Exotic Shorthair Cat

What do you do if you love the calm personality of a Persian cat, but can’t bear the idea of going through the effort to groom all that long hair? Get an Exotic Shorthair, of course! The Exotic Shorthair cat originates from the 1960s, when cat breeders crossed Persian cats with American Shorthair cats. The Exotic Shorthair closely resembles the Persian cat in character and also in looks – except for one difference, the short hair. You could say that Exotic Shorthair cats are Persians for lazy people.

The main shape for the face of an Exotic Shorthair is round: they have enormous round heads, round cheeks and a flat, short nose. Their eyes are round and wide spaced and the color changes according to the color of the coat. Ears are also wide set, small and round with fur on the inside.

The Exotic Shorthair cat has a sturdy, muscular body, with a thick, short neck, broad shoulders and can weigh up to 6kg. It has a short, thick, low hanging tail that is also rounded at the tip. Essentially they look like Persians with short hair. The coat color can also come in all the colors of the Persian, and although fur is short, it’s still denser and a little longer than that of the traditional shorthair. A show standard Exotic Shorthair should also preferably have longer tufts of fur between its toes

Just like Persian cats, Exotic Shorthairs are also very good-natured, calm cats. They are one the most loyal and friendly cat breeds. They have inherited the calmness of the Persian cat, which makes them suitable to be kept in smaller apartments, but also inherited the more energetic personality from the American Shorthair. This makes Exotic Shorthair cats more playful than the normal Persian cat.

The Exotic Shorthair’s coat doesn’t require a high amount of grooming, but should be brushed once a week. They take a long time (up to two years) to become fully developed and mature. The only other special care that should be taken with an Exotic Shorthair is to regularly wipe its face to remove “tears”.