and a genuinely useful referee network for UK buyers: a breeder active in their color's club is a breeder whose peers see their cats. (The Himalayan page maps the registration spectrum those two clubs exist to argue about.)
The rest of the checklist
Everything the PKD question does not cover is standard diligence, sharpened for this breed: see the parents' faces (the tier gradient of the face guide is heritable), ask about eye and breathing history in the line, expect a spay/neuter contract at pet tier, and treat "teacup" vocabulary as a walk-away word. Kitten release ages: registries recommend 12+ weeks everywhere; legal floors vary by jurisdiction and are lower: the recommendation is the standard worth holding a breeder to.
The PKD rule map on one card
| Registry | PKD testing rule | The practical upshot |
|---|---|---|
| (UK) | MANDATED negative test for full registration since 2016 | A UK Active-Register kitten answers the question for you |
| (Australia) | Encouraged from 2004, no registration gate | Ask for the results anyway |
| / (US) | No requirement in the documents we read | YOUR question is the gate: both parents' PKD results or no purchase |
| (Canada) | No gate found; its rule: 3-generation OR 7-generation other | The cross-border paperwork rule nobody else explains |
The vet's take
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Frequently asked questions
How do I verify a Persian breeder?
Lead with the PKD question: UK Active-Register kittens carry a mandated negative test since 2016; elsewhere ask for both parents' PKD results (DNA or ultrasound) directly. Then registry papers, parent health history, and a visit.
Do CFA or TICA require PKD testing for Persians?
Not in the registration documents we read: testing is the breeder's choice in North America, which is why the buyer's question does the gatekeeping there.
Are Persians still popular?
Three answers from three registries: CFA's #3 two years running, TICA's top-five omission, GCCF's dated 8th-and-falling. The honest summary: still a giant, no longer the uncontested king.
What is the CCA-AFC pedigree rule?
Canada's registry accepts a 3-generation CFA pedigree or a 7-generation pedigree from any other recognized association: the asymmetry that decides cross-border paperwork.
Community questions
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This is information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot tell you what is wrong with your cat. Our rule is a simple one: if something is wrong with your cat, call your vet, and call an emergency clinic if it is out of hours. Nothing you read here is a reason to wait.
Medical information applies to every reader. Prices, legal duties and common practice do not: unless stated otherwise, they are given for the United States, and they differ in the UK, Canada and Australia, and often between states or provinces. Check with your own vet and your own local authority.
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