What is a polecat?
A polecat is not a cat, or a pole. It is a nocturnal European weasel.
“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.”
Reference: Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA)
More facts about cats.
More cat facts
Which British queen owned Persian cats?
Queen Victoria owned blue Persian cats, and her royal approval helped make the breed fashionable in Victorian England.
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.