Are Persian Cats Mean? Here Is The Truth!

Does a mean character hide behind a Persian cat’s round face and flat nose?

If you’ve been wondering whether a Persian cat is mean, or worse, evil by nature, you’ve come to the right place.

But first, we have to understand why this question came up in the first place. Do you have a Persian cat that looks like it’s absolutely angry all the time? Or is your Persian cat showing signs of aggression despite all the love you shower it?

Are Persian Cats Mean? Persian cats are gentle as long as they are treated with kindness. Some of them may look perpetually grumpy, but that’s just the face they were born with. However, if a Persian cat is aggressive or displaying conduct that is not welcome, there are measures you can take to correct what you identified as “mean” behavior.

Let’s go into them and other facts!

What makes a Persian cat look mean?

A glamorous cat breed, Persian cats have a distinct face and a body covered in thick fur. The traditional Persian cat, also known as the doll-face Persian cat, is considered to be the original breed.

These cats are characterized by a normal length nose and a sweet, adorable face that can hardly be associated with “mean.”

However, cat breeders have since practiced selective breeding that can even be described as extreme in order to produce a type of Persian cat with a smashed-up face and a flat nose that is sometimes set unnaturally high between the eyes.

These are the cats that have been made famous with memes showcasing an angry, pissed-off cat face. They can look so strange that they become cat celebrities.

A prime example is Garfi, labeled as the “world’s angriest cat” because it appears like it’s been plotting murder its whole life.

Hilarious, isn’t it?

Well, not so much when you realize that such cats produced by extreme breeding are prone to health issues such as excessive tearing, breathing problems, and difficulty eating due to dental malocclusions.

In some countries, up to 50% of this cat type are afflicted with polycystic kidney disease. The suffering that flat-faced cats are prone to underscores the ethical issue with regards to extreme breeding practices.

Even so, the high demand for peke-faced Persian cats continues to spur its continual presence.

Many people simply want a mean-faced cat because it’s trending, without reading deeper into how humans have manipulated nature’s forces for their selfish gains.

However, as your question isn’t regarding moral views, we’ll steer you back into the topic of a Persian cat’s personality and whether or not being “mean” is part of it.

What’s the real personality of a Persian cat?

Even if the Persian cat in question looks mean, you should not judge the book by its cover.

In reality, Persian cats are known to be gentle, quiet and affectionate. Its round eyes let you peer deep into its soul that has no inkling of malevolence.

Persian cats are far from energy bunnies; they love to laze on sofas and play with their favorite toys before going back to lounging. They are usually independent, never needy, and they don’t mind having their alone time, which sometimes leads to the impression that Persian cats are snobs.

Well, Persian cats do have a “snobbish” quality in that they take pride in their appearances. They groom themselves and preen with an aristocratic quality. However, Persian cats appreciate the occasional company.

They’re just choosy as to who they show their affection to. They give their attention only to family members and frequent guests who have gained their trust.

Once you’ve grown on them, the Persian cat would be more than willing to sit on your lap and be stroked. Even better, you could comb its silky coat regularly to remove tangles – a Persian cat would appreciate this greatly!

Why is a Persian cat behaving mean?

As mentioned, as part of its personality, a Persian cat is typically reserved and aloof towards strangers. Just like introverted humans, Persian cats may appear to be withdrawn.

However, once you get to know them better, you’ll feel their social energy whenever they emerge from their solitary pursuits.

On top of that, they would express devotion to people who treat them kindly, so don’t be surprised if a Persian cat isn’t nice to you – especially if you haven’t been nice to it either!

A Persian cat appreciates calm surroundings and people, including children, who are gentle towards them.

Now, what if you’ve done nothing wrong to a Persian cat, but it still seems to be mean to you? Chances are, that would be because the Persian cat is just being… a cat. There are usually logical explanations behind a cat’s “mean” behavior.

As a cat owner, understanding a cat’s needs beyond the basic food and water would be enough to convince you that the cat isn’t trying to be mean.

To clarify this further, let’s look into three problems that a “mean” Persian cat would cause:

1. Your Persian cat keeps clawing on your furniture

You take care of your Persian cat so well, but it returns the favor by clawing on your furniture on a daily basis. What a mean cat!

While Persian cats are more laid-back than feisty, they will still display feline behaviors such as scratching furniture. This is usually to mark its territory, especially within a multi-cat household, or to groom its claws.

Scratching is vital to keep a cat’s claws healthy as it helps to shed the outer layers of the nail husk. As this act is natural for your cat, it’s difficult to stop the scratching completely.

What you can do, however, is to direct your cat’s scratching to another item. You’ll need to purchase sturdy scratching posts for your cat and place it strategically around the house, at places where your cat loves to hang around.

Sprinkle some catnip on the scratching posts to make it more appealing to your cat, and at the same time, spray your couch with a citrus scent as a cat’s sensitive nose is averse to the smell.

You can also keep your Persian cat’s nails trimmed regularly to discourage scratching.

2. Your Persian cat keeps peeing on your mattress

Perhaps you teased your Persian cat by calling it ugly. That night, you find that it has peed… on your mattress! A vindictive cat is undoubtedly a mean cat, right?

Well, your causal chain is probably wrong. It’s more likely that there’s a problem with your cat’s litter box.

Even if you didn’t move its location, perhaps you recently shifted the noisy clothes dryer beside it? Or maybe you just filled it in with a new brand of cat litter which your cat thinks isn’t soft enough.

Worse still, your kitty might be afflicted with a medical problem like an infection of the bladder or urinary tract, which causes the urge to urinate.

Whenever your cat displays such a drastic change in behavior, it is best to look into the potential causes and rectify them, rather than pin-pointing it to a cat’s perceived meanness.

If you suspect that your cat is sick, bring it to the vet immediately for medical attention. Even if your cat gets a clean bill of health, your vet should be able to advise you further with solutions.

3. Your Persian cat would scratch me without any warning

Have you ever had a nice petting session with your Persian cat when in the blink of an eye, the winds changed and you get a fresh scratch?

New cat owners might think that their cat does not like affection, or the cat is simply malicious, but in truth, the sudden behavior is because the cat has been overstimulated.

It’s hard to narrow down to exactly where the problem lies because all cats are different. For example, most cats have a specific area where they do not like to be touched, such as their chest or their belly.

While playing with your Persian cat, you have to be careful not to cross these boundaries. Also, keep an eye out for signs that your cat has had enough affection.

This could come in the form of narrowed eyes, thumping tail, flicking ears, raised hair along the backbone and the halt of purring. Contrary to what you thought previously, there are usually clues.

You need to pick up the clues and stop the contact before your cat has to communicate its desire to end the petting session.

This way, you can avoid being scratched by a “mean” cat.

A Persian cat is rarely mean

To conclude, it’s rare to find a Persian cat that’s outrightly mean. True, Persian cats might display behavioral issues that you may perceive as mean.

However, while cats, in general, may love to cause trouble, it’s a far stretch to think that cats even understand the issue of morality as we humans do.

Persian cats are usually more than happy to live their life as docile creatures that return their love to people who are deserving.