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All breeds of loveable feline friends are adored for the invaluable memories and treasurable companionship they gift their humans. But this often comes with a plethora of fur and dander scattered all over caregivers’ precious upholstery and décor. If we are considering Exotic Shorthairs, we must think about their fur coat. So, do Exotic Shorthairs shed?
Yes, Exotic Shorthair Cats shed, but they do not shed that much. Exotic Shorthair Cats have thick undercoats that periodically require upkeep. They should be brushed once a week to keep their fur coat tangle-free.
While dealing with furry furniture in the home is certainly frustrating for any cat owner, it’s important to understand that it’s mostly out of your cat’s control.
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- The cat stroller on Amazon I recommend for Exotic Shorthair Cats – it is robust and versatile (Affiliate Link): Click Here.
- The cat condo/cat tree on Amazon that I recommend for Exotic Shorthair Cats – I own this for my cat, and she loves it! (Affiliate Link): Click Here
Stick around to find out everything you need to know about an Exotic Shorthair’s fur coat and how to go about establishing a healthy grooming routine for your delightful companion.
Exotic Shorthair Cats and Their Fur
The Exotic Shorthair cat is a medium built, heavy-boned breed with extreme features and a flattish face, and they have a short, compact body set on short stubby legs. This breed has a dense and lush coat, which is short in length in combination with a thick undercoat, which comes in popular color shades such as silver, bi-color, tabby, lilac, and much more.
An Exotic Shorthair cat’s fur coat creates a plush and puffy appearance, which makes this breed appear larger than it is.
Are Exotic Shorthair Cats Hypoallergenic?
This breed is not hypoallergenic. Although the coat is short in length, its dander produces the same number of allergens as other cat breeds.
What do we know about the Exotic Shorthair’s fur?
This coat is unique to the exotic breed and generally does not mat or tangle very easily. However, it can become clumpy as a result of the dense undercoat without proper and frequent grooming.
Once this occurs, it can be incredibly challenging to untangle these clumps and smoothen out the fur. While grooming needs are moderate, it’s thus imperative that proper grooming is done periodically.
We talk about the Exotic Shorthair cat’s fur coat (and other cats that do not shed much) in our article on cats that do not shed that much: Click Here.
Is Shedding Normal?
Shedding is completely normal for all cats, as this is a part of regulating body temperature in varying climates and the natural removal of dead or weak fur strands by replacement with new fresh fur.
Shedding maintains the overall health of the cat’s fur coat over time, and dead cat hair must be removed, so it does not interfere with this natural process. Excessive shedding is not normal and may indicate underlying issues requiring examination by a veterinarian to be identified, accurately diagnosed, and treated.
Since the fur coat plays such an important role in protecting the cat’s body, regulating temperature, and shielding them from external factors, losing too much fur will negatively affect their health. It could also be a symptom of a larger problem.
Caregivers should seek medical assistance from a veterinarian if one notices that the cat is shedding more fur and dander than this breed typically should. You should also be concerned if your Exotic Shorthair cat is shedding in clumps which begin to reveal the skin, or is suddenly shedding far more than usual without a natural cause such as shedding during hot weather.
Does the Exotic Shorthair Cat Shed A Lot?
The Exotic Shorthair is generally known to shed a low to medium amount. They generally spend plenty of time grooming themselves as they are innately considerate of their mostly tangle-free fur, and their coats are naturally resistant to matting.
How Should You Maintain an Exotic Shorthair Cat’s Fur?
The Exotic Shorthair will need to be groomed periodically. Periodic grooming is primarily done to remove loose and/or dead hair and maintain the dense and thick undercoat, which tends to clump together when ignored.
Exotic Shorthair Cat Grooming
This breed has moderate grooming needs in combination with frequent self-grooming, a low to medium tendency to shed, as well as the fact that their coats are short in length and naturally resistant to matting.
How Often Should You Groom an Exotic Shorthair?
The fur coat of an Exotic Shorthair should be brushed and combed through at least once a week. But, grooming this breed twice a week will provide more effective maintenance of the thick undercoat over time.
What Should You Use for Grooming?
Standard cat grooming brushes and combs can be used for this breed, as their fur coats are not overly fragile. Caregivers will need to have a subtle approach for cleaning the face and areas around the eyes to prevent tear stains, such as using cotton balls combined with gentle cleaning solutions.
When I am lightly brushing my cat, I tend to use a glove brush. My cat is a Domestic Shorthair, but she loves being brushed by a glove brush because she thinks she is being petted. I think this would work very well with an Exotic Shorthair since they are such sweet cats.
What Should You Do to Groom, Your Cat?
The Exotic Shorthair enjoys affection; thus, grooming can be included as part of playtime or time spent bonding with your furry feline friend. When grooming, caregivers should begin by brushing enjoyable areas for the cat and gently working towards other areas to ensure that the experience is pleasant and not painful.
Do You Need to Bathe Your Cat? If So, How Often?
Cats can be bathed if they have somehow become dirty, but this breed does not require bathing as often as longhaired breeds would. Grooming is generally sufficient for this breed, but they can be bathed occasionally or when necessary.
Does diet/nutrition play a role in the health of your cat’s fur?
As with all influences of a healthy and balanced nutrition plan, your cat’s diet will play a role in overall health and bodily function, which includes the health of fur. Healthy nutrition is beneficial for maintaining healthy fur, and following a recommended diet plan from your veterinarian, which includes such benefits, and specific to the age and season of the cat’s life will be necessary for optimum health.
Are Exotic Shorthair Cats Friendly?
This breed is quite friendly and gets along well with loved ones, strangers, and other pets in the home, such as cats or dogs, as long as personalities do not conflict.
Do Exotic Shorthair Cats Like to Be Held?
Yes, the Exotic Shorthair cat does like to be held. This breed does not demand constant attention from caregivers, and they graciously seek affection when it is wanted by climbing onto caregivers’ laps. However, they may enjoy being held if they are in the mood and may appreciate being cradled and snuggled occasionally. The Exotic Shorthair often tends to hug loved ones when they are picked up and held.
Since Exotic Shorthair cats do not shed that much, you can rest easy knowing that you should not see too much cat hair after holding this cat breed. Just be sure that you are grooming this cat weekly.
Are Exotic Shorthair Cats Affectionate?
Exotic Shorthair cats are quite affectionate, and they are classified as lap cats. However, they are not overly demanding and still respect that owners require space and time to themselves. They are generally quite courteous as opposed to resorting to other means of seeking attention.
Exotic Shorthair cats will approach loved ones calmly when they wish to spend time with them and want to show or receive affection. They also tend to follow loved ones around the home simply to be near them, regardless of what activities are going on. These cats love their humans.
Enriching an Exotic Shorthair Cat’s Life
The Exotic Shorthair will benefit from a balance between fun, interactive play, affection, and relaxation. They generally do well when alone but still appreciate being with loved ones.
Showing Affection to a Cat
While the Exotic Shorthair is not clingy, they do enjoy laying on loved ones’ laps, stretching out next to caregivers, and perching on shoulders occasionally. They are also fun-loving and thrive off interactive play; thus, varying forms of affection are appreciated by this breed instead of simply cuddling them.
Cat Harness and Leashes
Cat harnesses and leashes are certainly the most beneficial in terms of allowing physical activity, quality exercise, exploration, as well as overall freedom of movement. Walking your cat will allow your cat to engage with the outside world within the boundaries set by caregivers and ensure that your Exotic Shorthair gets the amount of exercise necessary for staying in good shape throughout its life.
There are plenty of benefits for taking this breed outside in moderation, as they will benefit from outdoor experiences and exposure. The Exotic Shorthair is quite mellow and is not an energetic breed; thus, they will need encouragement for physical exercise. Taking them outside acts as entertainment for your feline friend, and they will appreciate spending time with their loved ones or tagging along in daily adventures.
Combining the harness/leash with a cat stroller is a great idea since you can cover a lot of ground in the cat stroller and then take your Exotic Shorthair cat out on the harness/leash once you find a nice area.
Cat Condos / Cat Trees
These allow ample space and plush furnishings for cats to relax, sleep, and wander. Many cat condos or trees come with fitted scratching posts and dangling toys like knotted ropes for additional all-round entertainment. Cat condos/cat trees provide a great place for an Exotic Shorthair to hang out when they are not on your lap.
- The cat condo/cat tree on Amazon that I recommend for Exotic Shorthair Cats – I own this for my cat, and she loves it! (Affiliate Link): Click Here
Cat Strollers
Cat strollers allow cats to experience the outside world without engaging in physical activity. This would reward your cat with more freedom and entertainment, as they are not entirely cooped up and have some allowance for observing the environment freely.
- The cat stroller on Amazon I recommend for Exotic Shorthair Cats – it is robust and versatile (Affiliate Link): Click Here.
Conclusion
The Exotic Shorthair is relatively tame and is not overly clingy. They do not shed too much but require consistent grooming due to their unique profile and undercoats. It’s crucial to ensure that your feline gets sufficient attention and grooming from a young age so that she will be used to getting brushed and will enjoy the experience.
Exotic Shorthair cats are great felines that love affection from their humans and will not leave much cat hair behind.
If you liked this article, check out a couple of similar articles, such as:
- Do Exotic Shorthair Cats Scratch Furniture? (Full Analysis): Click Here.
- Do Persian Cats Miss Their Owners? (The Reliable Reasons): Click Here.
