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Exotic Shorthair Breed
- Temperament: Quiet, Gentle, Sweet
- Coat Length: Shorthair
- Size: As with all cats in the Persian Group, Exotic Shorthair cats are medium sized. Males are larger than females.
- Colors: They come in all the colors of the rainbow and a multitude of patterns.
- Life Expectancy: Exotic Shorthair is a very healthy breed and can be expected to live between 12-15 years.
Exotic Shorthair cats were obtained by crossbreeding the American Shorthair and Persian cats. The characteristic appearance of the Persian in combination with the plush structure of thick soft fur are the main features of this amazing creation.
Exotics are peaceful, friendly and patient, which allows us to call the breed one of the safest for home keeping.
Personality
The nature of the Exotic Shorthair surprisingly harmonizes with its charming appearance. Friendliness and calmness make this animal a wonderful friend and companion.
The Exotic Shorthair cats have sincere affection for the owner, but show their feelings so delicately and subtly that they can’t be called intrusive. They will patiently wait until you finish doing things, and only then will they remind you with a gentle calm purring of their presence.
Do not forget to give your friend enough time, because these cats can hardly stand loneliness.
With such a “cartoony” and even somewhat clumsy appearance, Exotics are quite active, curious and mobile. Moreover, showing natural curiosity, cats of this breed can lose their sense of danger.
Exotic Shorthair cats have practically no manifestations of aggression.
Manifestations of hostility, and even then only in the form of avoiding close contact, is possible but only to strangers.
Exotic Shorthair cats get along well with children and other pets..
Exotics are very smart and well trained. They are distinguished by an increased need to be in society, which is not characteristic of many of their relatives.
They suffer loneliness when left alone for long periods of time.
From the point of view of character, temperament and intelligence, an Exotic Shorthair cat can be considered a cat that's ideal for home.
History
The appearance of the exotic shorthair breed was in the 1950's. Frankly, the first kittens appeared completely by accident.
Wanting to get new coat colors and eye colors, the breeders of the American Shorthair crossed their pets with Persian cats.
The task was not solved. The offspring, to the surprise and disappointment of the breeders, turned out to be very “Persian” - all the animals were born with characteristic “puppet” faces.
And the rest of the kittens were more like parents "from the East.", only the fur became noticeably shorter and acquired a more dense plush structure.
As a result of the crossing, the breed of the American Shorthair cat were born.
In 1966, Jane Martinke introduced a new breed, which was given the name "Exotic Shorthair."
The accidentally bred cats sought recognition for a long time.
The ambitious breeders of the "Persians" were critical of the "exotics", believing that they encroached on the purity of their breed. It got to the point that they refused to mate their elite pets with short-haired exotic ones, and they did this consciously and in an organized manner.
Fortunately, there were also far-sighted owners of the "Persians" who saw potential and took part in the selection. Among them, Doris Valkinstik and Carolyn Bussey, whose merits in the formation of a new breed should be highlighted.
Representatives of the Russian blue breed and Burmese cats were also used in breeding work. The experiments were terminated only when the short-haired gene was fixed.
Since then, mating exotics are possible only with Persians.
In 1990, felinologists agreed that the breed standard completely duplicates all the requirements for a Persian cat, with the exception of the length and quality of the coat. Based on these agreements, all changes that are made to the Persian breed standard automatically become relevant for an exotic shorthair cat.
Care
Exotic Shorthair cat - a completely unpretentious creature. Professional hair care is not required, which is why this breed is sometimes called "Persians for the lazy." But this does not mean at all that you do not need to look at its fur coat. The cover of exotics is very thick, voluminous, soft and with a soft undercoat. To make the coat look healthy and beautiful, comb it with a special metal scallop two or three times a week.
Exotics need a systematic bathing, at least once a month. The structural features of the animal's face require careful and attentive care - wipe it daily with a damp cloth, pay special attention to the condition of the eyes and lacrimal gland, as well as to the cat's nose. Twice a month, do not forget to cut the claws of the pet with a safe nail clipper.
Make your pet a comfortable, safe place where he can relax. If this is a house, then make it in such a way that the animal has enough space to lie down, curled up in a ball or stretch out in full length. Settle the exotic cat closer to you - the pet does not tolerate loneliness. Some representatives of the breed are very fond of sitting for a long time or lying on cool surfaces, for example, on tile floor. To prevent the animal from catching a cold, try to limit these “cooling” procedures.
