harlequin (persian)

One of the most beautiful appearances on the cat exhibitions nowadays is without a doubt the Persian Harlequin. A Persian Harlequin in “top shape” is really beautiful with his or her silky long fur white as a sheet and some occasional colored spots. The name Harlequin is, according to me, the right name. They often have such funny markings which give them a kind of clownish appearance…..When I, in the meantime 16 years ago, started to breed Persian, I always thought that I preferred the classic colored cats.     My first cat was a cream tomcat (Sjoerd from Flossy's Home) and then I got a tortoise female cat (Artimis van Slavenburg). Since I, in the meantime, participated on shows, I accidentally ran into a black/white female cat. Her name was Eur.Gr.Int.Ch. Jerry of the Purple Rain and she already had a C.A.C. title. I must be a really good show cat, I thought.

In the meantime I have learnt that a cat which has won titles doesn’t necessarily have to be a good show cat but you learn as you grow older. She did very well though. She never was the Best in Show but she often was Best in Variety. After a number of cat shows I got more and more attracted to the parti-colors and I knew which color my next cat would have: blue/cream/white! I searched a suitable service tom cat (which I didn’t have myself at the time) for my black/white female cat since I wanted to breed the variety myself. The tomcat was cream/white and since I had read a lot and had asked a lot of questions I had found out that the female cats out of this combination would probably be blue/cream/white and/or tortoise/white, since my black/white female cat also had a lot of white. The service succeeded and after a pregnancy of 9 weeks 4 kittens were born! I was very proud and…fell in love!!

What was in this nest? Exactly…two harlequin female cats! They had the colors harlequin/blue/cream/white and harlequin tortoise/white and yes….they looked like clowns. Their tortoise/white parti-color sister and their tortoise (without white) sister were also beautiful of course,  but these two harlequins were the best of course!

At this moment….13 years later….the huge love is still present, because without harlequins (and Vans) I cannot live anymore. It’s true that the second nest with the same female cat brought a new love….the Exotic…but also a new challenge: the Exotic Shorthair Harlequin or Van! My first Harlequin Exotic was born in 1996. A beautiful red/white harlequin female cat with the appropriate name: Am.Ch. + Int.Ch. Jerba Nicol's My-Dreams-Desire. She can still be admired in many of my family trees, just like the black/white female cat and many others after her……    
It has been proven that it is very hard to breed a beautifully typed Persian Harlequin which also has a “perfect color division”. It is even harder to breed an Exotic with the same qualities! It however remains “the challenge” in my breeding program. It will only succeed if you carefully continue to use the best animals with the best lines and if you have the patience of a Saint. Breeding a good harlequin takes a lot of time and sometimes you have to be satisfied with a beautiful specimen which has a less well color division!

Let’s continue with the Harlequin. A Harlequin is actually a part of the parti-color group. The word parti-color (some people call it bi-color) actually indicates that it concerns cats with separate colors. The fur of the cats is white + one or several other colors, like black, red, chocolate, black smoke, lilac smoke, brown tabby, blue/cream tabby and so on. In fact it is true that all these parti-colors can have all colors in white which also occur with all other Persians and Exotics without white.

With the parti-colors the color white is in the minority (about one third to half), but with the harlequin it should actually be the other way around. These cats are mainly white with a colored tail and some colored spots on head and body. The colored spots may have all colors which are allowed with the Persians and the Exotics without white. If the spots of a Harlequin exists of two colors like for example with tortoise or blue/white these two colors must be as sharp as possible, preferably with spots which are separated from each other. It is the most beautiful if these two colors are present in the same quantity (so for example just as much black as red and just as much blue and cream). The white in the fur should be clear white and the spots shouldn’t have white or other colored hairs. The colored hairs of the spots should (with the uniform colors) be uniform. The perfect harlequin has a colored tail which has the same color(s) as the rest of the spots on the body. He further has 1 or maximum two spots on his head. If he has one spot he should be located between the ears (the spot shouldn’t touch the ears) or otherwise one spot which covers one ear. If he has two spots on the head these spots should cover both ears then (with a white stripe between the spots, on top of the head). The perfect harlequin further has 1, to maximum 3 spots on the body. It is very beautiful if these spots aren’t too large and have a round or oval shape. Preferably no spots on the paws and no “continuing” tail. Further, it doesn’t matter where the spots are located. A Van doesn’t have spots on the body…

The Persian Harlequin has, before the variety had been acknowledged officially, unfortunately been a kind of lingering effect of the parti-colors breed. Kittens often left the door as house cats, since it wasn’t possible to show with these cats. They didn’t have a C.A.C-status at that time. Fortunately these beautiful animals have already been acknowledged for many years now by various associations. First by the Independent Associations and later by the Fife (1986?). Fortunately that belongs to the past now. At the moment the harlequins (and Vans) are invaluable, amongst others for breeding parti-colors. Besides, they are bred now for their beauty and character.     As it comes to breeding parti-colors out of harlequins it often appears that out of combinations between harlequins and “uniform” cats kittens are born which have a splendid color division. A harlequin (or Van) is therefore also homozygote for white spots and will therefore never have kittens without white. If you would combine a parti-color with an “uniform” cat it isn’t always the case. The kittens out of this combination can be both “uniform” and parti-color. It now and then occurs that a harlequin is born out of such a combination, but it will probably have too much color and it genetically cannot be a harlequin. In case of a combination between two parti-colors in principle the same varieties can be born as in case of a combination between a parti-color and an “uniform” cat. I however expect more white and/or more kittens with white in case of the combination Parti-color x Parti-color. Out of this last combination harlequins and/or Vans can be born as well.

A combination between two harlequins will almost definitely only bring harlequins and Vans. The more cats are combined with a lot of white, the more white the kittens will have (less or less large spots). I keep using classic colored cats and/or good parti-color cats now and then in order to preserve the harlequin and Van type and/or to improve it.  It is hard to breed a good parti-color. That is why it is even harder to breed a good harlequin. The problem isn’t the white quantity, but the right location of the spots.    
 
There aren’t many harlequins which meet all demands. The reason is that the words “coincidence” and “luck” play a huge role in breeding harlequins, and parti-colors. In every colored nest you must wait and see how large or small, thick or thin, round or angular the spots will be. This makes breeding harlequins and parti-colors so interesting for many breeders, although other breeders stop for the same reasons. But fair’s fair….the quality of the parti-colors and definitely of the harlequins and Vans, has increased tremendously the past few years.
 
It aren’t just the classic colored Persians and Exotics which flaunt on stage. Nowadays you also see beautiful harlequins which become Best in Show, Best of Best or even Best of all! Fantastic! It was about time that this beautiful variety became appreciated, even though the cat may have one spot too much. What the heck! Each breeder should actually breed parti-colors for a while, in order to experience how difficult it is to meet the standards of the harlequin, van or parti-color, although there will probably be more varieties which can be bred difficultly.
Part-color? Harlequin? Van?...or classic? Each nest will be a surprise! But that makes breeding these lovely varieties so interesting. Again “It is and it remains a challenge”, even after all these years.  

Breedinformation & pictures provided by harlequin persian cattery JERBA NICOL Persians & Exotics