You know the kind I mean - longhaired cats with flat faces. I’ve always just called them “squashface” cats. Is there a more official-sounding name for them? I assume they’re some kind of Persian breed (is this correct?)
Persians would be correct if you’re talking about these kind of creatures. Although I do seem to recall seeing short-haired cats which had the Persian scrunched-up look, I can’t bring to mind what they were called…
Ha! Found them! Exotic shorthairs!
Like auRa said, Persians is the correct term.
I’ve always called them “Parked Car Cats.”
As in “chasing after parked cars.”
One thing to note is that it’s only fairly recently (within the last few decades) that Persians and related breeds have had the extreme squashed face look, as a result of ultra-typing, i.e. interpreting the breed description ridiculously literally and breeding accordingly. These cats are prone to a host of health problems, and often wind up with difficulty breathing, defective tear ducts, and an inability to feed themselves except by lapping liquid food off a plate.
If anyone reading this happens to be thinking about purchasing a Persian, rather than purchasing from a breeder that produces intentionally deformed cats (as these are), I’d urge you to seek out a breeder that maintains the traditional look, with a short but not nonexistent nose.