Breeders crossed the American Shorthair with the Persian in the United States
around 1960. Thus were born shorthaired Persians, called Exotic Shorthairs
and recognized by the C.F.A in 1966. 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 F.I.Fe. recognized the Exotic Shorthair
in 1986. They have nearly the same body as the Persian, but a thick, dense short
coat. They appeal to people who like the personality of a Persian but do not
want the hassle of grooming a long-haired cat. They also known as "Persian for
lazy people"
Known movie apparition
Tabby male, assitant to Mr. Tinkles in the Movie "Cats & Dogs"
Appearance
The Exotic has a compact, rounded, powerfully-built body with a short, thick
"linebacker" neck. Its large round eyes, short snub nose, sweet facial
expression, and small ears give it a highly neotenic appearance that many people
consider cute. He
looks like a little teddy-bear.
Description
Head: Round, massive. Very broad skull. Rounded forehead. Round, full
cheeks. Short, broad, round muzzle. Short, broad nose with pronounced stop.
Strong chin. Broad, powerful jaws.
Ears: Small, rounded at the tip, not too open at the base. Widely
spaced and well-furnished with hair on the inside.
Eyes: Large, round, well-spaced. Pure, deep color corresponding to
that of the coat (gold to copper in most varieties; green in the chinchilla and
the golden; blue in the white and the colorpoint).
Neck: Short and thick.
Body: Medium in size, cobby, low to the ground. Broad chest. Massive
shoulders. Large-boned, powerful muscles. Weight: 3,5 - 6 kilogram.
Paw: Short, straight, and large. Round, large paws. Tufts of hair
between the toes are desirable.
Tail: Short, thick, carried low. Rounded tip.
Coat: Shorthaired but slightly longer than that of other shorthaired
breeds. Dense, fluffy, erect hair. All Persian colors are recognized.
Character
The Exotic Shorthair has a gentle and calm personality reminiscent of the
Persian, but he is livelier than his longhaired ancestor. Curious and playful,
he is friendly to other cats and dogs. Easygoing and quiet, as he rarely meows.
He doesn’t like being left alone, he needs the presence of his owner, but he’s
always independent. They tend to show more
affection and loyalty than most breeds and make excellent lap cats. Their calm
and steady nature makes them ideal apartment cats for city dwellers.
Nonetheless, Exotics retain some of the energetic spark of their American
Shorthair forbears and they are often capable mouse
hunters.
Care and grooming
Unlike the high-maintenance Persian, the Exotic is able to keep its own
fur tidy with little
human assistance, weekly brushing an combing is recommended to remove loose hair
and reduce shedding and
hairballs.
As with other
flat-faced animals, the Exotic's tears are prone to overflowing the nasolacrimal
duct, dampening and staining the face. This can be relieved by periodically
wiping the cat's face with a cloth moistened with water or one of
the commercial preparations made expressly for the purpose.
This robust and healthy breed does not reach maturity until around two years
of age and enters puberty fairly late. When two Exotic Shorthairs are crossed,
they may produce longhaired kittens called “Exotic Longhairs” by the C.F.A. and
consideres Persian in France, externally they look like Persians, but
genetically they are different.
