The term peke-face is often incorrectly used to describe all extreme-typed Persians. While many of these cats are flat-faced, they do not possess the distinctive forehead indentation and brow ridge of the true Peke-Face Persian.
Distinctive Characteristics Of The Peke-Face Persian
True Peke-Face Persians—primarily solid reds and red tabbies—generally conformed to the standard red Persian type, except the Peke-Face Persian had a dramatically different skull structure. Its unique characteristics included:
- A pronounced brow ridge
- A forehead dimple
- A “double dome” skull structure created by an extra horizontal break located between the normal nose break and the top dome of the head. This created crescent-shaped boning above the eyes and a horizontal indentation across the forehead.
- A deeply depressed nose set between the eyes
- A very round head with an exceptionally strong chin
- Large, round, widely spaced eyes
- A wrinkled muzzle
- Slightly higher-set ears
Peke-Face reds occasionally appeared spontaneously in litters of standard red Persians. However, breeding two Peke-Face Persians together did not necessarily produce Peke-Face kittens.
Origins Of The Peke-Face Persian
One of the earliest mentions of a peke-faced cat appeared in 1867, when author C. H. Ross described a litter of unusual kittens in The Book of Cats. In 1926, H. C. Brooke referred to “the Peke-faced cat, which some breeders produce now and then.” Brooke also described a short-haired kitten owned by Joe Lesti of Vienna that had a protruding underjaw and a nose pushed far back into the face.
The modern Peke-Faced Persian emerged in North America during the 1930s, when an unusual facial mutation began appearing spontaneously in litters of ordinary red and red tabby Persians. These cats quickly gained popularity in the United States and Canada, often winning top awards at cat shows. By the late 1950s, breeders increasingly selected for this mutation, producing cats with extremely shortened muzzles reminiscent of the Pekingese dog. This led to the name “Peke-Face Persian.”
Important Bloodlines and Breeders
The Peke-Faced Red Tabby traces back to the importation of Eastbury Trigo (born May 22, 1929), bred by Mrs. Fasbury of England. His striking appearance helped spark the popularity of red tabbies. Around the same time, Ella Konroy founded Elco Cattery.
Helen Smith later purchased a Peke-Faced Red Tabby kitten named Scarlett O’Hara from Konroy. Helen and her husband Leonard eventually focused heavily on Peke-Face breeding under the “Smithway” prefix. In 1959 they acquired Spero Stinkpuff of Smithway, a cat registered as a standard red tabby but much closer in type to a true Peke-Faced Persian. He became the foundation of the Smithway bloodline and lived to age sixteen.
Other catteries involved with Peke-Face breeding included:
- Elco
- Shamrock
- Rustnik
- Spero
- Brookhill
- Gattillo
- Tar Tin
- Kohinoor
- Garvenia
- Mahdi
- Aristo Cats
- Angelita
Several CFA judges also bred or exhibited Peke-Face Persians, including Richard Koepp and Barbara St. Georges.
The “Piggy Expression” Era
By the mid-1970s and early 1980s, Persian breeders increasingly favored the more extreme brachycephalic head types. This trend led to what many fanciers called the “piggy expression.”
These piggy Persians often displayed:
- Extremely high nose placement
- Heavy breaks extending into the forehead
- Tiny eyes
- Poor jaw alignment
- Drooping mouths
- Ears set too high on the head
Many longtime breeders believed that Peke-Face reds contributed significantly to this exaggerated look.
The true Peke-Face Persian was eventually registered as a distinct breed type in CFA, but by the mid-1990s it had largely disappeared because of serious health concerns.
Health Problems and Decline
Peke-Faced kittens were often difficult to raise. Their unusually high palates made nursing difficult, and many required supplemental feeding. Mortality rates among peke-face kittens were high. Adult cats frequently struggled to eat because their flattened muzzles prevented normal feeding behavior.
Breeders also reported:
- Breathing difficulties
- Tear drainage problems
- Eye issues caused by shallow eye sockets
- Difficult births
- Severe malocclusions
As the facial structure became increasingly exaggerated, these problems worsened. Many experienced breeders also recognized that excessive exaggeration threatened the Persian’s traditional sweet expression. The very extreme “piggy” look eventually fell out of favor.
CFA Registrations and Extinction
By the 1990s, the true Peke-Faced Red and Red Tabby Persian was nearly extinct.
According to the CFA:
- Only 98 Peke-Face Persians were registered between 1958 and 1995
- Only one male kitten was registered in 1993
- One Persian was registered as a Peke-Face in 2002
- Only three registrations occurred in 2000–2001, though it was unclear whether these were genuine Peke-Faces or simply extreme Persians misidentified as such.
- In November 2003, the CFA Persian Breed Council first discussed removing the Peke-Face red and Peke-Face red tabby from the Persian breed standard entirely.
Today, it is unlikely that any genuine Peke-Face Persians still exist, and no CFA breeders are known to actively work with the type.
Influence On The Modern Persian
Although effectively extinct, the Peke-Face Persian left a lasting mark on the modern Persian breed. Before the 1980s, Persians typically had heavier brows, flatter skull tops, and less doming.
As Peke-Face reds were quietly bred into solid-color Persian lines, the breed’s head structure changed dramatically. The resulting look—with higher nose breaks and shorter noses—eventually became the modern Persian type favored by exhibitors and CFA judges.
Peke-Face cats were also admired for their intensely rich red coat color and distinctive eye shape. Some breeders believe the “teardrop” eye shape seen in modern Persians originated from the Peke-Face lines. Their prominent brow ridge also contributed to what breeders now call “doming.” Over time, these features became widely accepted and favored in the show ring. As a result, modern Persians differ dramatically from the cats seen before the late 1970s. It is the legacy courtesy of the Peke-Face Persian.
