Exotic Shorthair Cat Breed Information - Everything You Want To Know

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The exotic shorthair is a lovely breed known for traits like its soft and mellow voice, friendly personality, and loyal and loving nature.

This set of traits sets the Exotic Shorthair apart.

This adorable breed is known for being people-oriented and loves being around people, so it is not a good option for those with busy schedules.

But If you can squeeze out time for your kitty, then the Exotic Shorthair would be a good option.

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Exotic Shorthair History

The Exotic Shorthair is a shorthaired version of the Persian Cat. These breeds have many similarities, including their faces, temperaments, and flat noses.

Breeders in the 1950s started using Persians as an outcross with American shorthairs.

These breeders also used several other breeds, including the Russian Blue and the Burmese.

The Exotic Breed was formed when some of the unhappy American shorthair breeders started getting furious at the breeders who used other breeds to improve the shape of the American Shorthair, which gave them an edge in cat shows over those who didn’t use other breeds.

So eventually, a completely separate breed was registered to recognize the breeding of the Persians with other breeds like the American Shorthair.

Exotic Shorthair Key Facts

One of the key features of Exotic Shorthair is its low maintenance levels.

You can’t fully appreciate how low maintenance this breed is unless you have experience with the Persian or other long-haired breeds that require extensive effort to maintain.

The Exotic Shorthair requires the basic care that any cat would require, adequate feeding, exercise, and lots of love.

Some Exotic Shorthairs may have long hair as all of them carry a recessive gene for long hair from their Persian parent.

If your kitten has two recessive genes for long hair, it will grow long hair because you need at least one dominant short hair gene for your cat to be shorthaired.

How Big Do Exotic Shorthair get?

The Exotic Shorthair is a medium-sized cat with a cubby, dense, and low-to-the-ground body.

Most Exotic Shorthairs are heavy-boned and have prominent muscles, adding to their chunky appearance.

An average Exotic Shorthair weighs around 3.5 – 6 kg. If your cat weighs more or less than this, they might need some readjustment in their diets.

Exotic Shorthair Lifespan

The Exotic Shorthair is a hybrid, getting the best of two different worlds.

One of the most important things they acquire from their Persian parent is a long lifespan free from many health issues.

On average, an Exotic Shorthair lives between 10 – 15 years, depending on the amount and quality of care they are receiving.

How Much Does An Exotic Shorthair Cost?

The Exotic Shorthair is not a common breed, unlike the Persian, so you may have to put in some effort to find a pure Exotic shorthair.

You can expect to pay around $1,000 – $2,000 for a kitten. This price varies depending on the reputation of the breeder and the quality of the cat.

You should also include other expenses such as medical bills, buying accessories, beds, litter, toys, etc.

Exotic Shorthair Personality

The Exotic Shorthair has a similar personality to their long-haired ancestors.

But there is a slight difference between the two, and that is the energy level of this breed. The Exotic Shorthair is generally more energetic and lively than the Persian.

The Exotic Shorthair has a friendly, playful, and curious nature, which naturally makes them explore their surroundings.

They are also generally good with other pets and children if socialized early.

You will often find them following you around the house as they love being affectionate with their owners and can develop separation anxiety if left alone for long periods.

Caring For An Exotic Shorthair

The Exotic Shorthair is easy to care for, as it doesn’t have a long coat you need to worry about.

It would be best to keep in mind a few important things, and you are good to go; these include their diets, daily activity levels, and general health.

If you get these three things right, your cat will certainly have a healthy and long life. So keep reading to find out more about caring for your Exotic Shorthair.

Exotic Shorthair Nutrition

The Exotic Shorthair has a thick body with a heavy bone structure. Another key feature of the Exotic Shorthair is its flat face.

What does that have to do with their nutrition needs? You may ask, well, as it turns out, it makes a difference.

Due to the Flat face, the Exotic Shorthair requires easy to chew food, which doesn’t require much chewing.

Hard food can cause dental issues, preventing your cat from eating enough food to maintain a healthy weight.

Other than that, the Exotic Shorthair has the same nutrition needs as other cats.

How To Groom An Exotic Shorthair?

One of the good things about owning the Exotic Shorthair is their ability to maintain their coats without much human involvement.

With that being said, you may still want to brush them weekly to remove dirt or loose hair from their coat.

The weekly brushing will also prevent hairball formation in your cat and make things easier for them.

Due to their flat faces, the Exotic Shorthair faces a critical problem: their tear ducks can start overflowing and leave stains below their eyes.

You should regularly clean these stains with a moist cloth or a liquid made specifically to remove these stains.

Regular cleaning will help in preventing these stains from becoming permanent.

Exotic Shorthair Activity Levels

The Exotic Shorthair is generally a laid-back and mellow breed, but they are usually more active than their Persian ancestors.

This means that your cat will spend a lot of time sleeping and napping, but once it is up, it’ll follow you around the house, explore new spaces, and jump from place to place.