What is a polecat?
A polecat is not a cat, or a pole. It is a nocturnal European weasel.
“A Himalayan is essentially a Persian with Siamese-style pointed coloring and blue eyes. In the CFA it's classified as a color division of the Persian rather than a separate breed.”
Reference: Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA)
More cat facts.
More cat facts
Where did Persian cats come from?
Persian cats are named after Persia, modern-day Iran. Longhaired cats from the region were brought to Europe in the 1600s, where breeders gradually shaped them into the modern Persian.
What is a panther anyhow?
There is no single cat called the panther. The name is commonly applied to the leopard, but it is also used to refer to the puma and the jaguar. A black panther is really a black leopard.