Exotic Shorthair

According to the CFA, the Exotic is a quiet, loyal companion: devoted to you but not intrusive, content simply to stay close. It communicates more with its big eyes than with its voice; you'll hear it purr, but meows are rare.

Because Exotics were bred back to Persians again and again after the breed was founded, there's practically no difference in personality between the two. The CFA notes that some people find the Exotic a bit more active and playful than the Persian, perhaps because it doesn't have to be trained to sit still through long grooming sessions. As TICA describes for the Persian group, expect a cat that's calm most of the day but occasionally bursts into a short run around the room.

It can adapt to a new home at any age. According to the CFA, it's a good choice for homes with young children; it may be shy with other animals at first, but it soon learns to live peacefully with dogs and other cats.

The Exotic was developed for people who love the Persian's look and temperament but can't spend time on long-coat grooming every day. A calm home and regular health monitoring are its biggest needs.

Cats Protection reminds owners that flat-faced cats can struggle to keep themselves cool in hot weather and need plenty of water and a cool place to rest. Keep that in mind during hot summers.

According to the CFA, in the 1950s some Persian breeders on the US West Coast crossed their cats with American Shorthairs. Because short hair is dominant over long hair, the result was kittens with round heads, big eyes and cobby bodies, but short coats. These hybrids were controversial at first, but they proved so popular that the CFA accepted them as a breed in 1966.

Many of those early kittens were shaded silver or chinchilla, colors that didn't yet exist in any shorthaired breed, so the breed was named the "Exotic Shorthair." In the CFA, the word "Shorthair" caused confusion and was later dropped, and today the breed is known simply as the "Exotic." After the original crosses, Exotics were consistently bred back to Persians rather than to their shorthaired ancestors.

The breed grew very popular over time; according to the CFA, it now registers slightly more Exotics than Persians each year. FIFe also recognizes the Exotic and treats it as a "sister breed" of the Persian. A study published in 2023 notes that the Persian and the Exotic are the two most popular flat-faced cat breeds in the world.

According to the CFA, the Exotic standard is identical to the Persian's except for the coat. The body is short, substantial and muscular; the head is round and massive with a round bone structure; the nose is short and snub, the eyes large and round and the ears small.

• Coat: Medium in length, dense and plush. A thick undercoat makes it stand away from the body, giving the cat the look of a fluffy teddy bear. Because it's structurally identical to the Persian, the CFA counts the Exotic among the longhair breeds.
• Colors: It competes in the same seven divisions as the Persian: solids, tabbies, silvers and goldens, parti-colors, shaded and smokes, calicos and bicolors, and the pointed (Himalayan) pattern.
• Size: Medium in size but cobby and heavy-looking; in UK vet records, adult Persians weighed 8.6 lb (3.9 kg) on average, and there's no separate figure for Exotics.

What does "flat-faced" mean?

The scientific term for a flat face is brachycephaly, meaning "short head." According to UFAW, it comes from an inherited defect in the development of the skull bones and is a defining feature of all flat-faced breeds. The facial bones are shortened, but the soft tissues inside the nose and airway don't shrink to match. UFAW stresses that the flatter the face, the higher the risk of health problems. See our Persian page for details.

Grooming is the Exotic's biggest advantage. According to the CFA, combing once a week with a metal comb is enough for most of the year. Compared with the Persian, though, it sheds more heavily by season, and a bath may be needed to remove the shed undercoat. Mats can form if the coat is neglected, but they're uncommon. Thanks to its Persian heritage, it usually tolerates combing and bathing patiently.

The real daily job is face and eye care:

• Eyes: In flat-faced cats, tears can overflow onto the face. Check and wipe around the eyes every day with a soft, damp cloth; show your vet any redness, cloudiness or dark spots.
• Facial folds: According to Cats Protection, skin folds in flat-faced cats can become irritated; keep the area around the nose clean and dry.
• Teeth: In a short jaw, teeth are crowded; regular dental checks matter. TICA recommends brushing the teeth of Persian-group cats with a vet-approved toothpaste.
• Play: Cats Protection recommends keeping play short and gentle for flat-faced cats, a few sessions a day of no more than 5 to 10 minutes, without leaving the cat out of breath. For ideas, see our article on playing with an indoor cat.

Exotics don't need a special food; a complete, balanced cat food suited to their age is enough. TICA notes that cats in the Persian group are more prone to weight gain after spaying or neutering. Cats Protection also points out that keeping a flat-faced cat's weight under control helps reduce breathing problems. In the 2024 study by Teng and colleagues, cats whose weight was further from the median for their breed and sex had shorter lives.

• Measure food, and set an ideal weight with your vet.
• Count treats as part of the daily food.
• If a flat-faced cat struggles to eat or chew, tell your vet.
• Always have fresh water available; TICA says many Persians drink more comfortably from a water fountain, which is worth trying for the similarly built Exotic too.

In terms of health, the Exotic carries almost all of the Persian's traits. In a 2023 survey of flat-faced cat owners, respiratory disease was the most common health problem, and most owners didn't know how common these problems were before getting their cat. The information below is for awareness only; ask your vet about diagnosis and treatment.

Problems linked to the flat face

According to UFAW and Cats Protection:

• Breathing: Narrow nostrils and airways can cause snoring, noisy breathing and mouth breathing (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome). Cats Protection notes that these cats struggle in the heat and that their sleep can be affected too.
• Eyes: Constant tearing because of shortened tear ducts; dryness, irritation, infection and corneal ulcers in bulging eyes.
• Teeth: The same number of teeth in a smaller jaw can lead to crowding, trouble chewing and gum disease.
• Skin: Irritation and infection in facial skin folds.

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)

An inherited disease in which fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys grow over time and can eventually lead to kidney failure. UFAW notes that it also occurs in breeds related to the Persian, including the Exotic. It's caused by a single change in the PKD1 gene and is easy to detect with a DNA test. In a 2022 study that examined the DNA of more than 11,000 cats, only one of the 68 Exotics tested carried the change, which suggests that years of testing are working. Still, always ask for the parents' test results.

Other screening

TICA recommends checking with your breeder and vet about respiratory and eye problems, the inherited retinal disease PRA and the heart disease HCM, in addition to PKD, in cats of the Persian group, including the Exotic.

We couldn't find reliable lifespan data specific to the Exotic. In a 2024 VetCompass study of more than 7,900 cats that died in the UK in 2019, the Exotic wasn't analyzed as a separate group. Because its build and health problems are largely shared with the Persian, Persian data can serve as a guide: in the same study, Persians had a life expectancy at birth of 10.93 years (confidence interval 9.63–12.23). For mixed-breed cats, the figure was 11.89 years.

The same study shows that neutered cats and cats at their ideal weight live longer. For the Exotic, the most concrete ways to protect lifespan and quality of life are choosing a cat with a less flattened face, keeping a healthy weight, daily eye and dental care, and kidney monitoring.

• Consider a shelter: Purebred cats end up in shelters and rescues too. If you're set on a breed, follow breed groups and adoption listings.
• Choose a less flattened face: UFAW says that, for welfare reasons, it would be better if people chose cats with natural head shapes. Look for a cat with a visible nose, open nostrils, eyes that don't constantly run and no snoring at rest.
• If you buy from a breeder: Ask to meet the parents, and ask for PKD DNA test results, eye exams and vaccination records. Watch the mother's breathing and eyes yourself.
• Red flags: Steer clear of sellers who market flatter faces as more valuable, won't show you the mother, can't provide paperwork or rush you.
• Registration: Rules vary by country; many places require or recommend microchipping. In Türkiye, owned cats must be microchipped and registered in the PETVET system.
• The first days: Our guide to the first week with a new cat walks you through it step by step.