Exotic shorthair

Other names : Exotic, Persian shorthair

Photo: adult cat of Exotic shorthair breed
© joke50e / Shutterstock
Photo: adult cat of Exotic shorthair breed

The Exotic, or Exotic Shorthair, has all the characteristics of a teddy bear. Their dense hair is irresistible to the touch, they look like a ball and their attitude is gentle and quiet, with a touch of infantile madness. They adapt to all kinds of home, with a preference for cozy apartments that are full of toys. The perfect cat for lovers of Persians who do not want to have to maintain long fur!

Checked by animal care professional
Comment Share

Life expectancy

The Exotic shorthair has a life expectancy of between 12 and 15 years

Temperament

Adult size

Female Between 12 and 14 in
Male Between 12 and 14 in

Adult weight

Female Between 7 and 11 lb
Male Between 7 and 13 lb
Coat colour
Black Brown White Red Cream Blue
Type of coat
Short
Eye colour
Blue
Green
Brown

Purchase price

The Exotic shorthair costs between £300 and £600

Good to know

The short hair gene is a dominant gene. The Exotic is homozygous or heterozygous. This means that it can happen that some offspring will have long hair! These individuals will be recognised as long-haired Exotics by some federations, while for others they will be Persians.
Also, it is essential for the breed to keep Persian blood, otherwise, the coat changes over time and becomes less dense.

More details about the Exotic shorthair

Exotic shorthair: Origins and history

The Exotic was born in the fifties, in the United States, following attempts to cross short-haired cats with a Persian, to improve the existing breed. The unsuccessful results, from a certain point of view, became the foundation for the creation of this new breed.

The first cross was the American Shorthair with a Persian Silver. The goal was to get a silver-haired American Shorthair, but unfortunately the offspring did not meet the standards of the latter. Jane Martinke discovered these kittens and proposed to establish a new breed. First called "Sterling", it was renamed Exotic Shorthair to expand the possible coat colours.

Meanwhile, Carolyn Bussey, owner of the New Dawn Cattery, crossed one of her cats with a Burmese in order to obtain a brown Persian. The kittens that followed, convinced the breeder to design a short-haired Persian. Her work contributed enormously to the breed after being officially recognised.

The Russian Blue was used for the fluffy appearance of the fur. Perhaps other breeds also contributed to the creation of the Exotic, but since the short hair gene is dominant and the goal was to create a short-haired Persian, the long-haired Persian was almost exclusively used, for the development and maintenance of a good genetic pool.

Exotic shorthair: Purchase price

On average, the price of an Exotic kitten ranges between £300 and £600. The sex, the age, the pedigree, etc ... are factors that cause variations in the price. It will cost around £25 / month to provide for their needs.

Do you want a Exotic shorthair cat ?

Oh no...
There are no Exotic shorthair adoption profiles at the moment...

Animals for adoption
Do you have a question about the Exotic shorthair ?

Is the Exotic shorthair right for you?

take the test
Leave a comment on this breed
Connect to comment
If you want to share this profile: