Variety:
Exotic
Country of origin:
USA
Colours:
White, black, silver, brown, cream, chocolate, blue, lilac
Characteristics:
Agile, friendly, curious, reserved, sometimes lazy, likes to nap
Weight:
3-6 kg
Longevity:
12-13 years
Other names:
Exotic Shorthair, Exotic cat
Exotic Shorthair – a rather agile, but at the same time reserved cat. The breed was developed by crossing a Persian cat with an American Shorthair, and therefore has characteristics of both breeds. The coat of the Exotic is shorter than that of the Persian, but the appearance is very similar. Exotic Shorthair are more agile than Persians and are more affectionate. The Exotic is a rather peaceful and tolerant cat, but is not always willing to be friends with strangers and animals – this breed always needs some time to get used to.
History of the breed
The Exotic breed is relatively new – it was bred in the USA in the 1950s. The breed can be said to have been formed by accident, by crossing an American Shorthair with a Persian cat. The idea was to give the American Shorthair a Persian look, but nobody expected that this would lead to a completely new breed. Similar attempts were made in Great Britain to re-establish the British Shorthair after the Second World War (due to the scarcity of British Shorthairs, these cats were crossed with Persian cats). However, such experiments did not work in the UK – they were only one-off trials. In America, the crossbreeding of Persians and American Shorthairs was also not applauded – it angered many breeders. However, in 1966 an attempt was made to give the resulting hybrid a new breed name, and in the same year the exotics were exhibited for the first time. One year later, the Exotic Lovers’ Club was founded and its members sought recognition for the breed. In 1972, the breed was recognised and since then the breeding of exotics has been very strictly controlled. Crossbreeding of Exotics with American Shorthairs, Persian cats with Exotics and Exotics with each other was allowed. If two exotics are crossed with each other, kittens can be born with long fur. In this case, the kittens are called long-haired exotics and in France they are classified as Persian cats.
Exotic Shorthair: appearance
The Exotic Shorthair is a very ornate-looking cat, typically weighing between 3 and 6 kilograms. The breed is characterised by a flat muzzle, a rounded head and rather massive paws. The nose, eyes, ears, chin and build of the Exotic are exactly the same as those of the Persian, but Exotics do not have as long a coat as Persians. The chin of the Exotic is firm and round and the jaws are wide and strong. The nose is short, stout and broad. Ears are small, slightly inclined forwards. Eyes round, large, rather far apart, bright and expressive. Legs short, large, stout, strong, paws large, round. Tail short, in proportion to the body. The coat is rather short, fluffy, and may be monochrome, mottled or speckled. A wide range of coat colours from reddish tints to bluish colours is allowed. Exotics are very similar to plush cats and are therefore considered to be one of the cutest pets.
Exotic Shorthair: character
Exotic Shorthairs are cats with a rather calm temperament and practically never whine. Although they are often quite lazy and prefer to trade entertainment for blissful snoozing, you can certainly get your cat interested in the games they like to play! According to Exotic Shorthair breeders, these cats are more active than Persians, and also like to „look after“ their owner. Exotic Shorthair curiosity and affection are characteristic of Exotic Shorthair cats – an Exotic cat will certainly greet its owners when they come home from work, and will be interested in what they are doing when they are at home. Exotic Shorthair love to curl up on their owner’s lap – this is how