Breed History:
Although the Cream Persian first officially appeared in any number on the show bench in the 1890s, there was a 'sandy coloured' cat shown by Mr Rowley at the first ever show in 1871 organised by Harrison Weir the 'Father of the Cat Fancy' and is shown is Weir's own drawings from the show.The early Creams, or 'Fawns as they were then known were often the result of a mating between a Blue male and Tortoiseshell female. Initially there was little interest in the breed and they were considered 'sports' related to the 'Orange' Persian as the Red was then termed and were usually sold as pets. However as dedicated breeders concentrated on achieving  pale sound Cream coats, the breed increased in popularity.

The first stud book entry for a Cream appears in 1890 - a cat called 'Cupid Bassanio', born 1890 and bred by Mrs Kinchant. Other well know Creams of the day included 'Rippon' of Blue x Orange breeding and 'Devon Cream' owned by Mr. McLaren Morrison (1893). In 1901 a reporter from 'Our Cats' (not the publication we know today) hailed Creams as 'the coming cats'. Those early Creams, or Fawns as they were also called, were much darker and not as clear coated as the lovely 'Devon cream' colour so desirable in the breed. Prefixes such a Widdington & Wildfell and of course later Honeymist were instrumental in developing the lovely soft coloured cats that rose to popularity during the middle of the 20th century.

Some early breeders and judges advised using White Persians in Cream breeding as there appeared to be a greater similarity in the coat texture of the two breeds. However during the mid 1950s the trend was away from White breeding and toward a Cream / Blue / Bluecream pedigree. One possible reason for this is that, as white is a masking colour, there is a greater risk of using a White cat masking a hot or barred cream colour to the detriment of the Cream coat colour. It is therefore important for the breeder to have knowledge and experience of the colour and coat pattern behind a White if this is used in Cream breeding - or the breeding of any other colour for that matter.

Coat Colour:
The coat of a Cream Persian should be a soft, warm even shade of Cream from nose to tail and from root of coat to tip. Colour faults such as unsound  or 'hot' colour coats (coats which appear red or dark) and bars, even faint ones, are serious faults which are much easier to breed in than out. The darker coated cats also tend to have a coarser coat and often a 'mantle of darker hair. Sadly even today many feel that the answer is to remove (or strip out) this darker, coarser coat rather than breed for colour and texture. The coat colour is the defining feature of this breed and  in the words of C A House, an eminant judge and author in the early years of the Cat Fancy: 'a bad coloured Cream could not possibly be a good Cream'. In other words, if the cat fails in its defining feature, it can not be considered a good specimen of the breed. In terms of the genetics of the breed, coat and colour inheritance in the Cream (in terms of the dilute from Red to Cream) is similiar to that of the Blue Persian (in terms of Black to Blue colour inheritance). (see information on the genetics of the Blue Persian).

Like its 'cousins' the Blue Persian and the Bluecream Persian, the Cream should be a large, solid boned animal with thick legs, strong shoulders and broad head. The overall impression should be of a solid, balanced cat, cobby (square in body appearance when viewed from the side), with a long flowing coat and short full brush (tail). The head should have rounded contours with low set ears held close to the skull and a flat profile. The cat should have a short broad nose, the cheeks should be full and the lower jaw line curved with a good chin to balance the face. The eyes of deep orange to copper should be round, bold and expressive. Again, like its cousins, the Cream Persian is generally a placid cat.

Standard:
Originally the GCCF Standard of Points allocated 50 points for coat and coat colour 'to be pure and sound throughout without shading or markings'. Now the standard for Creams as with all Self cats is covered under the  Self Longhair Standard of Points  which requires the cat to be a solid cobby (square in body appearance when viewed from the side), with a long flowing coat. The head should broad with rounded contours, a short broad nose and full cheeks. The lovely expressive eyes should be full, rounded and copper coloured. (Also see information on confirmation of the Bluecream Persian)

The breed standard is also subject to the List of Defects which forms the preface of the GCCF Standard of Points for all breeds. The listed defects are considered to be undesireable features and withholding faults which for Persians includes depressions or protrusions of the skull, entropian, reduced nostril size, extremes of type which result in deep nose breaks or abnormally high noses, i. e. "upper edge of the nose leather above lower edge of the eye" (GCCF Standard of Points) and mouth faults such as twisted, undershot or overshot jaws and improper angulation of canine teeth.

Breeders who played an active part in developing this breed in the UK firmly believed that the only way to maintain the pale sound coat was selective breeding from pastel coated Dilute bred cats and in line with this approach, the Morninglory pedigrees exclude dominant coloured cats, e. g. Red & Black.

(See the Morninglory colour chart for the colour of kittens from specific matings).