The Chinchilla Silver Persian

GC WYNDCRESTE iNTRIGUE Chinchilla Silver Persian Ten months old Retired

Chinchilla Silver Persians are an almost pure white cat with just a sprinkling of black tipping giving them a sparkling silver appearance. Chinchillas are subtly but significantly lighter in all over color than the Shaded Silver Persian. They should only have a tiny, but sufficient amount of black tipping on the face and legs. True Chinchillas are becoming more rare and sought after every day now as many Silver and Golden breeders are adding "other" color Persians to their breeding programs, which obliterates (for many generations) the light and even tipping Chinchillas are prized for.

GC WYNDCRESTE INTRIGUE Chinchilla Silver Persian Three Years Old Retired

Often many "neither/nor" or "spoiled" Chinchillas are often registered and shown as Shaded Silvers because most judges feel if they see a Silver with a good amount of tipping on the back will believe the cat is Shaded rather than Chinchilla, even though the face has little or no tipping and there is little or no tipping on the legs or feet. Futher complicating the correct identification as to whether a Silver kitten is Chinchilla or Shaded, a kitten can be born nearly pure white with a trace amount of tipping, but later at one year of age can have significant tipping on its back; however at three years of age, the Silver will again be clearly a Chinchilla. Yes, it is difficult to show Silver Persians and correctly identify the true color. There has been debate for years about whether both colors should be combined, as the color difference is indeed subtle, so very unlike a Solid Persian which is clearly Black or White or Blue or Tortoiseshell.

GC Wyndcreste Ritzy Bitzy Chinchilla Silver Persian Pictured at Twelve Weeks Old Retired

The CFA Standard for a Chinchilla Silver Persian is as follows: undercoat pure white. Coat on back, flanks, head, and tail sufficiently tipped with black to give the characteristic sparkling silver appearance. Legs may be slightly shaded with tipping. Chin, ear tufts, stomach, and chest, should be pure white. Rims of eyes, lips, and nose outlined with black. Nose leather: brick red. Paw pads: black. Eye color: green or blue-green. Disqualify for incorrect eye color, incorrect eye color being copper, yellow, gold, amber, or any color other than green or blue-green.

Pictured above right is Chinchilla Silver, GC Wyndcreste Ritzy Bitzy, at four months of age. Ritzy earned her Grand Championship as a Shaded Silver as she darken quite a bit at one year when she was first shown, but true to prediction, at three years she is again the very light Chinchilla Silver she was as a baby.

GP Wyndcreste Flaubert Chinchilla Silver Persian Granded at 10 Months of Age Retired

That said, as she Granded as a Shaded Silver Persian, I cannot show her and expect her to do well in the show ring as a Grand Champion, unless I start over and show her again, this time as a Chinchilla Silver Persian. This means she will have to earn her winners ribbons again (Championship title) as a Chinchilla Silver, and then start over showing her as a Champion to earn 200 more Grand points as a Chinchilla, which she clearly is now. There have been several Silver Persians that have earned their Grand Champion status as a Chinchilla and as a Shaded Silver. The color difference is truly subtle and as I illustrated, can wax and wane with their development, as well as during the ebb and flow of shedding and regrowth.

CH, GP Wyndcreste Beloved, DM CFA's 15th Silver Persian to win the title Distinguished Merit Chinchilla Silver Persian Retired

Please note the standard states the coat must be 'sufficiently' tipped with black to give a sparkling effect. This does not mean the cat must be nearly pure white with only a trace amount of tipping to be considered a Chinchilla Silver. There must be a good amount of tipping to give that sparkling effect the standard calls for. To avoid argument with a Judge in a ring, Silver Exhibitors will often register a Chinchilla as a Shaded Silver if the coat cannot be described as nearly pure white, which is in actuallity incorrect. A nearly pure white Chinchilla should be faulted in the show ring, as should a Shaded Silver with an insufficient amount of tipping that falls short of the description "mantle of black" shading.

CFA Standard for Chinchilla Silver Persians: undercoat pure white. Coat on back, flanks, head, and tail sufficiently tipped with black to give the characteristic sparkling silver appearance. Legs may be slightly shaded with tipping. Chin, ear tufts, stomach, and chest, pure white. Rims of eyes, lips, and nose outlined with black. Nose leather: rose. Paw pads: blue or rose. Eye color: green or blue-green. Disqualify for incorrect eye color, incorrect eye colorbeing copper, yellow, gold, amber, or any color other than green or blue-green.