Exotic Shorthair Cat Breed… Everything You Need to Know at a Glance!

Now it could just be us, but there is just something a bit “unnerving” abut having an Exotic Shorthair stare at you.  There’s just something about their quite stare that makes you think…

“Am I doing what I’m supposed to be doing?”

And

“Why is this cat just staring at me?”

Now don’t get us wrong…

These cats are awesome, its just that when you look at them, you sort of get the sense that there is an “old soul” staring back at you.  An “old soul” that could be a lot smarter than you too!

The good news is…

That this “feeling” of inferiority will quickly go away once you get to know one of these little guys because you’ll find that not only are they SUPER friendly, there just about impossible to upset!

But that doesn’t mean…

That the Exotic Shorthair cat breed is going to be the “best” cat breed for everyone which is why in this article, we wanted to take a moment and discuss what it might be like to own an Exotic Shorthair, so if you ever get a chance to get your hands on one, you’ll know for sure this is going to be the “right” cat breed for you.

So, without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Exotic Shorthair Cat Breed Fast Facts

Country of Origin:  United States

Size:  Medium to large

Weight:  9 to 12 pounds

Eyes:  Round eyes (blue, blue-green, or copper)

Shape of Head:  Round

Life Span:  10 to 15 years

Origin of the Exotic Shorthair cat breed

The Exotic Shorthair, sometimes known as the Shorthaired Persian, is a cat breed that actually originated in America.  Which doesn’t seem all that “exotic” to us, but hey…

“There’s nothing wrong with being MADE IN AMERICA… right?”

Even if it’s “creation” was a bit of an accident.

You see…

Originally what happened was that back in the late 1950’s, American Shorthair cat breeders and Persian cat breeders both had the same idea to begin breeding these two different cat breeds together to obtain different results.

In the case of the…

American Shorthair cat breeders (especially Jane Martinke), what they wanted to accomplish was to create American Shorthair cats with some of the unusual colors specific to the Persian cat breed.  Specifically, the “silver” coated Persians.

The results of these…

Experiments were that the new kittens actually did look a lot like “miniature” Persians with silver hair, only now they also had short dense hair as well.  And… the were SUPER cute too boot!

These little guys…

Were named “Sterling” cats after their silver colored coats.  This name however, didn’t “stick” for all that long because shortly afterwards, others began breeding all sorts of different Persian cats with American Shorthair cats which sort of made the name “Sterling” obsolete.

At this same time…

Persian cat breeders (especially Carolyn Bussey) were experimenting mixing Persians with a brown Burmese in an effort to “create” a brown Persian.

What she got instead was…

A litter full of little black kittens that had the “look” of a Persian and the short coat of a Burmese.  Much like the kittens where were being created by the American Shorthair breeders.

The only real difference was…

That in the case of Carolyn Bussey’s kittens, strict adherence to rigorous breeding practices ensured that not only were her kittens super cute, they were also very healthy as well!

As a result…

Over time, the combined efforts by both American Shorthair breeders and Persian breeders alike to create a “shorthaired Persian” were eventually lumped into one new breed that became known as the Exotic Shorthair.

And…

After nearly two decades of being “created” these new cats were finally “officially” recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association in 1967 and recognized by the International Cat Association in 1979.

So…

Now that we got an idea of “how” these little guys came to exist, let’s now take a look at “why” folks wanted to create them in the first place!

Exotic Shorthair characteristics

The Exotic Shorthair just looks “full.” And by “full,” we mean that he doesn’t look like a skinny little cat.  And even though he isn’t necessarily the LARGEST cat out there, when you look at him, you’re not going to think he’s small by any means.

What, with their…

Large oval-shaped head, broad skull, rounded forehead and chunky cheeks, this can isn’t going to make you think he’s missed many meals in his life.  Combine these features with his strong jaws, broad chest and think neck, you’ll probably be surprised when you go to pick him up and feel how light he is compared to how he looks!

Probably the only…

Thing small about an Exotic Shorthair is his ears which are a “bit” small and round at the tip, but even these make the rest of him look even bigger than he actually is!

But what’s really…

Going to get your attention right away is the size of his eyes.  Which are huge, and depending on the coat, can be gold (copper), green, or blue.

Now as for…

Their coats we’ve pretty much establish that those are going to be short, obviously, but it should be noted that they are a “bit” longer that other shorthaired cats.

Plus…

Exotic Shorthair coats are plush, soft, and thick unlike many other shorthair cat breeds. Their undercoats are also just as rich as their guard hairs. Their coats can also come in various colors, solid or patterned.

The most common colors will be:

• white,
• red,
• cream,
• blue,
• black,
• chocolate or lilac,

And those are just the solid colors.

Additional colors include:

• shaded,
• calico,
• smoke,
• tabby,
• particolored,
• And bicolor variations as well!

Exotic Shorthaired personality and temperament

One of the “best” ways to describe this breed would probably be to just tell you their “nickname” which is…

“The lazy man’s Persian.”

Because that “sums” them up pretty nicely.

You see…

The Shorthaired Persian is a lovely cat, and quite a popular one among cat lovers. They’re pretty calm creatures. They’re quiet and sweet and love to cuddle up to you as you scroll through your phone. They’re definitely lap cats, but don’t let this fool you into thinking that they don’t have a playful side.

Because…

Despite the fact that they’re pretty laid back, they’re very curious cats. You know how they’ll sit beside you as you scroll through your phone? Well, at some point, they’re probably going to want to learn how to use that phone.

They can also…

Be quite active too! If you’re an explorer yourself, then the Exotic Shorthair is the perfect breed for you. They like to play with toys and with their favorite people, but they’re perfectly capable of playing by themselves, too. (This doesn’t mean that you should abandon them though, they like the attention.)

They’re also…

Very good with kids.  This is probably because they are a very “patient” breed.   And unlike other breeds like the Burmese or an Egyptian Mau, which tend to like to show off, the Exotic Shorthair will wait for your attention.

Unsurprisingly…

This quiet, patient breed doesn’t speak all that much, but if they do, their voice is soft and almost musical, which of course only adds to their exterior beauty.

Exotic Shorthair grooming and care

Now we’re not going to say that the Exotic Shorthair is super easy to care for, because their shorthair is really quite dense, so you’ll want to be sure and give them a good “combing” every other day or so.  Which isn’t bad at all when compare that with the requirements of keeping a Persians coat in shape.

Exotic Shorthair health concerns

Anytime you decide to purchase a pedigree kitten or better yet adopt a pedigree rescue cat, you need to be aware that because they are a “pedigree” it’s possible that they may be at risk for developing an inheritable disease due to their “selective breeding”.

And in the case…

Of the Exotic Shorthair, there are few medical conditions which are more common in this breed that other breeds out there.  This is why you’re going to want to be very “selective” in which Exotic Shorthair breeder you choose to work with.

And be sure…

That you specifically ask your breeder about the health of their animals and ask them about whether or not any of their animals suffer from the following:

• Polycystic kidney disease, which can lead to kidney failure.
• Brachycephalic respiratory syndrome, which causes airway resistance, inflammation, and puts strain on the heart.
• Calcium oxalate urolithiasis (AKA: kidney or bladder stones).

Which brings us…

To the last topic we want to talk about when it comes to adopting an Exotic Shorthair, which is the importance of at least “considering” the possibility of purchasing a pet insurance policy.

You see…

We here at IndulgeYourPet always like to advise any new pet owner particularly one who intends to spend a lot of money in order to purchase their new pet, take a few moments and consider what it might cost to also purchase a pet insurance policy for your new animal as well.

This is because…

If your new pet does become sick or injured, chances are it could be quite expensive to provide the care he or she needs.

Now will a pet insurance policy be “right” for everyone? 

No, probably not.  But until you know what a pet insurance policy will provide coverage for and how much it would cost, how will you be able to determine if purchasing one might be “right” for you?

For more information about who we feel currently offers the “best” pet insurance policies in the industry right now, we would encourage you to check out our Best Pet Insurance Companies article.