Cat Breed - Exotic Shorthair

Exotic Shorthair

The Exotic Shorthair is a breed of cat developed to be a shorthaired version of the Persian. he is similar to the Persian in many ways, including temperament and conformation, with the exception of the short dense coat. It has even inherited many of the Persian's health problems.
The birth of the Exotic Shorthair began in earnest in the late 1950s, when American cat breeder Carolyn Bussey crossed a Persian with a brown Burmese, in the hopes of desigining a brown colored Persian. She ended up with black kittens, but she had made the serendipitous discovery that the resulting kittens were strikingly cute. She believed that cat fanciers might take to the idea of a shorter haired Persian, one especially that would be easier to groom, but that retained the same beauty and easy nature of the Persian.

At this point, the short-haired breeds had been pretty well weeded out of the cat fancy because of the surreptitious crossings that had been conducted by less than honest breeders. While American Shorthairs were being crossed with Persians to produce better coats and to recreate the appearance of the Shorthair, the Shorthair breed itself was losing most of the qualities that made it a distinct breed.
The breeders of these cats fudged their papers to make it appear as though these new physical characteristics were naturally occurring, and cat fancy associations had no option except to all but end the registration of the Shorthair.

Ms. Bussey's exacting standards on breeding brought a more ethical approach to the cross breeding, and the result of her campaign to engineer this new breed was its registration as the Exotic Shorthair. Beyond the initial outcrosses between the Burmese and the Persian with the American Shorthair, the Exotic has been limited to crosses with the Persian, so that the breed can maintain its pedigreed status.

Outcrosses have not been a part of the Exotic breeding program since 1975, when the gene pool was deemed large enough to reliably produce both vigorous and attractive cats that met the standard.

This breed was granted Championship Status in 1967 by the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA). The Exotic made rapid progress from there, and was soon in demand. In 1971, the first Exotic Shorthair achieved the status of Grand Champion, and in 1991, an Exotic was the CFA's Cat of the Year.
The Persian was used as an outcross by some American Shorthair (ASH) breeders in the late 1950s to "improve" their breed. The crossbreed look gained recognition in the show ring but other American Shorthair breeders, unhappy with the changes, successfully produced a new breed standard that would disqualify ASH that showed signs ofcrossbreeding.

One ASH breeder who saw the potential of the Persian/ASH cross proposed and eventually managed to get the Cat Fanciers' Association to recognize them as a new breed in 1966, under the name Exotic Shorthair. 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 Fédération Internationale Féline recognized the Exotic Shorthair in 1986.

Because of the regular use of Persians as outcrosses, some Exotics may carry a copy of the recessive longhair gene. When two such cats mate, there is a one in four chance of each offspring being longhaired. Ironically, longhaired Exotics are not considered Persians by CFA, although The International Cat Association accepts them as Persians. Other associations register them as a separate Exotic Longhair breed.

A breed with only 50 years of history, the Exotic Shorthair, also known as the Shorthaired Persian, is a popular breed for cat fanciers who walk on the calmer side of life. This breed has its playful side, but it prefers to cuddle and relax for most of the day. Perfect for urban homes, or for country living, the Exotic is plush and beautiful to look at, with the added benefit of being one of the more affectionate breeds. A Persian without pretension, the Exotic is also easy to care for, with a minimal shedding but still luxurious coat.

Physical Characteristics

The Exotic Shorthair can be succinctly described as being a short-haired Persian, since for all intents, it meets every standard for the Persian breed, except for the coat. Where the Persian has a long thick coat that requires daily combing for prevention of mats and tangles, the Exotic has a medium length coat that is dense and plush, with a thick undercoat.
The Exotic does not require daily combing, nor does it shed heavily -- in fact, it sheds so little as to be considered a “non-shedding” breed. Weekly combing is recommended simply for the purpose of beautifying the Exotic, and for keeping hairballs to a minimum. The fur on the Exotic is so thick, that this is one of those particular breeds of cats that looks much bigger than it truly is; needless to say, it is a big cat.

The Exotic may grow to be up to 15 pounds, but in height it remains fairly short and close to the ground. The appearance is cobby with short, stout legs holding up a round, muscular physique. It is compact, not fat, with the weight being attributed to the density of the bones. Proceeding upward to the crown, the neck carries the athletic build: short and substantial, topped by an impressively sized head. Exotics are acceptable in any color and in any coat pattern, including color point (like Siamese), white, striped, and calico.
The face of the Exotic is identical to the Persian, with the same standards in place. There are two features which particularly cause the Exotic to stand out. This breed is categorized as brachycephalic, which means that the skull, and by extension, the face, is short and broad, with a flattened muzzle. The other natural characteristic this breed has, and which boosts its popularity, is its pedomorphic appearance, meaning that the face of the Exotic retains its kittenish expression, with large, round, widely set eyes, small ears, a short nose, and a large, round head. This “cuteness”, along with its ease of grooming, and its agreeable and playful nature, make the Exotic one of the top choices for companion animals.

Facts About Exotic Shorthair Cats

They’ve Only Been Around for 50 Years

The exotic shorthair breed began in the 1950s when American shorthairs were bred with Persians. Burmese and Russian blues were also bred with Persians to get the short-haired gene.

They Can Be Extreme or Traditional

Extreme exotic shorthairs have a very distinct appearance with flatter faces, tiny noses, and large eyes. Traditional exotic shorthairs have less flat faces and slightly longer noses.

Low Maintenance

Exotics are sometimes called “the lazy man’s Persian,” because they require only weekly combing (while Persians require intensive grooming). They have a dense undercoat that gives them a puffy appearance, but even still they have little to no shedding.

Love of Lounging

If you’re looking for a cat who loves to cuddle, exotics are it. They tend to follow their owners around the house and will jump into your lap as much as possible.

They Love Companionship

Exotics love the company of others, be it from their humans or other cats (and even dogs). If you’d like more than one pet, exotics are therefore a good choice as they tend to get along well with others. Exotics are also a good choice for people who are home often… but not for those who are gone for long hours each day.

They’re Playful

Persians are known for being lazy, but exotics enjoy playing with toys. While they’re still lap cats at heart, exotics can be quite playful as well.

Garfield

It’s thought that the comic-strip cat Garfield is an exotic shorthair, due to his appearance. However, most exotics are far friendlier, and not as lazy, as the cartoon cat.

They Need to Warm Up to Strangers

Exotics are very affectionate toward their families, but they shy away from strangers. If an exotic meets someone new, it will take a little time for him to feel comfortable around the person.


A Favorite Cat Breed

As mentioned, exotics are the second most popular cat breed in America, a title they’ve held for the last three years.