Exotic Shorthair Cats
Written by an Owner
Published Oct 24, 2023
I got my first Exotic Shorthair back in 2017. My friend Sarah kept sending me photos of these cats on Instagram and I thought they were Persians. Turned out I was wrong about that.
The breeder I contacted in Seattle told me it's basically a Persian with short hair. I didn't really get what she meant until I picked up Luna three months later. She had that flat face everyone talks about, the round eyes, but her coat was... short. Made sense once I saw her in person.
What Actually Is an Exotic Shorthair
So these cats came from breeding Persians with American Shorthairs back in the 1960s. Some breeders in the US wanted the Persian look without all that grooming. They crossed the breeds and got cats with Persian features but shorter coats.
The Cat Fanciers' Association recognized them in 1967. People call them "the lazy man's Persian" sometimes. I've heard that phrase at cat shows three times now. It's kinda rude if you ask me.
They weigh between 8 to 15 pounds usually. Luna is 11 pounds and she's considered medium size for the breed. Males get bigger. My neighbor's male Exotic is 14 pounds and looks like a small tank when he walks.
Breed Stats
Where I First Saw One
I was visiting my cousin in Los Angeles in the summer of 2016. She took me to this cat cafe in West Hollywood called Crumbs & Whiskers. They had two Exotics at there among all the rescue cats. One was cream colored and just sat on the top shelf the whole time I was there. Didn't move. Just stared at people.
The other one actually came down and let me pet it. That's when I noticed the coat texture. It felt dense. Plush. Not like my old tabby cat back home. The face was completely flat too. No nose sticking out at all.
I took probably 50 photos that day. My phone storage was full by the time I left the cafe.
Living With One Daily
Luna sleeps about 16 hours a day. Maybe more. I work from home and I've actually counted the hours she's awake. On a typical Tuesday she's up for maybe 6 hours total. The rest of the time she's on my bed or the couch or sometimes in the bathroom sink. She loves that sink for some reason.
The grooming isn't bad. I brush her twice a week. Takes about 10 minutes each time. Compare that to my friend who has a Persian and spends 30 minutes every single day dealing with mats and tangles. Not happening with an Exotic.
Luna's Typical Tuesday
They do shed though. I vacuum my apartment three times a week. My black clothes show every single hair. I've stopped wearing black shirts at home completely.
The Face Thing
Health Reality Check
That flat face causes problems. Luna gets eye discharge daily. I wipe her eyes every morning with a damp cloth. It's just part of the routine now. Wake up, make coffee, wipe cat eyes, check emails.
Her breathing sounds loud when she sleeps. My roommate complained about it the first month. She thought Luna had a respiratory infection. Nope. That's just how brachycephalic cats breathe. The vet confirmed it.
Some Exotics have it worse than others. I met a cat at a show in Portland last year who actually snored. Like a person. The owner said she'd had him checked multiple times and he was fine. Just noisy.
Getting One From a Breeder
I paid $1,800 for Luna. That was the going rate in 2017 for a pet-quality Exotic from a registered breeder. Show-quality cats cost way more. I saw some listed for $3,500 back then.
The breeder I used had a waiting list. I put my name down in February and didn't get Luna until June. Four months of waiting. She sent me photos every week though. Luna's eyes weren't even open in the first photos.
You can find cheaper Exotics online. I wouldn't do it though. I checked out some of those websites and the cats looked... off. The faces weren't right. One listing showed a cat that was clearly just a regular domestic shorthair with a slightly flat face. People try to scam you with mixed breeds.
Their Personality Deal
Luna doesn't do much. She's calm. Some people say boring. I had a friend visit last month and she kept asking why my cat wasn't playing. That's just not what Exotics do. They sit. They watch. They sleep.
She does have her active moments. Usually around 9 PM. She'll run from the living room to the bedroom about five times. Then she's done. Back to sleeping.
They like being near you though. Luna follows me room to room. She doesn't want to be held much but she wants to be in the same space. Right now she's on the chair next to me while I'm typing this. Just sitting there. Staring at the wall.
Cat Shows and That Scene
I took Luna to a TICA show in San Francisco in 2019. She got disqualified in the first round. The judge said her ear placement was too wide. I didn't even know that was a thing. Apparently the breed standard is very specific about ear position.
The people at these shows are intense. I overheard a woman arguing with a judge about coat texture for 15 minutes. Her cat had placed third and she wanted to know exactly why it wasn't first. The judge looked tired.
I haven't taken Luna to a show since then. It's stressful for her and honestly it wasn't fun for me either. Standing around all day in a convention center with 200 cats meowing.
Health Stuff You Deal With
Eyes
Daily wiping required. Pre-made wipes from Petco.
Kidneys
PKD risk. Genetic testing of parents and cat is essential.
Teeth
Crowded teeth. Extractions are common. $800 surgery cost.
The eye thing I mentioned. That's constant. I buy these pre-made eye wipes from Petco. They come in a container of 100 and I go through it in about two months.
Exotics can get polycystic kidney disease. It's genetic. The breeder I got Luna from tested both parents and they were clear. Luna got tested at age 3 and she's clear too. You have to stay on top of this stuff.
Dental problems happen with the flat face. Their teeth get crowded. Luna had two teeth extracted last year. The vet said it's common in brachycephalic breeds. The surgery cost me $800. Pet insurance covered half of it.
The Internet Made Them Famous
There's this cat called Pudge who has like 700,000 followers on Instagram. She's an Exotic Shorthair. That's probably why so many people started wanting these cats around 2015-2016. Everyone saw the photos online and wanted one.
The problem is people don't research the breed first. They see a cute flat face and think it's all perfect. Then they get the cat and realize there's eye cleaning and potential breathing issues and vet bills. I've seen three Exotics at my local shelter in the past two years. Someone got them and couldn't handle the maintenance.
My cousin in LA who introduced me to the breed actually got rid of her Exotic after 8 months. She said the eye discharge grossed her out too much. She has a regular tabby now.
What They Eat
Luna eats Royal Canin Persian formula. I know she's not a Persian but the food is made for flat-faced breeds. The kibble shape is designed so they can actually pick it up with their face structure.
She goes through about a 7-pound bag per month. That costs around $35. I also give her wet food twice a week. She's picky about flavors. She'll only eat the pate texture. The chunks in gravy kind she completely ignores.
I tried switching her to a cheaper brand last year. She stopped eating for two days. Just looked at the bowl and walked away. I switched back to Royal Canin and she ate immediately. Guess I'm stuck with the expensive stuff.
People's Reactions When They Visit
Everyone who comes to my apartment comments on Luna's face. Every single person. They either say she's cute or ask if something's wrong with her. No middle ground.
Kids especially stare at her. My nephew came over last Christmas and kept asking why her nose was "broken." I had to explain that's just how she looks. He didn't believe me and asked his mom if the cat was sick.
Some people think she looks grumpy all the time. The flat face gives them a permanent expression. Luna could be perfectly content and people will say she looks mad. It's just the way her face is shaped.
Mixing Them Up With Persians
This happens constantly. I'll post a photo of Luna online and someone comments "beautiful Persian!" I used to correct people. Now I don't bother.
Even my vet's office mislabeled her chart as Persian for the first year. I had to point it out three times before they fixed it. The receptionist said they look identical so it doesn't really matter. It does matter though. The grooming needs are completely different.
The main visual difference is the coat length. That's it. The face shape, the body type, the ear placement, all basically the same. You'd need to touch the cat to really tell them apart if you're not familiar with cat breeds.
Why I'd Get Another One
I probably will get a second Exotic at some point. Luna is 7 now. I've been looking at breeders in Oregon and Washington again. The prices have gone up. I'm seeing $2,500 to $3,000 for pet-quality kittens now.
My apartment allows two cats. I have the space. Luna doesn't really care one way or another about other cats. I brought my friend's cat over once for a weekend and Luna just ignored it completely.
The thing is I'm used to the maintenance now. Wiping eyes every morning isn't a big deal anymore. It's automatic. Getting another breed would feel weird at this point. I know what to expect with Exotics.
That's It
So that's what living with an Exotic Shorthair actually looks like. If someone told you it's just a cute flat-faced cat that sits around all day, they're mostly right. But there's the eye cleaning and the vet visits and the expensive food and all that other stuff people don't post about on Instagram.
Find me at the next cat show if you want to talk more about these cats. I'll be the one in the corner with the cat who got disqualified for wrong ear placement.