The exotic cat breed, which appeared by chance in the middle of the last century, is considered one of the most popular today. Its representatives, looking like little bear cubs, have conquered the world with their cute faces, soft fur coat and friendly disposition. Before an exotic cat becomes a full-fledged member of the family, it is worth learning about the characteristics of the animal, its advantages and disadvantages, and studying recommendations for caring for your pet.
Exotic cat breed
History of the origin of the breed
Exotics owe their origin to a happy accident. One day, breeders of American Shorthair cats decided to cross them with Persians. Their goal was to obtain new coat colors and irises. In addition, the infusion of Persian blood would improve the appearance of aboriginal cats.
However, fate decreed otherwise - as a result of such crossing, unusual kittens with flat faces were born. Their exterior had almost nothing in common with representatives of the American Shorthair breed. The mestizos inherited the typical characteristics of the Persians, only the hair became short and soft.
A new breed called the Exotic Shorthair was introduced to the public in 1966. This caused a wave of indignation from fans of purebred Persians. They did not want to recognize exotics; they considered their creation an encroachment on the purity of the Persian breed. Breeders did not allow their pets to be mated with shorthaired cats, thereby preventing the development of a new variety.
Still, there were people who were loyal to the appearance of exotics. They gave their Persians for interbreeding. Other breeds were also used in the selection process: Russian Blue and Burmese. Their participation helped firmly consolidate the gene responsible for short hair.
Finally, the exotic breed was recognized. In 1990, felinologists managed to reach a compromise on the standard. The requirements for the exterior and colors of exotic cats are the same as for Persian cats. In 1993, crossbreeding with shorthair cats was stopped; from that time on, it was allowed to breed exotic cats only with Persians.
Description of the Snoopy cat breed
In the 20th century, Western scientists decided to crossbreed Persians with the American Shorthair. They wanted to ennoble the “American” and strengthen his skeleton. Russian blue cats and Burmese cats also took part in the crossing.
As a result, “fluffies” with short and thick hair, very similar to Persians, were born. It was a failure of the breeders. For many years, they did not want to classify the “bear cubs” as a separate breed, considering them Persians with “short hair.” Only in 1996 were exotics recognized. The second name of the breed is Snoopy, the cats received it in 2011, in honor of the Chinese star kitten.
As you can see in the photo, Snoopy's cats have funny faces with thick cheeks. They have a short plush coat, small round ears, and huge eyes.
The beauty standard includes the presence of a “foot” on the face. That is, a sharp transition from the nose to the forehead. At the same time, the animal has a large head and a powerful body. And a large bushy tail.
The cats themselves are quite heavy. However, the standards do not specify what the size of an exotic should be. Most often these are quite large pets. By the way, Garfield from the cartoon of the same name is also a prominent representative of the exotic breed.
There are several types of color recognized by the standard:
- Siamese;
- simple (one color);
- complexly colored: with or without a pattern.
The pattern itself can be spots, stripes or marbled colors. The lifespan of plush pets is approximately 8-10 years.
Description of the breed with photographs
An exotic breed of cat is shown in the photo. These are medium-sized animals with a height at the withers of about 30 cm and a weight of 5–7 kg. Their main features are a pretty face with a snub nose, an innocent look and soft thick fur.
Exterior standard requirements
The description of the breed gives the following characteristics of the cats' appearance:
- the head is medium in size and round in shape;
- wide, flat muzzle with well-developed cheeks and raised short nose;
- the jaws are wide, very strong;
- rounded chin;
- large round eyes are distant from each other and are on the same horizontal line;
- small ears with rounded tips are widely spaced and slightly tilted forward;
- the nose is wide, turned up, the stop is at eye level;
- the body is large, well-built, squat with developed muscles, a broad chest and a massive shoulder girdle;
- short powerful limbs with large rounded paws;
- medium-length tail densely covered with hair;
- The coat is about 1.5–2 cm long and has a thick undercoat.
Any exotic colors characteristic of Persian cats are recognized as the standard. The most popular are color point, silver, white, bicolor, cream, blue.
White exotic
Vices leading to disqualification:
- hind limb weakness;
- creases on the tail;
- the number of toes is atypical for the breed - there should be 4 on the back, 5 on the front;
- slanted eyes;
- irregular shape of the skull;
- Eye colors other than blue are found in color-point cats.
Character of an exotic cat
The appearance of these animals is in harmony with their character. Friendliness, playfulness and curiosity are their hallmarks. Exotics are suitable for both families with small children and single people. They become strongly attached to their owner, but show love delicately, so they cannot be called intrusive. The pet will wait until you are free, settle on your lap and dissolve in your arms.
Exotic cat red marble
The exotic cat has good adaptive qualities. In a new place, the kitten gets used to it in a couple of days. The main thing is to let him look around, smell everything and show the new family member that he is welcome here. These animals subtly sense a person’s mood. If it's a difficult day, the cat will try to relieve stress, calm and cheer up the owner. Let her lie next to you for a while and you will feel relieved.
Despite their apparent clumsiness, exotics are very mobile. They love to run after a ball, hunt for an interactive mouse, or catch a paper ball in flight. One of their favorite pastimes is playing with their tail. You can often catch your pet looking at himself in the mirror. Touching your reflection with your paw and leaning your nose against it gives exotics great pleasure.
Attention! Exotic cats have a well-developed hunting instinct. It is not recommended to keep them together with small rodents or birds.
Exotics get along well with small children; aggression is not typical for them. If the baby accidentally hurts the pet, he is not in any danger - the cat will retire to a safe place. Animals behave cautiously around strangers. The degree of their trust in new faces grows gradually. Let the guests who came to the house for the first time not be offended that the cat did not allow himself to be petted. Perhaps during the next visit they will be allowed to do so.
Black marble color
An exotic is a cat that becomes strongly attached to a person. She cannot be left alone for long. Separation from family members can result in illness. When going on a trip, take your pet with you. Snub-nosed beauties easily get along with dogs, but sometimes they get jealous if they lack attention.
Education and training
Raising an exotic cat is easy. These are smart and quick-witted animals that respect the rules established by the owner. Your pet will quickly remember how to use the tray and scratching post if you start training from the first days of being in the house. Some exotics even master different commands and simple tricks.
The owners of these cats advise raising their pets without using force or screaming. A disobedient pet should not be beaten. It is better to show patience and love, and use water as punishment. By lightly spraying the fidget, you can make him stop playing around. Rough treatment of an animal will lead to loss of trust on its part.
Health and life expectancy
The most common problem in exotic cats is tearfulness. The nasolacrimal duct in these animals is short, which is what provokes the secretion of tears. It is important to wipe your pet's eyes daily to remove dirt to prevent the development of conjunctivitis.
Black exotic cat
Exotics often suffer from colds and gum inflammation. Some animals have a crooked lower jaw, making it difficult for them to eat. From their Persian relatives, cats have inherited a tendency to form multiple cysts on the kidneys. If one of the kitten's parents was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, the disease is more likely to be passed on to the offspring.
Another common hereditary disease of exotics is cardiomyopathy. This is a pathology of the left ventricle of the heart. The disease is detected suddenly at any age, even in young cats. The main symptoms are shortness of breath, paleness of the mucous membranes, and fatigue. If a kitten exhibits such symptoms, it needs to be examined.
The average life expectancy of exotic shorthair cats is 13–14 years. With good care and proper nutrition, a pet can live up to 18 years.
Characteristics of the shorthaired exotic Snoopy
The blood and genes of an exotic cat contain a cocktail of different breeds that took part in its selection. Therefore, in all respects it is somewhat different from its ancestors and combines both their advantages and disadvantages.
Appearance
Exotic cats Snoopy, in most visual characteristics, are very reminiscent of the maternal Persian breed:
- Oval massive head with a very wide skull. The shape of the forehead and cheeks is rounded. Strong jaws and powerful chin. The nose is wide and short, flattened.
- The ears are small, with rounded tips, and set wide apart.
- Expressive round eyes, the color of which should correspond to the general color: green for chinchillas, blue for whites and colorpoints, and golden-copper in other coat colors.
- The neck is thick and short.
- The body is muscular, stocky, squat, with a broad chest and massive shoulders.
- The tail is thick, short, with a rounded tip.
- The paws are round, large, with tufts of hair between the toes.
All of the listed characteristics are characteristic of the Persian breed, and Snoopy differs from it in appearance only in the length of its hair. The fur coat is thick, fluffy, crumbly and very pleasant to the touch. In the Snoopy Exotic breed, all colors that correspond to the Persian cat standard are allowed. There are about 100 varieties: from simple black, white and red to spectacular chinchillas and acromelanic colorpoint.
Health
Along with the positive Persian qualities, the Snoopy kitten breed also inherited their inherent diseases.
Problems with the tear ducts are always mentioned - these animals belong to the brachycephalic group. They have a small, high-turned and depressed nose that is too close to the eyes. Because of this, the normal structure of the respiratory organs and tear ducts is disrupted:
- During changes in temperature or pressure, Snoopy may have difficulty breathing.
- Too much (or insufficient) hydration of the eyeball appears.
- The shortened jaw shape causes teeth to be misaligned, twisted, and bite problems in Snoopy cats.
- Sometimes we can talk about constant oxygen starvation, which negatively affects the overall health and development of the Snoopy cat.
All of the above symptoms taken together place an excessive burden on the heart and nervous system and provoke the appearance of subsequent ailments.
Large round heads of kittens during birth can cause dystocia - difficulty in giving birth to offspring. In Persians, this indicator is one of the highest among cats (7.5–10%), and Snoopies completely duplicate the physiological structure of the maternal population.
Polycystic kidney disease puts about half of all exotic Snoopies at risk. It is expressed in a structural change in the renal tubules and damage to the entire organ. Breeding programs recommend that the population of affected cats be spayed or neutered so as not to continue the negative trend among the breed.
The list is completed by urolithiasis, which is common to all other groups, in which crystallization of stones occurs in the kidneys and bladder.
With a professional approach to the health of the parents and permission to breed animals that do not show a tendency to transmit hereditary diseases, exotic Snoopies are born strong.
Character and temperament
In terms of habits and disposition, the exotic cats Snoopy have moved far away from the original mental qualities of the Persians. They are playful, active, loyal to people and attached to their owner. The nature of the breed is not to strive for loneliness or to show excessive touchiness or even the vindictiveness inherent in Persians.
You can also observe one Snoopy trait that was clearly inherited from a line of American Shorthair cats. Sometimes decorative exotics demonstrate the qualities of a real hunter.
The cute descendants of the Persian cat are a very convenient and comfortable breed to keep at home.
Exotic cat care
Although these animals are a short-haired variety, their thick coat requires special care. You need to comb your pet every 2 days, but it is better to do it daily so that tangles do not appear on the fur. Neglecting this recommendation leads to the formation of bezoars in the digestive tract.
Exotics are washed once a month
Kittens are bathed 2 times a week, and adult animals - once a month. Thanks to water procedures, the growth of the undercoat is accelerated. Because the wool is very thick, it is difficult to wet it well. Do not rush to apply shampoo until the entire cover is wet. To prevent the fur from sticking together and remaining crumbly, it is recommended to use cat conditioner. It is applied to the pet’s body after shampooing and washed off after 2-3 minutes. After bathing, the wool is dried with a hairdryer at low speeds, setting the thermostat to the minimum temperature.
Attention! From the first days the kitten is in the house, accustom him to the hair dryer so that in the future he will not be afraid. Thick wool takes a very long time to dry, and the undercoat falls off, so you can’t do without the help of this device.
The eyes are the weak point of an exotic cat. You will have to buy a special solution to care for them and wipe off the discharge every day with a hypoallergenic napkin or a sponge soaked in boiled water. The external auditory canal is cleaned with a cotton pad every 7–10 days. It is recommended to trim the nails twice a month. Exotics tolerate these procedures normally if the kitten is accustomed to them from childhood.
Persian relatives are very clean. They don't like going into a dirty litter box. Try to clean there as often as possible. Once a month, the cat litter box should be washed, but without using chemicals. It is also important to monitor the cleanliness of the dishes from which your pet eats. This is especially important if your cat eats wet food. Do not allow uneaten pieces of food to remain in bowls. Drinking water needs to be changed every day.
It is recommended to buy a large, comfortable bed for a kitten - it will grow and become quite large. A place to spend the night is chosen near the owner, because exotic animals do not like to be alone. Before bringing your pet into your home, you should take safety precautions - these cats are clumsy and often careless, which means they can get into trouble. Install screens on windows, hide wires, and limit access to cabinets where an animal could fall.
Exotic cat hair care
Dental care is also very important. Cats that eat mostly natural food or canned food develop a thick plaque on their teeth. Over time, it hardens, which causes inflammation of the gums, gingitis. To prevent tartar, special treats are used.
Attention! Caring for a cat also includes taking care of its health. It is important to promptly treat your pet against helminths and skin parasites and get vaccinations that protect against deadly diseases.
Features of care
Caring for Snoopies compares favorably with caring for their Persian ancestors. There, the main work falls on maintaining the long coat, which exotics lack. A couple of weekly approaches with a comb are enough to remove lost hair and stimulate the correct functioning of the root bulbs. The rest of the time, cats act independently - lick their thick fur coat and keep it clean.
Liquid begins to ooze out of the tear ducts of little Snoopies during any temperature changes or during mild colds, and the area around the eyes is lined with dirty, untidy glasses. If neglected, this leads to changes in coat color and even hair loss. The processing can be carried out by any suitable means.
Exotics take a long time to mature. Sexual maturity is formed by 10–12 months, and they gain full physical condition only by 2 years. It is often said about Snoopy that the period of childhood play for these decorative cats has been prolonged, and therefore they remain with the character of small kittens for the rest of their lives.
Feeding recommendations
Experienced breeders recommend feeding your exotic cat premium or higher industrial food, as it already contains all the substances necessary for health. Cats of this breed have a peculiarity - they get used to one type of food and then refuse another food. For this reason, it is better to immediately accustom the animal to good food.
Attention! Exotics are famous for their excellent appetite and have a tendency to obesity. Do not overfeed your pet. An adult cat requires about 150 g of food per day, a cat - 135 g. Food is distributed 2-3 times a day, kittens are fed 4 times a day.
It is allowed to introduce foods from the human table into the diet, but not all food is healthy for cats. You can treat your favorite:
- rabbit, veal, chicken or turkey fillet;
- fermented milk products – fermented baked milk, kefir, a small amount of sour cream;
- oatmeal or rice cooked in water without adding salt;
- a small piece of cheese.
Prohibited foods are milk, sweets, salty, fatty, fried foods, potatoes, bones.
Breeding Features
Breeding exotic cats has its own nuances. The fact is that only 50–75% of kittens are born with short hair, the rest have long hair. Most felinological organizations, except for the CFA and GCCF, classify kittens with long hair born from exotic cats as the Persian breed.
Longhair exotic
Animals belonging to the show and breeding classes are used for breeding. Puberty in cats occurs at 8 months. Females who have already had several heats are allowed to crossbreed. It is customary to arrange a date for a couple on the territory of the gentleman. Cats do not immediately allow the groom to approach them; they need time to get comfortable and get to know their chosen one. Mating is considered successful if, 4 weeks after it, the female does not begin another estrus.
Snoopy - a plush kitten from Instagram
The story of the popularity of the cat Snoopy began in 2011, when a Chinese girl named Ning got an exotic kitten. Ninh began taking photographs of her plush friend and posting the results on various social networks.
Almost the whole world went crazy about baby Snoopy, and everyone urgently wanted exactly the same pet. True, for a long time, everyone considered Snoopy a Japanese cat , although the kitten himself was born in China. The USA became the birthplace of the breed.
Cost of a kitten
Prices for kittens range from 15,000–70,000 rubles. The cost depends on the pedigree, titles of the parents and the class to which the animal belongs. The most expensive cats belong to the show class; they have no defects in appearance and receive high marks at exhibitions. By purchasing a pet-class kitten, you can save money. Such animals are not allowed for breeding, as they do not meet the standard, but they may well become a faithful friend for the family.
It is better to buy an animal from professional breeders, in registered nurseries. Their owners value their reputation, so they will not deceive customers. Breeders have all the documents for their cats, which can be studied before concluding a purchase and sale agreement. Kittens are adopted at the age of 12 weeks, when they are already litter box trained, vaccinated and socialized. The breeder will tell you how to care for the pet and what care products the new owner will need.
Reviews about exotic cats
Owners speak of their pets as exceptionally gentle and good-natured creatures. According to them, these animals are very quiet, moderately playful, inquisitive and friendly. They will never rush at a person or offend him. Cats are clean and do not smell. Pets show interest in everything new - they strive to touch unfamiliar objects with their paws and smell them. Reviews about the breed are only positive.
Those who want to get an exotic cat need to be prepared to give it a lot of attention. If the work involves business trips, it is better to choose another breed, since exotics have a hard time withstanding separation from a person.
Features of the Snoopy breed
Before you buy a cat Snoopy , you should get to know the beauty's character. It is suitable for those who dream of acquiring a faithful and gentle friend. The breed is distinguished by its developed intelligence and good memory.
Representatives of the breed are not known for their talkative nature. They do not beg for food and usually do not greet the owner when they meet. Snoopy's voice is rarely heard. Only if the cat really really needs something.
It is very difficult to “irritate” exotics. They are serene and friendly. Ideal for families with small children or other pets. These cats are not called companions for nothing.
True, sometimes the big-eyed “bear cubs” are possessed by an “imp”, they begin to actively run and play quite noisily. Cats especially love it when people pay attention to their “races.” If there is an audience, the performance can last quite a long time.
Otherwise, Snoopy's personality resembles that of dogs. They are loyal and dedicated. At the same time, from the whole family, they single out one owner for themselves and tie them more closely to him. But trust must be earned.
Before a cat recognizes its owner, it can watch him for a long time. Exotics get bored alone and have a hard time with partings. But you can travel with “plush” cats. They endure the road easily.
