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 Exotic
Shorthair
Country of origin:
United States
Breed standards: CFA,
FIFe
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. They are also known as "The Lazy Man's
Persian."
Appearance
The Exotic has a compact, rounded, powerfully-built body with a short, thick "linebacker" neck. Its large round eyes, short snub nose, sweet facial expression, and small ears give it a highly neotenic appearance that many people consider cute.
Description
- Head: Round, massive. Very broad
skull. Rounded forehead. Round, full cheeks. Short, broad, round
muzzle. Short, broad nose with pronounced stop. Strong chin. Broad,
powerful jaws.
- Ears: Small, rounded at the tip, not
too open at the base. Widely spaced and well-furnished with hair on
the inside.
- Eyes: Large, round, well-spaced.
Pure, deep color corresponding to that of the coat (gold to copper
in most varieties; green in the chinchilla and the golden; blue in
the white and the colorpoint).
- Neck: Short and thick.
- Body: Medium in size, cobby, low to
the ground. Broad chest. Massive shoulders. Large-boned, powerful
muscles. Weight: 3,5 - 6 kilogram.
- Paw: Short, straight, and large.
Round, large paws. Tufts of hair between the toes are desirable.
- Tail: Short, thick, carried low.
Rounded tip.
- Coat: Shorthaired but slightly
longer than that of other shorthaired breeds. Dense, fluffy, erect
hair. All Persian colors are recognized.
Character
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 forbears and they are often capable mouse hunters.
Care
and grooming
Unlike the high-maintenance Persian, the Exotic is able to keep its own fur tidy with little human assistance, though weekly brushing and combing is recommended to remove loose hair and reduce shedding and hairballs.
As with other flat-faced animals, the Exotic's tears are prone to overflowing the nasolacrimal duct, dampening and staining the face. This can be relieved by periodically wiping the cat's face with a cloth moistened with water or one of the commercial preparations made expressly for the purpose.
This robust and healthy breed does not reach maturity until around two years of age and enters puberty fairly late. When two Exotic Shorthairs are crossed, they may produce longhaired kittens called “Exotic Longhairs” by the C.F.A. but considered Persian by other registering bodies. Externally they look like Persians.
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