Those two types of exotic cat breeds are those bred from domestic cats mixed with wildcats, and, the shorthaired Persians.
Description of Shorthaired Persians
Persian cats typically have long hair. But when referring to these breeds, the shorthaired Persians are considered exotic because they have short hair. They got this short hair by being a mix of the regular Persian cat and the American shorthair. Shorthaired Persians came to be known as one of the exotic cat breeds upon their arrival on the cat scene of the 1960s.
While the shorthaired Persian does not have long hair, it still maintains the same erect, fluffy fur coat that defines the Persian breed. This goes contrary to the smooth, flat hair found on the majority of shorthaired breeds. Also, the shorthaired Persian has very dense fur.
The shorthaired Persian cat, like the regular Persian cat, has a wide, egg-shaped skull. It is easy to understand why it is considered one of the exotic cat breeds when you see how prevalent the shape of the head appears with shorter hair.
In terms of personality, the shorthaired Persian cat maintains the same calm, affectionate personality of the Persian cat. However, the shorthaired Persian cat is much more energetic than the traditional Persian cat. On the other hand, it is a lot less talkative than its counterpart.
One advantage of the shorthaired Persian cat over a regular one is that you don’t have to give the cat regular baths. It can keep up with its own cleanings. However, you should still brush your shorthaired cat regularly.
Description of Hybrid Cats
The most exciting form of exotic cat breeds is probably the hybrid cat. You never quite know what kind of a new cat you’ll create when you combine a cute, friendly domestic cat with a muscular, raging wild cat. Of course, almost all domestic cats have some wildcat lineage, but usually quite far removed.
One of the few exotics that have received official recognition from the International Cat Association is the Bengal. The Bengal cat is a combination of the wild Asian Leopard Cat and a common domestic cat.
A popular, but unpredictable, member of the exotic cat breeds category is the Savannah cat. The Savannah cat is a combination of a common domestic cat and the African Serval wildcat. These cats are very large. What makes them unpredictable is that from one generation to the next the Savannah cat can have its personality and/or body size change drastically between what you would expect from a domestic cat and what you would expect from a wildcat.
Among the most recently formed breeds is the Habari. The Habari is actually a combination of several other exotic cat breeds into one breed of its own.
The Safari became one of the extinct breeds for a time, and then was recently started back up again. It is a Geoffroys wildcat combined with a common domestic cat. It is becoming quite popular.
Egyptian Maus are among the unintentional exotic cat breeds. The Egyptian Maus is an interesting domestic cat. It has been a domestic cat as long as its recorded history, but it is obvious that it has a lot of wildcat genes in it.