The breed began almost by accident, as American Shorthair breeders sought to add the beautiful coat color of silver Persians to the American Shorthair rainbow of colors. The resulting kittens did not resemble true American Shorthairs, but did catch the attention of Jane Martinke. In 1966, to protect the standard of the American Shorthair yet preserve the beauty of these new kittens, she proposed the creation of a new breed.
After the Exotic gained acceptance, the breeds popularity grew. Nicknamed the lazy mans Persian, the Exotic won over fans with its low-maintenance coat. While some outcrossing to Burmese and other shorthaired breeds occurred early on in the breeds history, the allowable outcrosses were narrowed to Persian and American Shorthair in 1975.
Today, the Exotic shares the same standard as the Persian, with the only difference being coat. The breed comes in a rainbow of colors and features all the endearing qualities of the Persian with a soft, short, plush coat.
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