Exotic cat: features of the breed, colors, character, nutrition, care

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Exotic cat breed is still very young - just over 50 years old. Despite this, many owners around the world have appreciated the exquisite beauty, friendliness, soft and docile nature of these animals.

Outwardly, these cats are very similar to Persian, although they are completely different breeds with their own characteristics. Today, many people want to buy a kitten of this breed, but before deciding to take such a step, you should learn about the characteristics of the animal, the rules of care. This is what we will try to tell in this article.

History of the breed

In the 60s of the last century in the United States, felinologists obtained an unexpected result in the course of breeding work. Having chosen two breeds for crossing - the Persian cat and the American Shorthair, the breeders tried to slightly diversify the colors of the Persian breed. However, the result was an unusual kitten that inherited the characteristics of both parents.

It must be admitted that the failed experiment did not upset the scientists at all, since they got a completely unusual, new look. In 1967, the exotic cat was introduced to the general public, and in the 80s, animalsreceived the status of a separate breed. The experiment did not end there - until the mid-70s, breeding work was carried out to introduce new genes into an exotic breed. Russian blues, British blues and Burmese took part in the experiments. As a result, crossbreeding was limited to only two breeds - American Shorthair and Persians.

Exotic cats: features of the breed

Quite often, cat lovers who are not well versed in breeds confuse them with Persian cats. Such confusion is partly justified - the Exotic Shorthair is a copy of the Persian, with the exception of the length and quality of the coat. But besides the plush soft fur coat, representatives of this young breed have a number of other features:

• The head of the animal is round and medium in size.
• Exotic's muzzle has a flattened little nose, very expressive, wide-set eyes;
• Exotic cat's cheeks down.
• Ears are small, set wide apart, slightly tilted forward.
• The animal has well-developed muscles, the body is close to the shape of a square.
• Fore and hind limbs very strong, medium length.
• The tail is proportional to the body of the animal.
• Exotic coat feels like plush to the touch: it is short with a thick undercoat.
• The colors of the exotic cat are varied - two-color and solid, tabby and tortoiseshell, points. To date, more than a hundred shades are known to felinologists: marble, smoky and cream, plain with spots on the tips of small ears, etc.
• The weight of theseanimals range from 4 to 7 kg depending on sex and age (as a rule, cats are smaller than cats).

If you decide to buy an exotic shorthair cat, when buying a kitten, pay attention to the baby's coat: the coat should be somewhat shorter than that of the Persians, but slightly longer than that of the shorthaired American. The coat should feel thick and soft to the touch, like a teddy bear.

Exot Longhair

Breeders note that from time to time short-haired exotic kittens are born in the litter with long hair that do not fit into the established standard. As a result, such animals were recognized as a "side effect" and received the name "exotic longhair cat". They are allowed to participate in exhibitions, but they are not given titles.

Features of the variety

These include:

• Medium size and well proportioned, muscular body.
• Adult animals weigh between 3.5 and 6 kg.
• Head with high cheekbones and rounded cheeks.
• Moustache pads stand out.
• The nose is snub-nosed, has a well-defined stop.
• Small ears with a wide base, set wide apart, with rounded tips.
• The tail is short, densely pubescent, the coat is thick, loosely attached to the body, may have different colors.

Character

These charming pets are endowed with a friendly and gentle character. Trusting and somewhat naive appearance of animalsfully reflects their character. We have already said that representatives of the new breed inherited most of their features from Persian ancestors. This fully applies to the character of the exotic cat.

She is always amazingly calm, one might even say phlegmatic, rarely raising her voice. The plush beauty occasionally meows in a thin, quiet voice, but only when she really needs something from the owner. At a very young age, the exotic cat is very restless and active, however, like most kittens. Babies need to catch and play with their tiny paws all the time.

Fortunately for the owners, such a pet will never create problems associated with damage to furniture, jumping on any hills: a few toys are enough for kids to fully satisfy their need for play.

Cheerful and calm by nature, the exotic cat always becomes a wonderful friend of children. Without a good reason, such a pet will never scratch or bite a little owner. These adorable plush creatures are great for all family members and do not create conflict with other pets.

Treat people

Future owners should know that representatives of this breed love and appreciate the attention from the owners to their person, they really need human care. Without this, your pet will feel uncomfortable in your home. Exotics themselves choose their only owner. As a rule, this is a person who devotes maximum time to the animal andattention, feeds him.

Interestingly, cats are more attached to the owner than cats. For a cat, the owner is an object of adoration, and a cat whose character is more independent will show some detachment and coldness. This must be taken into account when purchasing a kitten. The nature of these animals is more like the character of the Persians, who do not show ardent feelings for their master. Therefore, if you spend a lot of time at work and are rarely at home, opt for a cat.

It is interesting that exotics, unlike many of their counterparts, are attached to a person, not to a house. They are ready to travel with him for as long as necessary, endlessly change their place of residence. Exotic cats do not tolerate long separation and overexposure from strangers. Owner reviews indicate that in this case, animals experience severe stress. The thing is that exotics do not like attention from strangers or unfamiliar people, they love only their master and only he allows himself to love.

Feeding

Exotic cat food should only be purchased in super-premium and premium class. They are perfectly balanced, designed to meet the daily needs of the animal in vitamins, nutrients, minerals and trace elements. Do not feed exotics with cheap food from a supermarket located next to the house. As a rule, such formulations contain too much spices and s alt, which are harmful to the he alth of our pets.

To the best dry food for representativesexotic breed veterinarians and breeders include:

1. Hill's Nature's Best.
2. InnovaEvo.
3. Eukanuba Adult Hairball Indoor.
4. Cat Chow.
5. Bosch Sanabelle Adult Ostrich.

Natural nutrition

If you decide to feed your pet with natural products, this does not mean that the cat can eat from your table. Your four-legged friend should receive the required amount of amino acids, proteins, vitamins and he althy fats every day. These substances are found in meat, fish, cottage cheese, eggs, fresh herbs, cereals. At least 70% of the animal's diet should be offal, fish and meat.

The animal's diet should include:

• Offal - lungs, chicken hearts, beef kidneys.
• Meat - lean beef, veal, rabbit meat.
• Low-fat varieties of sea fish - mackerel, cod, herring, which can be given only once a week.
• Cereals - buckwheat, fig.
• Fermented milk products - settled kefir, low-fat cottage cheese.
• Vegetables - beets, lettuce, cauliflower.

Meat must be cut into small pieces, but not minced, and mixed with cereals and boiled vegetables in a ratio of 3:1. With natural nutrition, exotics need vitamin complexes that your veterinarian will prescribe.

He alth

Many experienced cat owners know that artificially bred breeds often inherit a number of diseases from their ancestors. Exotics did notexception, and some diseases that veterinarians consider hereditary can cause distress to your pet.

These include:

• cardiovascular disease;
• kidney ailments;
• diseases of the respiratory system;
• overweight.

It should be recognized that not a single breed is immune from the listed ailments, so you should not rush and classify exotics as weak pets. With proper care, well-organized nutrition, care from the owners, your cute four-legged friend will never know about the existence of such diseases.

Many people who already have representatives of this breed and those who are just planning to acquire such a charming animal are interested in how long exotic cats live. With proper care, the average life expectancy of these pets is 15 years.

Care

Due to the fact that exotics have rather short hair, it is often not necessary to comb them out - it is quite enough to carry out such a procedure several times a month. They bathe a handsome plush only when he gets very dirty. Be sure to use a high-quality special shampoo that you will pick up in a veterinary pharmacy. Daily procedures include cleansing the eyes: representatives of this breed have watery eyes, so it is necessary to clean the lacrimal ducts with a cotton swab dipped in water. You can purchase special products designed for this purpose at a veterinary pharmacy.

Regular visits to the veterinary clinic forscheduled examinations and consultations with a veterinarian on all issues of concern to the owner. Otherwise, the exotic cat does not differ in care from other breeds: it needs a tray with filler, a basket-house for rest, toys in the form of balls, mice, feathers and a scratching post.

If such simple rules for caring for a cat of this breed are observed, the owner will not have any problems with its maintenance and the he alth of the pet.

Owner Reviews

According to most owners, an exotic cat is an ideal pet for people who dream of having a kind, affectionate and beautiful animal in their home. We could not find a single negative review about this breed.

Exot gets along well with children, so families with kids can start it without fear. The only thing that the owners of exotics focus on is that representatives of this breed are very difficult to endure loneliness. Therefore, if you are rarely at home, it is better to consider another pet.