Exotic Shorthair Cat Breed Information
Also known as: Exotic, Shorthaired Persian
Bred from Persian and American Shorthair foundation, the Exotic Shorthair is a flat-faced shorthaired cat with the Persian temperament and most of the same brachycephalic health issues. Calmer and more low-maintenance than a Persian, but with the same indoor-only profile.
A highly affectionate cat. On the practical side: low grooming demands and minimal drool. The trade-off is sheds plenty.
About the Exotic Shorthair.
The Exotic Shorthair is the Persian without the daily brushing. The breed shares the Persian’s flat face, plush coat texture, calm temperament, and most of the same brachycephalic health issues, but with a short dense coat that needs twice-weekly grooming rather than daily.
Personality and behaviour
Exotic Shorthairs are calm, undemanding and quiet. The voice is soft and rarely used. They prefer routine, prefer one or two trusted people, and are happy alone for stretches of the working day.
They tolerate children and other pets but dislike rough handling. Activity needs are modest.
Care and grooming
Twice-weekly brushing with a soft slicker handles the plush coat through most of the year. The coat sheds heavily despite being short, so a vacuum-friendly household is sensible. Daily eye wiping is required for the brachycephalic tear staining, same as the Persian.
Indoor vs outdoor in New Zealand
Indoor only. Same case as the Persian: brachycephalic breathing limits, poor traffic awareness, and theft risk in the $1,500 to $3,500 price band.
Where to find an Exotic Shorthair in New Zealand
The NZCF and Catz Inc breeder directories list NZ-registered Exotic Shorthair breeders (NZCF Exotic Shorthair, Catz Inc Exotic Shorthair). Expect a four to nine month waitlist, NZD 1,500 to 3,500. Ask the same questions as for a Persian: PKD1 DNA testing, HCM screening, traditional versus extreme flat-face.
Insurance and lifetime cost
The claim profile mirrors the Persian: PKD-related kidney disease, brachycephalic airway issues, dental disease, eye conditions. Lifetime cost is mid-range to high for a pedigree cat at $300 to $450 a month all-in.
The Exotic Shorthair, by the numbers.
Each trait scored 1 to 5 on the AKC scale. The verdict synthesises the data; the panels below show the strengths, group averages, and the full trait table.
Top strengths
Family Life
avg 3.3Affectionate with Family
Good with Young Children
Good with Other Pets
Physical
avg 3.0Shedding
Grooming Frequency
Social
avg 2.8Openness to Strangers
Playfulness
Adaptability
Independence
Personality
avg 1.6Trainability
Energy Level
Vocal Level
Prey Drive
Mental Stimulation Needs
Living with a Exotic Shorthair.
A 24-hour breakdown of how this breed's day typically goes, scaled to its energy, mental-stimulation, and grooming needs.
What a Exotic Shorthair costs to own.
An indicative NZ lifetime cost: purchase, setup, then food, vet, insurance, grooming and other annual outgoings. Adjust the inputs to see how your choices change the total.
A Exotic Shorthair costs about
$156per month
$36
$5
$29,050
Adjust the inputs:
Where the monthly cost goes
Food
$36 / mo
$430/yr · breed-appropriate dry & wet food
Insurance
$33 / mo
$395/yr · lifetime cover protects against breed-specific claims
Vet (avg)
$54 / mo
$650/yr · routine checks plus breed-specific risk
Grooming
$8 / mo
$100/yr · brushes, shampoo, professional clips
Other
$25 / mo
$300/yr · toys, treats, dental, boarding
Indicative NZ averages calculated from breed weight, grooming need and screened-condition count. One-off costs (purchase $2,500 + setup $300) are factored into the lifetime total but not the monthly figure.
How does the Exotic Shorthair compare?
This breed
Exotic Shorthair
$29,050
14-year lifetime cost
- Purchase + setup$2,800
- Food (lifetime)$6,020
- Vet (lifetime)$9,100
- Insurance (lifetime)$5,530
- Grooming (lifetime)$1,400
- Other (lifetime)$4,200
Reference
Average NZ cat
$23,600
14-year lifetime cost
- Purchase + setup$500
- Food (lifetime)$7,000
- Vet (lifetime)$5,600
- Insurance (lifetime)$5,600
- Grooming (lifetime)$1,400
- Other (lifetime)$3,500
A Exotic Shorthair costs about $5,450 more over a lifetime than the average nz cat, mostly highervet and higherpurchase + setup.
What to ask the breeder.
Reputable NZ cat breeders test for these conditions and share results. The bigger health drivers for the breed appear in the Common group.
Common
4 conditionsPolycystic kidney disease (PKD)
DNA test (PKD1) available. Inherited from Persian foundation.
Brachycephalic airway syndrome
Flat face produces breathing strain. Avoid extreme-typed lines.
Dental and jaw misalignment
A common condition in the Exotic Shorthair. Ask the breeder about screening.
Chronic epiphora (eye tearing)
A common condition in the Exotic Shorthair. Ask the breeder about screening.
Occasional
1 conditionHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
An occasional condition in the Exotic Shorthair. Worth asking about.
The Exotic Shorthair in NZ.
- Popularity: A growing Catz Inc and NZCF breed in NZ, often chosen as a Persian alternative.
- Typical price: NZ$1500–3500 from registered breeders or rescues
- Rescue availability: rare
- NZ climate fit: Heat-sensitive due to brachycephaly; provide shade and water in upper North Island summers. Plush coat handles cooler regions.
- Living space: Apartments suit Exotics well given the calm low-energy profile.
Who the Exotic Shorthair is for.
Suits
- Calm households without young children
- Apartments and indoor-only owners
- Owners who want a Persian temperament without the daily grooming
Less suited to
- Outdoor-roaming setups
- Households with toddlers
- Hot, humid upper North Island households without air conditioning (brachycephalic heat sensitivity)
Common questions.
How is the Exotic different from the Persian?
Should I avoid extreme flat-faced Exotics?
Is the Exotic safer outside than the Persian?
If the Exotic Shorthair appeals, also consider.
Breeds with a similar profile that might suit your household.
Persian
Calm, sedate longhaired cat with a flat face and dense double coat. One of the top three pedigree cats in NZ. High-maintenance grooming and well-documented brachycephalic health concerns make this a deliberate, indoor-only choice.
British Shorthair
Stocky, plush-coated shorthair with a calm, undemanding temperament. Consistently in the top three pedigree cats registered in NZ alongside the Persian and Maine Coon. Famous for the "British Blue", a dense grey coat that sheds more than its short length suggests.
Scottish Fold
Round-faced, round-eyed, mostly round cat with the breed-defining folded ears. Calm and affectionate temperament. The folded-ear gene also affects cartilage elsewhere in the body, which has produced welfare concerns and a divided pedigree-registry response globally.
Selkirk Rex
The most patient and laid-back of the curly-coated cat breeds. Unlike the Cornish Rex and Devon Rex, the Selkirk Rex has all three normal coat layers, just curly, and a calm Persian-style temperament rather than a vocal active one.
Last reviewed:
Sources for this pageInformation only. Breed traits and health notes on this page are aggregated from public registry and breed-authority sources. Individual animals vary; this page is general information, not veterinary, behavioural, or insurance advice. Always consult a registered NZ vet or breeder for guidance specific to your situation.