Persian Cat Coloring Page

This Persian cat coloring page shows a very fluffy cat sitting on a soft cushion, as if it owns the room. It has a flat, round face, big round eyes and a tiny nose set high between them. A soft, round coat falls from the chin to the paws, and long curved locks of fur run down it, each one a closed shape you can fill on its own. The page works for kids from about 6 and up.

The setting is just as fancy. Red curtains with gold tassels hang on both sides. The cushion rests on a purple footstool with buttons and a scalloped trim, and a checkered floor runs along the bottom.

Who will like it most

Younger kids can fill the big coat in with one or two colors and feel done. Older kids can treat each lock of fur as its own project, working from pale at the chin to deeper shades near the paws. Figure on about thirty minutes for a quick version, or an hour or more for a careful one.

Persian cat coloring page color ideas

White fur is the hard part, since white paper is already white. You still want to add some color, or the cat will vanish into the page. So try this: use a soft cream or light gray only inside the long locks and along the bumpy outer edge. The rest stays white. From a few feet away, the cat looks fluffy and round.

Prefer a colored coat? These all look good on real Persians:

• Soft gray with copper eyes
• Warm cream with a pink nose
• Orange with green eyes
• Black, saved for kids with lots of patience

For the room, stay rich. Deep red curtains, gold tassels and a purple stool look like a palace. If that feels too loud, swap the curtains for teal and the stool for a dusty pink. Fill every other floor square with one color and leave the rest white. A pale pink wall will keep the cat as the brightest thing on the page.

Tips for long fur

Always color in the same direction the hair falls. On this cat, that means down and slightly out. Short strokes that follow the fur look soft. Scrubbing back and forth looks like a rug.

Work from the paws up. Make each lock a little darker at its wide end, and that gives the coat some depth.

Save the eyes for last. Leave the white dot alone, then go around the black pupil with orange or gold. A second, darker ring on the outside makes them glow.

The tail lies along the cushion on the right. Give it the same color as the coat, and press a little harder so it stands apart from the body.

Facts about Persian cats

Persians got their name from Persia, the old name for Iran. Longhaired cats were taken from Iran and Afghanistan to Europe, and the breed grew from there. In 2008, the Persian was the most popular pedigree cat in the United States.

That beautiful coat takes real work. A show Persian has extremely long, thick fur, and it needs to be brushed often or it will mat. Persians are known as quiet, calm cats that settle in well to apartment life. The flat face has a downside, though, since it can make breathing harder. The Persian cat page on Wikipedia covers the breed's long history.

A small writing game

Ask your child to give this cat a very grand name, the longer the better. Lady Marshmallow the Third is a good start. Then have them write three rules for the humans who live in the house. Rule one might be: "The cushion is mine." It is a silly way to practice writing, and kids will happily read theirs out loud.

Teachers can use the page for a lesson on pet care. List the jobs a long-haired cat needs each week, like brushing, feeding and cleaning the eyes, and talk about why some pets take more time than others.

Paper for layered fur

The lines on this page are a bit thinner than our easiest drawings, so choose the best print setting you have. Heavy paper also helps if your child plans to layer colored pencils, since it holds more color before it gets shiny.

Looking for a matching page? The cat with a crown coloring page has the same royal mood. Or go simple with the cute cat coloring page for a younger sibling who wants to sit and color beside you.

Questions