Exotic Shorthair Cats
Breeders crossed the American Shorthair with the Persian in the United States around 1960. Thus were born shorthaired Persians, called Exotic Shorthairs and recognized by the C.F.A in 1966. During the breeding program, crosses were also made with the Russian Blue and the Burmese. Since 1987, the only allowable outcross breed is the Persian. The F.I.Fe. recognized the Exotic Shorthair in 1986. They have nearly the same body as the Persian, but a thick, dense short coat. They appeal to people who like the personality of a Persian but do not want the hassle of grooming a long-haired cat.
History of Exotic Shorthair Cats
Physical Characteristics
The Exotic has a compact, rounded, powerfully-built body with a short, thick neck. Its large round eyes, short snub nose, sweet facial expression, and small ears give it a highly neotenic appearance that some people may consider cute.
Its head is round and massive, having a very broad skull and rounded forehead with round cheeks. With small ears rounded at the tip and not too open at the base. They can weigh anywhere between 7-15 lbs and are medium in size. They walk on short straight but large paws with tufts between the toes. Their tail is short and thick and usually carried low with a rounded tip. They have short hair but it is slightly longer then other shorthaired breeds.
Temperament
The Exotic Shorthair has a gentle and calm personality reminiscent of the Persian, but it is livelier than his longhaired ancestor. Curious and playful, it is friendly to other cats and dogs. It rarely meows. It doesn’t like being left alone, and needs the presence of its owner (or of voices or smells reminiscent of its master-such as a radio kept on). They tend to show more affection and loyalty than most breeds and make excellent lap cats. Their calm and steady nature makes them ideal apartment cats for city dwellers. Nonetheless, Exotics retain some of the energetic spark of their American Shorthair forebears and they are often capable mouse hunters. The Exotic can be linked quite closely to wild cats and therefore have a similar personality to that of a Tiger. They can be very aloof and spend most of their day sleeping or resting. They especially enjoy sleeping in the warmth of the sun, or on a heating pad, due to their foreign background. Unlike the tiger, the Exotic has been bred to be an indoor cat. In some cases this breed will desire to go outside, but many breeders recommend they stay inside due to their sensitive nature. Owners of this breed often notice that they can be extremely picky when it comes to food. The Exotic Shorthair is known to prefer raw diets much like their ancestors would have eaten. However many will live very happily on a diet of organic dry food.