The Chinchilla Point

Apart from the coat color, there is no difference between silver and chinchilla points. The breed characteristics follow the usual criteria, just as in silver and golden Persians. I have noticed that silver points tend to remain quite delicate. Compared to other silver varieties, the points are smaller, more delicate, and overall lighter. I believe this is due to the close breeding lines and the effort to achieve a better type. However, there is now more emphasis on body size, and corresponding breeding programs are showing initial success.

What stands out most about silver points are their eyes—those large, impressive dark blue eyes that speak for themselves. When I look into the eyes of a silver point, it feels as though I could lose myself in them. This deep dark blue, combined with the doll-like effect of the black, continuous eyeliner, makes the eyes stand out from the face and captivates me every time. The eyes give the face a life of its own, and I find it impossible not to be fascinated by them.

The coat of silver points is fine and dense. The pure white undercoat is very dense, and the belly fur of silver points is also dense and well-developed. To overcome the problem of close breeding lines, I have introduced various silver lines to create more carrier animals. Such a breeding program is extremely challenging because it initially blurs the typical characteristics, such as the blue eye color or the tipping. The strain of such a breeding program is enormous. I had to keep all the kittens from a litter to use them for further breeding. This requires an enormous financial and time commitment. However, I now have silver points at a high level, and temporary weaknesses in eye color have been corrected. I have a broader variety of carrier animals.

My focus is not necessarily on the extreme type, as it is favored by judges today, but rather on the normal, harmonious type and the balanced, normal Persian head—without skull, jaw, eye, eating, and breathing problems. A Persian with a normal type and strong chin (as prescribed by the standard) usually has an underbite (tolerated up to 2mm). After all, where else should the "strong chin" come from? A Persian cat with an underbite of this size does not suffer any harm; it can eat its food normally. It is not always easy, but I believe that existing flaws in a line should be eliminated through targeted selection rather than paired with correct animals in the hope that the probability of faulty offspring will decrease.

As a novice breeder who once sought to buy my first breeding cat, I didn't always receive honest and thorough advice from breeders. Especially when it comes to problems and hereditary defects affecting their breeding line, some breeders remain silent to avoid disrepute or to not lose me as a customer—but more on that in another section.

Time and again, silver points or their reverse appear in silver/chinchilla litters. This is a sure sign of shared lineage and origin. Assessing the color of silver point kittens can sometimes be quite challenging, as the almost white-born points reveal their true color only later. For those who lack patience and strong nerves for breeding setbacks, I would advise against breeding silver points. The development of silver points is different from other varieties. Chinchilla points or shaded points often reveal themselves late, sometimes only after a year, whether they are silver or chinchilla.

Although especially the males often become sexually mature at eight or nine months, they develop their breed-specific characteristics quite late, and often the ugliest kitten becomes the most beautiful adult. It is not uncommon for a silver point to reach its true peak at two or three years, finally becoming suitable for exhibition. Therefore, selecting breeding and exhibition animals is often quite difficult. I have learned that a precise knowledge of the line and its peculiarities is essential. The typical Persian face, the expressive and deep blue eyes, the brick-red nose leather—all of this often develops quite late in some lines.

Silver and golden points are balanced and gentle in temperament, yet they differ from other Persian varieties by having a strongly pronounced personality, a strong, close attachment to their humans, combined with an almost incredible affection and cuddliness. They are actually like little lap dogs; all of mine respond to their names. They are incredibly communicative and extremely sensitive, reacting much more strongly than many other cats to any impairment of their quality of life, which they express in their own way. After having owned a silver point, I know I will never want to be without one again.