MAIN Home Life Pets Cats & Kittens Exotic Shorthair

Known as the Exotic Shorthair, or simply Exotic, this is one of the newest breeds in the feline pantheon, first created in the U.S. in 1960 by crossing an American Shorthair with a Persian.

Since then, the Exotic has become one of the top ten most popular cat breeds in America, sometimes jokingly referred to as "the lazy man's Persian" for its ease of grooming compared to its long-haired cousin.

Behavior & Personality

Exhibiting traits of its Persian cousins, Exotics are sweet, gentle and most comfortable around quiet and familiar surroundings. Calm and patient, they are natural apartment dwellers and affectionate lap cats, although they also may exhibit their American Shorthair bloodline with bursts of playful activity, and often make excellent mousers.

Care & Health

Compared with the care required to maintain the luxurious coat of a Persian, the Exotic is practically maintenance-free and only requires a weekly brushing to reduce shedding problems and hairballs.

Like the Persian, the Exotic is prone to excessive tear production and tear staining. In minor occurances, the condition may be relieved by wiping the area with a moist cloth, although more serious occurances may lead to chronically blocked tear ducts and sinus infections.

Asymmetrical jaw is another inherited condition from its Persian ancestors, an obvious underbite sometimes associated with chewing difficulties and dental problems.

More information about the Exotic Shorthair around the Web:

Cat Fancier's Association - Exotic Breed Profile - Nicely written introduction to the Exotic with photos and information on their behavior & personality, with related resources & suggested reading.

Exotic Shorthair FAQ - Informative details on the Exotic's history, cat show standards, photos of various colors and types, a list of cat breeders and average Exotic prices, and and overview of care & special health concerns.

Exotic Shorthair Cat Society - U.K. organization dedicated to breeding, showing and educating the public on the breed with the latest news, show standards & breeder resources, how to's on purchasing an Exotic kitten, photo gallery, membership info.

Exotic Shorthair - Directory of sites on breeding, breed clubs, Exotic Shorthair rescue, photos, general information resources and related books on the topic.

Exotic Shorthair Breed - General description of their physical attributes plus insider tips on their behavior from an owner of both long and shorthair breeds, related photos & resources.