The Exotic Shorthair is a descendant of the Persian cat. The breed comes from the US, where the first Exotic kitten was bred.
Breed History
The Exotic was developed about 60 years ago by crossing American Shorthairs and Persians. The goal of the cross was to improve the Persian’s coat. The breeders weren’t happy with the result, but these chubby-pawed “miracles” with the face of a little teddy bear won over plenty of breeders and ordinary people with their charm. As early as 1967, these sweet “teddy bears” were recognized by the CFA, and by the 1980s the breed was fully established.
And that’s how the Exotic Shorthair came to be: a chubby-pawed plush kitten with a funny little face.
Exotic Shorthair Personality and Traits at a Glance
| Affection for family | ★★★★☆ |
| Shedding | ★★★☆☆ |
| Health | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Playfulness | ★★★★☆ |
| Vocality | ★★★★☆ |
| Good with kids | ★★★☆☆ |
| Friendliness toward strangers | ★★★☆☆ |
| Ease of grooming | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Gets along with other pets | ★★★☆☆ |
| Intelligence | ★★★☆☆ |
Exotic Shorthair Overview and Standard
The Exotic looks a lot like its ancestor, the Persian, which is why it’s sometimes called a “shorthaired Persian.” Still, the Exotic has significant differences from the Persian. To help you better understand what makes this breed special, here’s the breed standard. It will show you what an Exotic looks like (and how it differs from a Persian). Here are the main breed features you can see in the photo:
- The head is medium-sized and round:
– a flat face,
– large, wide-set, very expressive eyes,
– a snub nose,
– full, rounded cheeks,
– small ears (tipped forward).
- The body is medium-sized, with sturdy bones and muscles that don’t bulge. Seen from the side, the body looks square.
- The legs are medium (neither long nor short), and both the front and hind legs are quite sturdy.
- The tail is short, in proportion to the body.
- The coat is short and soft like plush, with an undercoat.
- The colors were inherited from the Persian and can vary widely: solid, bicolor, or tricolor, with markings (tabby, point) of different sizes.
The Exotic is medium in weight (about 9–15 lb) and size, and in lifespan too (up to 15 years).
Appearance and Personality
This breed’s description and personality are best captured “through the eyes of its owners and breeders” (and their reviews won’t leave you indifferent). Let’s look at its main traits and personality.
Exotic cats inherited almost nothing from their American ancestor and, strangely enough, their personality resembles their other ancestor, the Persian. Their voice is quiet and calm, just like them, and you only hear it at certain moments (when the kitty wants something). This “plush kitty” has an incredibly sweet expression, which makes the Exotic a favorite with children.
Exotics are quiet, patient pets with a fairly calm temperament. They’re very smart, cheerful, active, and not aggressive at all. These cats get along easily with both children and other animals. Their devotion knows no bounds; they suffer from loneliness and love being the center of attention.
These cats are ready to travel with their owners, since they’re very attached to them. So if you get a pet like this, respect its attachment to you, value its love, and don’t leave it with strangers (if you’re planning to move).
Care
Caring for an Exotic isn’t as easy as you might hope, but there’s nothing especially hard about it either. Care is the same as for a Persian. It’s tied to their health and a few physical drawbacks:
- Difficulty breathing (because of the flat nose), sometimes with snoring;
- Jaw (teeth) deformities;
- Watery eyes, which is why you’ll need to check your pet’s eyes every day.
Otherwise, these cats are fairly healthy, which they get from their other parent, the American Shorthair.
When it comes to caring for an Exotic, besides cleaning the eyes, don’t forget about these things:
- keep an eye on the claws, provide a scratching post, and don’t forget to trim the claw tips;
- brush the coat (once a week) and bathe the cat once a season (every three months), more often during shedding;
- after a bath, it’s best to dry the coat, since the undercoat is quite thick and takes a long time to dry. If you don’t help the cat dry off, it can catch a cold;
- don’t forget about proper feeding (no human food): a balanced diet and vitamins;
- deworm your cat and treat it for fleas regularly.
Try to give your Exotic lots of love and attention, since it’s essential to its well-being (lonely Exotics can become depressed).
Exotic Colors with Photos
The breed has lots of colors, since there are many possible color combinations and tabby patterns. Here are a few of them (see the photos).
- Red tabby: bright orange on the back and paler on the belly.
- Classic tabby: the shades can vary (orange with beige, gray with black), but the pattern has those “marbled” swirls. See the photo
- Black has no other shades at all.
- Blue is a gray-blue color.
- Tortoiseshell is a mix of colors.
- White, a perfect white that amazes with its purity.
- Cream, a soft beige shade.
The Bottom Line
How do you describe this breed’s personality in a few words? Know the Persian? Not the same at all! The Exotic is more active and smarter, more playful and more easygoing. If you had to describe the breed’s temperament in one word, it would be serenity!
Breeders and owners of Exotic Shorthairs note how especially sociable these cats are. They’ll happily spend time with the head of the household and with small children alike. Surrounded by their human “pack,” Exotics stay calm both at home and on long trips.
But if you plan to teach your Exotic a couple of tricks, your efforts will be in vain: this breed’s intelligence isn’t built for human whims.
Like all human-made breeds, the Exotic has a number of hereditary diseases:
- tooth and jaw deformities;
- chronic sinus problems;
- epiphora (excessive tearing);
- inherited kidney disease (PKD).
Exotic Shorthair Owner Reviews
Lyudmila: “He looks like a plush toy, but he’s no toy! People tell all sorts of horror stories about this breed: supposedly they have breathing problems because of their face shape, they’re allergenic, and they’re always shedding… Well, I don’t know. Our Sharfik has none of those problems! I admit we may have just gotten lucky with him. But it’s not all sunshine: Sharfik’s personality isn’t as soft as his plush coat. He might scratch if he doesn’t like something, or ignore you on purpose. And like all Exotics, he’s more of a laid-back type. The hyper side only wakes up at night! He doesn’t like children or too much cuddling, but Sharfik is very refined.”
Irina: “Our cat’s name is Boniface, Bonya for short, and this cat is a joy. He’s very sensitive to the mood in the family and feels everyone’s mood. He doesn’t like sitting on laps, but he’ll touch us with his paw himself. He wakes us up in the morning and loves playing with water from the faucet. Bonya is 6 now, and in all that time he hasn’t ruined a single thing! I’ve noticed my Exotic is pretty touchy. You couldn’t call them vindictive, but they know how to sulk very dramatically. I advise kitten owners to pay special attention to diet, since our little ones tend to gain weight.”
Stepan: “There have always been Exotic cats in our family, so I consider myself an expert on the breed. So, I recommend them: chubby, but no pushovers! They’re optimists, but not crowd-pleasers. Exotics are moderately active: they won’t swing from the curtains, but they’ll play politely with a toy you bought them. They’ll never go into a stranger’s arms, but they love their own pack unconditionally. Funny thing: their innate good manners come with terrible curiosity. And they’re typical little burglars who’ll swipe something when they get the chance.”
Where to Buy an Exotic Kitten in the US
You can find out how much an Exotic kitten costs at a particular cattery directly from the sellers (catteries or breeders), who sell kittens as litters are born. The breed is popular in the US, and many Persian breeders also breed Exotics. Here’s where to look for these sweet kittens:
- CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association) Find a Breeder – https://find-a-breeder.cfa.org/;
- TICA (The International Cat Association) breeder listings – https://tica.org/find-a-cat/find-a-cat-breeder-listings/;
- Mon Cheri Cattery (western Arkansas; CFA; Exotic Shorthairs and Exotic Longhairs);
- FlatCat Exotics (CFA) – CFA listing;
- Rivabell (Richmond, Virginia; a small hobby cattery breeding Exotic Shorthairs and Persians).
Price
The price of an Exotic kitten depends directly on several factors (purity of the pedigree, color, manners, whether it’s litter trained and used to its food). Exotic kittens are sold both by small breeders and by professional catteries, where the price is much higher. On average, an Exotic Shorthair kitten from a US breeder costs about $800–$2,500, and well-known catteries with champion lines can charge more.
If you’d like a bigger cat, read about the Maine Coon.
