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Conference misery::feline

Title:	Meower Power - Where Differing Opinions are Respected
Notice:	purrrrr...
Moderator:	JULIET::CORDES_JA

Created:	Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	1079
Total number of notes:	28858

77.0. "EXOTIC SHORTHAIRS" by SANFAN::BALZERMA () Thu Dec 12 1991 16:08

    The following are excerpts from an article written by Johanna Leibfarth
    published in the August 1990 edition of the Cat Fanciers' Almanac.
    Reprinted without permission.
    
                            EXOTIC SHORTHAIRS
                         "The Long and Short of It"
    
    HISTORY
    
    A CFA Board of Directors meeting was held in New Jersey on September
    9-11, 1966.  There was a lengthy discussion concerning what to do with
    the Shaded Silver and Chincilla American Shorthairs.  These cats were
    hybrids from Persian x American Shorthair crosses and therefore should
    be taken out of the American Shorthair class and made into a separate
    breed.  To resolve this problem, "Mrs. Bloem moved a new standard based
    on the Persian standard type be established for Exotic Shorthairs and 
    that they be given Championship classification...Motion carried."
    Later at that meeting,"...It was moved a standard be adopted for the
    Exotic Shorthairs, the same as the Persain standard, except delete
    words (with break) reading, "nose short, snub and broad.  Coat medium
    in length, soft in texture.  Eye color same as for Persians. Motion
    carried, " - a new breed, the EXOTIC SHORTHAIR was born.  Starting the
    following show season, beginning January 1, 1967 the Exotic Shorthair
    had show status.  Their standard was (except for the nose-break and the
    coat section) identical to that of the Persian.  Even though the Exotic
    Shorthair did not have to go through the long process of regulations
    for the acceptance of the new breed the Exotic Shorthair, at first,
    progressed very slowly.  It was not easy to achieve the Persian type. 
    Most Persian breeders were reluctant to offer their males for stud
    service to a non-Persian queen.  Very few Persian breeders at that time
    showed any interest in working with the Exotic Shorthair. 
    
    The Exotic Shorthair classes at the shows today remain relatively
    small; ten or twelve entries would be considered a large class at a CFA
    show.  Many breeders, who enthusiastically began breeding Exotic
    Shorthairs because they were charmed by their looks and by their
    personalities and because the whole concept of a shorter coated Persian
    made alot of sense to them, have quickly abandoned the breed. To
    produce these cuddly creatures is not as easy as it seems.  The output
    is limited because the Exotic Shorthair is always and will be - a hybrid 
    cat.  Only about 50% of all the kittens born are shorthairs and,
    therefore, showable.  The other 50% are longhairs - the by-product, so
    to speak.  They cannot be shown, and are, in general, eliminated from a
    breeding program.  Ironically, these longhairs are the ones that breed
    true.
    
    THE STANDARD
    
    As mentioned earlier, the Exotic Shorthair standard was, from the
    beginning, the standard of the Persian breed.  In other words, Exotic
    Shorthair breeders were to produce shorter-coated, or plush-coated
    Persians.  Only the nose break required for Persians was omitted from
    the original Exotic Shortahir standard.  The first registered Exotic
    Shorthairs were actually cats which were transferred from the American
    Shorthair classes.  Since they did not have nose break, the board
    didn't believe it was fair to judge them with a nose break requirement.
    But soon the Exotic Shorthair became more Persian-like, and so in 1973
    the words "with break" were added.
    
    A major event in the history of breed occurred in 1987.  As of May,
    1987, the stud book was closed to American Shorthairs as an outcross
    breed.  The Exotic Shorthair Council believed that the diversity of
    color and other genetic entities was sufficient to continue, sustain
    and improve the breed, without the genetic material offered by the
    American Shorthairs.  From that point on, only Exotic Shorthairs or
    Persians were accepted as parents on any Exotic Shorthair litter
    registration applications.
    
    PERSONALITY AND TEMPERAMENT
    
    What makes Exotic Shorthairs so endearing to us is their quiet nature. 
    Their minute voices can rarely be heard.  Even a female in heat is not
    intolerable!  Her calling is like a "chirping".  The Exotic Shorthairs
    are the ideal blend that has produced quiet,sweet, peaceful and loyal
    companions.  In general, they are extreme affectionate.  They quietly
    beg for your attention by just sitting in front of you with an
    irresistable look focused on your eyes.  Some like to sit on your
    shoulder and hug you when you pet them.  But they don't necessarily
    like to sleep in your bed.  They prefer cooler places like the bricks on
    a hearth, or the tiles on the bathroom floor.  However affectionate
    they may be, they are not the kind of cat that immediately and
    indiscriminately loves anybody and everybody!  They are more a "one
    person's cat."  Perhaps it is sensible caution, perhaps it is a certain
    degree of timidness, but they do want to get to know you before they
    bestow their affection on you!
    
    The males are, in general, even more affectionate than the females. 
    And many males (just like many Persian males) do not spray and
    therefore can be kept in the house rather than the cattery.  Some males 
    are only "seasonal" sprayers.  Rarely will an Exotic Shorthair male
    have to be "confined" year round.
    
    All things considered, I cannot think of another breed of cat I would
    rather have in my home.  Adorable to look at, peaceful and clean - what
    more could one ask for?  They are the perfect pet.  [this noter agrees]

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
77.1	CFA Standard	SANFAN::BALZERMA		`Thu Dec 12 1991 16:31`	58
	GENERAL: the ideal Exotic Shortahir should present an impression of a heavily boned, well balanced cat with a sweet expression and soft, round lines. The large, round eyes set wide apart in a large round head contribute to the overall look and expression. The thick, plush coat softens the lines of the cat and accentuates the roundness in appearance. HEAD: round and massive, with great breadth of skull. Round face with round underlying bone structure. Well set on a short, thick neck. NOSE: short, snub, and broad. With "break". CHEEKS: full JAWS: broad and powerful CHIN: full, well developed, and firmly rounded, reflecting a proper bite. EARS: small, round tipped, tilted forward, and not unduly opened at the base. Set far apart, and low on the head, fitting into (without distorting) the rounded contour of the head. EYES: brilliant in color, large, round, and full. Set level and far apart, giving a sweet expression to the face. BODY: of cobby type, low on the legs, broad and deep through the chest, equally massive across the shoulders and rump, with a well-rounded midsection and level back. Good muscle tone, with no evidence of obesity. Large or medium in size. Quality the determining consideration rather than size. LEGS: short, thick, and strong. Forelegs straight. PAWS: large, round, and firm. Toes carried close, five in front and four behind. TAIL: short, but in proportion to body length. Carried without a curve and at an angle lower than the back. COAT: dense, plush, soft and full of life. Standing out from the body due to dense undercoat. Medium in length. Acceptable length depends on the proper undercoat. Penalize for a flat or close-lying coat which falls over due to lack of support by a rich, thick undercoat. Cats with ruff or tailfeathers (long hair on the tail) shall be transferred to the AOV class. DISQUALIFY: locket or button. Kinked or abnormal tail. Incorrect number of toes. Any apparent weakness in the hind quarters. Any apparent deformity of the spine. Deformity of the skull resulting in an asymmetrical face and/or head. Crossed eyes. For pointed cats, disqualify for white toes, eye color other than blue.* *The above listed disqualifications apply to all Exotic Shorthair cats. Additional disqualifications are listed under 'Colors'.
77.2	C A L Y X Exotic Shorthairs	SANFAN::BALZERMA		`Sat Jun 06 1992 00:33`	8
	I am pleased/relieved/excited to announce Callie's first litter. Mother and babies are doing fine. She was a great first-time mum and I am so proud of her! We have a black boy, a blue girl and a cream boy. I am 99.9 percent sure that the black boy is a shorthair. Only time will tell on the others. It's been quite a day...
77.3	Yay Callie!!	WR1FOR::RUSSELLPE_ST		`Mon Jun 08 1992 14:54`	6
	Congratulations!!! I know how exciting having kittens (pun intended) is. ;-))) I can't wait to see the babies. Hugs, Steffi
77.4	kittens! I luv kittens!	FORTSC::WILDE	why am I not yet a dragon?	`Mon Jun 08 1992 15:32`	8
	oh frabjous joy! remember to start practicing the kitten shuffle in the house....whereever you go, you will be pushing those little angels out of your way with your toes in no time at all.... Glad to hear all are doing well... D
77.5		SANFAN::BALZERMA		`Tue Dec 22 1992 11:12`	5
	Are Kai & Teddy's parents still out there in Digital Land??? How are the kids doing?
77.6	we're here, but doing more with less..	SALEM::DILLON_M	Major Mudd, my hero.	`Sat Dec 26 1992 08:46`	46
	HI Mar. We're still here, but in 'read-only' mode. There's too much going on here and not enough time. But, I still drop in and catch up now and then and bring Diane up to date. It just seems like lately that either someone's leaving or someone's cat is sick, very depressing. I have a very hard time expressing myself in both instances. I've never been out of work, yet, and Teddy and Kai are my first cats. Anyway, Teddy and Kai are doing great! We thought that Kai was going to have to have an operation on his lower eye lid to prevent it from scratching his eye. He kept getting scratches on one eye and the last one took 6 months to heal. There still is a small scar on his eye and it's a little darker that his other eye, but the vet says it's healed and Kai does not favor it anymore. If it happens again, the vet wants to operate. For some reason, Kai always has hair in his eyes. First thing I do is check his eyes for hair when I get home. I've gotten very good at removing them without touching his eye! Teddy is the perfect picture of health. This cat will live to see 100. We let him out in the back yard when we are home. He loves to sit under the bird feeder and watch the birds fly back and forth. I don't think he has any hunting instinct. One day he was sitting to close and a bird was knocking off the seeds he didn't like to get at the sunflower seeds and was hitting Teddy. Teddy got up, shook himself off and came back inside. Sometimes I wish I knew what he was thinking. We had a third cat named Scatter. (Wait a minute!! Let me tell you the story, it's a very happy ending.) We have neighbors with two young children that love to play with Teddy. We had them over to show them our new addition and when the little girl walked in, Scatter ran over to her as if they were old lost friends! To make a long story short, when the little girl came over again with her mother, Scatter ran to her again. Our neighbor said that she wanted to get a cat for her kids, and the little girl said she wanted one just like Scatter. Scatter was a rescue we got from this notes file. We had her wormed, dipped, brought up to date on her shorts and cleaned her up. She is a beautiful Calico. Well when we saw how well these folks and Scatter got along, and you know sometimes cats pick out their owners, we asked if they wanted Scatter. Now Scatter lives next door, has the same name, same vet, eats the same food as our cats, and is doing great. They love her and she is doing very well. Kai misses her. They became friends and used to chase each other around all day, and Teddy, well Teddy used to just sit there and glare at her. Anyway, Diane and I feel good about our decision. But we do miss her (we have visitation rights and if it didn't work out, we would have taken her back). Thanks for asking how we are doing. Diane, Kai and Teddy say "HI". Have a happy NEW YEAR everybody! Mike, Diane, Kai and Teddy
77.7	comments on life with exotic shorthairs?	USHS05::VASAK	Sugar Magnolia	`Fri Mar 26 1993 11:44`	19
	I met my first exotic shorthair this weekend at a CFA show, and I (the confirmed Abyssian afficionado) am in love. The cat I met, Mikey, was a HUGE, laid-back, solid white beauty with the spookiest, most enormous round eyes I've ever seen. And (ahem) he has a son that is up for sale...(as if I needed another cat!) Can any FELINE'rs share their experiences with exotic shorthairs? How are they with other animals? (I have an Aby, a tabby, and a domestic shorthair that looks like a "splatterpainted" siamese, plus birds and 2 large dogs.) Are they inclined to hunt? Or are they as lazy as they look? Will they stand up for themselves if the dogs walk up and "snuffle" them? Are they prone to eye or respiratory troubles because of the flat faces? Any comments anyone has on these lovely animals will be much appreciated. /Rita
77.8		JUPITR::KAGNO	Kitties with an Attitude	`Fri Mar 26 1993 12:09`	9
	Take it away, Marlene!! This one's for you! Marlene has 2 exotic girls, and they are precious! Let's hope she can note in here soon and share her experiences. All of the exotics I have met are very laid back and easy to please. -Roberta
77.9		SANFAN::BALZERMA		`Fri Mar 26 1993 12:56`	47
	How is life with Exotics? I could not imagine my life without one. I, too fell in love with the breed the first time I saw one at a CFA show. It was the Invitational in Oakland about 4 years ago where I first met Jo. I saw a red tabby and that was the beginning of a never-ending love affair... Cats, like people, have their own personalities but one can certainly make some generalities. Exotics have the Persian style. Active they are not. My experience is that they are very independent, but have a tendency to gravitate towards one person and create a strong bond. Will they stand up for themselves? You bet, although I have not figured out if they are brave or just oblivious to the impending danger (i prefer to believe it is the former ;'D ). Are they inclined to hunt? (i personally hope that you are referring to exhibiting hunting behavior, like pretending to stalk rather than true out-of-doors-hunting-of-birds-and- mice). Callie will stalk a piece if Science Diet or her daughter, which ever she happens to see... Are they prone to eye or respiratory troubles because of their flat faces? There are alot of variables there. I have seen extreme cats that have no respiratory problems and others less extreme that do. Now to my favorite part--the eyes. Like Persians, their eyes tear. My girls' eyes tear the most when they are eating (as most do). I can talk to Callie in the "are you mumma's girl?" voice and make her eyes water. Cotton balls, Q-tips, baby face cloths and liquid Boric acid are never far away. It's like having child with a runny nose, you walk by, wipe them off and continue on with what you are doing (i do it without realizing it). Also, like Persians, Exotics have a higher chance of developing a tearduct problem given how extreme they are. Although you did not mention it I am assuming (maybe wrongly so) that the kitten is white? Jo jokes that I should be the owner of a white Exotic because I am so neurotic about keeping them clean. She said she could picture me with a kitten wearing little booties so their feet would get dirty from the litterbox (i'm not that bad...). It is alot of work keeping a white clean around the eye area. The tearing matter stains and personally it drives me nuts. I had the Bales who was a red tabby and it just kind of blended in. Callie is a blue cream so the tearing turns her cream to orange. Kisa is blue and just looks "rusty" if I don't keep on top of it. Participating in the Fancy has taught to appreciate the beauty of all breeds, but none except the Exotic Shorthair go straight to my heart....
77.10		JULIET::CORDES_JA	Three Tigers on my Couch	`Fri Mar 26 1993 13:16`	6
	I fell in love with a white Exotic at the Vallejo (Poppy State) cat show. A blue cream one would melt my heart. I don't think life will be complete again until I have another blue cream kitty of some type in it. Jan
77.11		SANFAN::BALZERMA		`Fri Mar 26 1993 13:26`	7
	do i have a deal for you..... ;'D
77.12		JULIET::CORDES_JA	Three Tigers on my Couch	`Fri Mar 26 1993 14:17`	4
	Pictures, bring pictures to the next show (tomorrow?). I've just gotta see that little blue cream exotic face. Jan