There is one important issue that should be considered if you are thinking about getting a Persian Cat :

Long furs  eaquals work !

That is not a threat, it's a fact. If you are not prepared to take on a substantial amount of "furr play"

then maybe the Exotic Shorthair is the breed you're looking for.... True, there are not many cats more beautiful than a Perisan or Himalayan with a long, wellgroomed and fluffy haircoat.  But it doesn't come for free. A Persian or Himalayan needs at least one bath ever 6-10 days. And in order to avoid tangles ant matting, you have to blow dry the cat's fur until it is  completely dry !

Also, because of the length of the fur, the cat easily  gets it's haircoat filthy doing things from going to the toilet to eating food.  So giving the Persian a bath, means at least two rounds of shampooing.... There are, I'd imagine, as many ways of doing this, as there are Persian Cat's owners. I am no champion at this - I'm rather a rookie - but you have to crawl before you walk in every walk of life, as it were... So here's how I do it :

1.    To get to the bottom of it...

 You start by getting the coat well soaked in water. This isn't always as easy as it sounds, simply because the Persian's fur has a natural layer of fine grease surrounding each strand of hair. You'll use luke-warm water ( body temperature ) - and the first round of shampooing is done with a regular dish washing detergent. Shampoo well, and rinse even more. at least for 5 minutes continously.

2.    Shampooing

For every day maintenance purposes, use a regular shampoo for pets, unless the cat has a particularly demandig coat condition.. But preparing for a show, you'll have to use a brand of shampoo that leaves the coat looking it's very best. A shampoo for crisp coat luster is - in my view - the best. The judge will look for every possible flaw there is,- and he'll find them too ! So anti tangling, shine and silky touch is important. Use, if necessary, a shampoo that enhances the fur's color assets, too. Leave the shampoo to work for 30 sec. or so, then rinse again. And again...untill you're sure it's enough - and then add another 1/2 a minute...

3.    Conditioning

Take a regular grooming comb. and slide through the entire coat when still wet, but after rinsing. Make sure every last tangle is dealt with. And then add some fur conditioner to the coat. Leave to work for a little while, and then rinse through.

4.    Drying and styling

Now, "kitty" is ready for the blow dryer. Start at the rear end, and work your way through to the neck area. Repeat until the coat starts to dry. Then take your comb again, and work through, before blow drying commences. You'll have to use the blow dryer until the coat is absolutely dry all over. Especially important areas are the tummy area, under the froont legs, the legs and upper side of the cat's paws, and underneath the chin. The coat in these areas have a tendency to curl up the fur. And the judges will draw everyone's attention to it.... If, in spite of your efforts, the coat in these areas still looks a little curly, moisten them slightly, shortly before judging, and use a small toothed comb to stretch and straighten these hairs. Use a texturizer on the comb, if you need to. And then stretch again.