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| Weight |
9-12 lbs. |
| Overview |
The Exotic Shorthair, a member of the Persian family, resembles the Persian in temperament--quiet, unobtrusive, and gentle--as well as in appearance. Exotics are lap cats, but, like other pets with dense coats, they may prefer sleeping on a cool floor. These cats are good with children, as they are not easily ruffled. |
| Appearance |
The Exotic is basically a shorthaired Persian. Exotics look like Persians with the notable exception of the thick, medium-length coat.
They are medium to large, heavy-boned cats with a short, compact body; soft, round lines; short legs; and a short tail. Exotics have massive round heads, round eyes set well apart, the characteristic Persian snub nose, and small, rounded, widely set ears.
A dense, plush coat lends the Exotic a teddy bear look, while nearly one hundred patterns and colors give the breed an extensive wardrobe.
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| Gromming Needs |
The Exotic Shorthair has been called the lazy man's Persian, as its coat does not mat or tangle readily. However, because the coat is so dense, it should be brushed a couple of times a week to remove loose fur. |
| Origins |
Breeding programs designed to improve the lines of American Shorthairs in the 1950s resulted in the creation of the cat now known as the Exotic Shorthair.
In these programs, Persians crossed with American Shorthairs sometimes produced shorthaired offspring that were decidedly exotic in appearance. These first shorthaired Persians caused quite a controversy when they successfully competed with American Shorthairs in the show ring. Other shorthaired Persians also emerged when Persian breeders tried to create new coat colors.
Before 1967, Persians were also crossed with Burmese, Abyssinians, British and American Shorthairs, and Russian Blues to introduce the short coat length to the breeding line. Those shorthairs that most resembled shorthaired Persians were designated Exotic Shorthairs, and the new breed was established.
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| Other |
The same health problems seen in Persians afflict this breed: tear overflow; constricted nostrils (which may lead to noisy breathing and may also make the cat less able to cope with high temperatures); dental malocclusions (teeth that fail to meet each other properly, possibly causing more rapid buildup of plaque and tartar); cherry eye; entropion; polycystic kidney disease; seborrhea oleosa (a skin condition that causes itchiness, redness, and hair loss); susceptibility to ringworm. Persians are also notorious for litter box lapses, at least in part because they dislike having litter granules stuck to their feet and in their fur. |
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