Introduction
An Exotic Shorthair cats and occasionally Persian cat’s cattery, Exotics (Shorthair Persians) are sometimes referred to as The Working Person's Persian or The Persian in PJs because they are in all respects Persians, but with a shorter coat.
Exotics, in general, have temperaments much like Persians, their long haired counterpart, which is sweet and easy going. But Exotics tend to be a bit more active, sillier and often seem more intelligent than Persians. Many Exotics may be reserved until they get to know you. Once they trust you, they are likely to beg for your affection or find amusing ways to get your attention.
Because of their shorter coats (actually more medium in length), Exotics are easier to maintain than Persians. However, their coats are thick and plush, and they do shed like other cats. Combing and bathing is needed, especially during a shedding cycle.
When a cat fancier breeds Exotics, long haired kittens can result. This is because the long hair gene is recessive. In most registering associations, the long-haired kittens that result from breeding Exotics and Persians are registered and shown as Persians
Characteristics of Exotic
Persian cats are long-haired stunning cats. That being said, according to the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), in 2015 the Persian cat breed was ranked as the 2nd most popular breed in in the United States. The first most popular breed is the Exotic. The Exotic breed looks like a short haired Persian
The Exotic breed was created by crossing a domestic short hair with a Persian. Hence, domestic short-hairs became exotic because of the Persian in t hem.
The Persian cat has a distinctive appearance: a large, round head; large, round eyes; a short nose; full cheeks; and small ears with rounded tips. The head is supported by a short, thick neck and a deceptively sturdy, muscular body. A Persian cat's legs are short, thick and strong with large, round, firm paws. The tail is fluffy and proportional to the length of the cat 's body.
Appearance
Persian cats can come in different "looks". The selective breeding process carried out by breeders has allowed the development of a wide variety of coat colors. It has also led to the creation of increasingly flat faced (or Peke-face) Persians. Favored by many cat fanciers, this head structure can bring with it several health problems. There have been efforts by some breeders to preserve the older type of cat, the traditional breed, having a more pronounced muzzle, which is more popular with the general public. These are called "Doll-face" Persians.
"Doll-face" Persians are said to have a more old-fashioned appearance, with a face that is not as flat as the show Persian or the Peke-face Persian.
Environment
The dignified and docile Persian is known for being quiet and sweet. She is an ornament to any home where she can enjoy sitting in a lap-surely her rightful place-being stroked by those who are discerning enough to recognize her superior qualities, and playing house with kind children who will gently comb her hair, wheel her around in a cart, wagon, or buggy, then serve her tea at their parties. Persians are affectionate but discriminating. They reserve their attention for family members and those few guests whom they feel they can trust.
Persian cats and are sedate cats who prefer a serene home where little changes from day to day. Additionally, they are more content when they are not in a loud environment.
Persians use their large, expressive eyes and a voice that can be described as soft, pleasant and musical Persian cats let their simple needs be known: regular meals, a little playtime with a catnip mouse or feather teaser, and lots of love, which they return tenfold.
Because Persian Cats' legs are short, they are less likely to climb excessive heights, but as kittens, they will try more than as adult s. Getting them their own furniture and toys is helpful to t hem. When you are at work or are busy around the house, the Persian is content to adorn a chair, sofa or bed until you are free to admire her and give her the attention, she willingly receives but never demands.
Care and Grooming
The most important thing to understand about caring for a Persian cat is the need for daily grooming. That long, beautiful coat doesn't stay clean and tangle-free on its own. It must be gently but thoroughly combed and brushed every day, and regular bathing-at least once a month-is a good idea. Clipping their nails regularly is also easy to do.
Litter boxes must also be kept scrupulously clean. A Persian cat often supervise this activity, and immediately check behind your work after box cleaning. They may come while you are cleaning the box and watch. When you finish, they may go inside, sniff around, look at you, as if to say they approve, then leave. Hence, make sure you do a good job - daily is preferred. Persian kittens and Persian cats are not meant to live outside. They are exclusive indoor cats only.
Excessive tearing can be a problem in this breed. The simple solution is to wipe the corners of the eyes clean daily. This prevents under-eye stains from forming.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE EXOTIC SHORTHAIR CAT
Cats have been one of mankind's most treasured companions throughout history. They are known as playful and loving pets. The exotic shorthair is a recent cat breed that has been increasingly popular among cat owners everywhere. The breed originated in the United States during the early 1950' s. The breed was formally recognized during the 1960's. It is a cross between the Persian cat breed and the American Shorthair. Other crosses between Persians and Shorthair cat breeds like the British Shorthair are also considered by some as Exotic shorthair cats. Due to its long-haired Persian heritage, there is a one in four chance that a longhair will result from breeding two Exotic Shorthairs.
The breed has a distinct appearance that sets it apart from its Persian and American Shorthair forebears. The Exotic cat has a large, almost massive head. Its face is flattened, with full cheeks and a pug-like nose. A strong chin and broad, powerful jaws give the cat a distinct look. It has widely spaced ears and large, round eyes. Eye color is dependent on coat color; blue eyes are common in blue and white varieties; green is the norm for chinchilla-coated specimens and golden is the most common among the other varieties. The exotic shorthair exhibits similar coloration found in Persian breeds, though they have shorter and more erect hairs. Their coat hair is slightly longer than the American and British Shorthair breeds. They are medium-sized, well-muscled cats with massive chests and broad shoulders. The breed has a short and thick tail. This cute and cuddly appearance makes The Exotic shorthair cat is a favorite among enthusiasts and regular owners alike.
The breed is known to be affectionate and loyal. The exotic shorthair is quick to bond with its owner. They are naturally curious and playful though they tend to be less rambunctious than their Persian ancestors. This makes them good lap cats, perfect for people living in apartments. The cat is friendly to other people as well as towards other cats and even dogs. Their dense and fluffy hair may require weekly combing to help remove matted hair and dirt, though the breed is fully capable of cleaning itself. Their American Shorthair heritage makes them good hunters and mousers specially when offered with treats and other incentives by their owners
Breeders are the only source of certified exotic shorthair kittens. Animal shelters may have adults up for adoption. Adopting an adult is a short process, which usually entails a couple of minutes of paperwork and payment of a standard fee. Obtaining kittens from breeders may take more time. Certification, pedigree and other paperwork may take a while to be processed. It is important to check if the breeder conducts Feline polycystic kidney disease tests on their cats. PKO is a common ailment found in Persian derived breeds. This disorder can lead to eventual kidney failure. It is highly recommended to test exotic shorthair kittens for PKD. The exotic shorthair price ranges from $100 dollars or so for adults from an imal shelters and up to $600 dollars for kittens from reputable breeders. Yearly maintenance costs for the exotic shorthair can reach $1000. These include medical check-ups, cat food costs and other miscellaneous expenditures.
Exotic Shorthair kittens are robust little animals and very playful. They are bright and easily trained. By the time you get your kitten they should have been litter trained by t their mother and be vaccinated. There should be no signs or history of disease or parasite and they should be happy and lively. They are naturally inquisitive and affectionate and love to be cuddled and handled. If the kitten is not keen on contact from humans, then it may not have been handled sufficiently and may not have learned to interact with people properly. A happy and healthy Exotic kitten will love to be with people, and you will be able to establish a loving and affectionate relationship with it as it grows into an adult.
Buying a kitten is never a straightforward business. There are many things which you must consider prior to actually bringing your pet home. You will need to research the best food for example. This is something that you should talk to the breeder about. They will have been providing a kind of food and feeding pattern which you should stick to, at least to begin with. If you do want to change the feeding structure and diet it must be done over a period so as not to upset the kitten's digestion. The Exotic Shorthair kitten is a lovely pet and given care and love will be an affectionate family member.
Grooming
If your new kitty is a Persian, you now have some work ahead of you. It is recommended that you comb medium coarse steel comb 7-7.5” your Persian once a day and wash it well, at least every other week. Persians can become notoriously matted, especially on the belly, under the armpits, behind the ears, and under the tail. Pay close attention to these areas. You will need long tooth metal combs, a 7-7.5" one and a 4" one, a gentle wire slicker brush, and also, for a Persian, a pin brush similar to what you'd use on your own hair. I often use the small 4" metal toothed comb and the gentle slicker brush for the head and legs especially.
If your Persian does become matted, it's recommended that a groomer shave off the matted areas with an electric grooming clipper. soft slicker brush. You shouldn't try this yourself unless you're an experienced groomer. It's very easy to accidentally cut the cat's thin, delicate skin. You may even want your groomer to shave your Persian's body, or maybe just its belly, on a regular basis to minimize your grooming task.
If your kitty is an Exotic, your grooming tasks will be less. No combing is really required unless your cat's in a shedding cycle. If it is, combing will help remove the hair and help prevent it from matting as it comes out. A good combing, followed by a good thorough bath and blow dry, followed by another good combing (once your cat is dry) will remove most of the shedding hair.
Ears
Remember to check and clean inside the ears gently with a cotton swab. As with yourself, do not go deep into the canal. Generally speaking, healthy ears get greasy/ waxy. There are several otic cleaning solutions available that work well and help keep the ears clean and healthy.
If you notice that the insides start to become very dirty with a dark reddish-brown crusty matter, and the cat tries to scratch its ears and shake its head frequently, your cat probably has ear mite s. It's important to treat this with a good ear mite medication, as ear mites can lead to infection and ear damage. Be sure to follow the directions from your veterinarian or on the bottle.
Other internal ear problems are yeast or other infection. See your vet if the inside of the ears have an odd gunkiness or drainage, and the cat scratches, squirms and/or cries out when you clean them.
Nails
Trim off just the hooked, thinner tips of the nails with a human fingernail trimmer as needed. Watch for the vein inside. You can see it from the side of the nail. You don't want to cut too closely and make the nail bleed.
Make sure you supply your cat with a good scratching post that is tall enough that your cat can get a full body stretch up when scratching. You can encourage your cat to use his post by wiping the bottoms of his front paws on the post. This will leave his scent on the post and encourage him to come back to use it.
Please don't declaw your cat. Doing so can often lead to complications and behavioral issues
Eyes
A Persian's and Exotic's eyes tear, and become goopy and crusty. This occurs because of the Persian's and Exotic's short nose. Bacteria causes the discharge to become rust-brown and stain the face. You'll need to wipe under and around the eyes with a clean warm wet paper towel or washcloth gently, preferably twice a day. Drops of Eye Irrigation Solution from the drug store applied to the eyes regularly and used to clean around the eyes will help control rust-brown tears. You may also use a commercial eye stain cleaner for the hair below the eye. Follow the directions, do not get this directly in the eye. To see results from using an eye stain remover you must use it religiously, twice a day. You will notice improvement in two weeks. I highly recommend Eye Envy products for eye stain removal. Once you've used this product for a while, you'll be able to cut back and use it less frequently.
Because many Persians and Exotics can be prone to cornea (lens of the eye) scratches and ulcers you should pay close attention to their eyes. Should you ever notice the cat favoring an eye, squinting, or rubbing it with its paw, it's extremely important to exam the eye immediately. You can examine the cornea in good light by tilting the cat's head so you can look across the surface of the eye. If you see a faint ridge, irregularity, or the cornea is cloudy; or if after you wipe around the eye the cat continues to favor it even though you can't see anything, get to the vet as soon as possible. The sooner it's treated properly the better the outcome. It is extremely important the cat be immediately fitted with an Elizabethan Collar (e-collar or "cone") to keep the cat from rubbing the eye and enlarging the ulcer further. Avoid the soft, fabric type, collars. They won't keep the front paws from rubbing the eyes. The collar will make all the difference in the speediness of the recovery. It's also important to find a vet who's familiar with treating eye ulcers since some antibiotics can make them worse. Under no circumstances should neo/poly/dex or Genticin with Durafilm ever be used! Steroids will greatly worsen the ulcer. Ofloxicin is currently a preferred antibiotic choice of breeders. Pairing this with a hypertonic eye ointment can be helpful, or the use of the prescription product, Remend, is very helpful.
Other reasons to see the vet are an unusual amount of redness or swelling of the inner eye lids and a thick whitish discharge.
Nose
Persians and Exotics have a snub nose, so often have some of the same characteristics as dogs with the same, such as English Bull dogs, Pekingnese, etc. However, they don't seem to have the same problems as these dogs with regard to the soft palet, which can give these dogs a lot of stress when panting. It's common to hear Exotics and Persians snort though, which is part of their charm. But, some of these cats may have overly crimped nostrils (stenotic nares) which cause them to be very noisy breathers or mouth breathers. This is something breeders work to breed away from in their programs, striving for a wider
nostril, while keeping the small nose that adds to the beauty and refinement of the face. In cases of severe crimped nostrils, a veterinarian can surgically correct the problem if necessary.
Although the nose is short it generally has very few problems associated with it. Occasionally, during a virus, a secondary infection of the sinus cavity may occur, causing a chronic snotty nose, which requires a strong antibiotic to clear successfully. If not completely cleared, it could reoccur and a sinus flush with
antibiotics may be required by your veterinarian
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