Coat colour

[Jackmcbob]

Hi,

I just adopted this guy who needed a New home as his owner was moving out of state. I was wondering if you could help describe th what color he would be described as... also I was toldeven though he is long haired he’s considered an exotic short hair as both his parents were registered and exotic shorthair so per cfa standards meaning he’s a exotic shorthair. When his previous owner mentions exotic shorthair... is that a Persian or is it different? I’m not too well informed on Persian and exotic cats as it’s my least known area of cat breeds.

here are a few pictures he has just been groomed and trimmed so I only have one picture prior to this as his hair was very matted and needed cutting off.

 

[lutece]

An Exotic Shorthair is basically a shorthaired Persian. In some associations, a longhaired cat out of two Exotic Shorthair parents would be called a Persian. In CFA, it's called an Exotic Longhair, although they do compete with Persians in the show ring. You can describe him as an Exotic Longhair, or (informally) as a Persian, or even a Himalayan, since he's pointed.

In color, he's a lynx point (tabby point), and his point color is probably seal (black-based) lynx point. You can check his paw pad color to help determine his point color. If he's seal lynx point he would be expected to have dark brown paw pads.

His coat may grow in a bit darker now that he's been shaved, so you may get to see his tabby pattern a little better. Perhaps now that he has a fresh start, you will be able to keep his coat combed so that he doesn't have to be shaved again... or if it's difficult for you, another option is to have a groomer help you to keep it clipped short. Some people keep their Persians in a short clip because it's easier to maintain, and that's certainly better than having mats.

 

[Jackmcbob]

Thank you that’s very interesting to know, I have just taken a picture of his paw it’s not the best but it looks a lot less dark than my seal point Siamese. It’s creamy so does that affect his point color?

 

[lutece]

He may have some white markings on his feet. Are all of his paw pads pink? Or some pink and some brown?

 

[Jackmcbob]

All of his paws are pink on the bottom even the little ones but then darker in the gaps. So maybe a mix, Maybe this is better.

 

[StefanZ]

Good analysis and explanations by Lutece.

Him being shaven has the advantage here, NOW you will clearly see exactly what tabby pattern he carries. Its often difficult to see on long haired cats.

 

[Jackmcbob]

Good analysis and explanations by Lutece.

Him being shaven has the advantage here, NOW you will clearly see exactly what tabby pattern he carries. Its often difficult to see on long haired cats.

You say now he’s shaven I will see his pattern he carries.... I don’t see any pattern or do you mean I’ll start to see his tabby pattern once his hair starts slowly growing back?

 

[lutece]

Ok, if his paw pads are pinkish, he might be a chocolate lynx point. It's a bit lighter color than seal lynx point.

You say now he’s shaven I will see his pattern he carries.... I don’t see any pattern or do you mean I’ll start to see his tabby pattern once his hair starts slowly growing back?

Yes, you may see his tabby pattern appear when his hair starts to grow back. Pointed cats have temperature sensitive albinism. Warm areas on the body have their pigment production suppressed. Colder areas of the body have more pigment. So when you shave a pointed cat, the shaved areas tend to grow back in darker, due to the lower temperature. Eventually the hair grows in all the way, sheds out and is replaced by new hairs that will be lighter in color again since the area will be warmer.

 

[StefanZ]

You say now he’s shaven I will see his pattern he carries.... I don’t see any pattern or do you mean I’ll start to see his tabby pattern once his hair starts slowly growing back?

If you dont see any real pattern on his body, although we do know he is a tabby, so probably he is a ticked tabby. here, no answer is an answer too.

 

[Jackmcbob]

Ahh okay, so I when his hair regrows it won’t grow back traditional lynx point... it will be much darker over his whole body almost to the point he wouldn’t look like a point anymore and I’d see his true tabby colours? Then over time when the hairs grow longer and sheds and new ones grow it’ll become lighter again becoming more pointed in look again... have I understood correctly?

 

[lutece]

Ahh okay, so I when his hair regrows it won’t grow back traditional lynx point... it will be much darker over his whole body almost to the point he wouldn’t look like a point anymore and I’d see his true tabby colours? Then over time when the hairs grow longer and sheds and new ones grow it’ll become lighter again becoming more pointed in look again... have I understood correctly?

Yes, you've got it. A lynx point is a tabby, plus the colorpoint gene. Colorpoint just "bleaches" the warmest areas of the body so the pigment isn't expressed. Shaved areas, if they are as cold as his paws, nose, and ears, will be pigmented in his natural tabby colors... until the hair grows in and those areas get warmed up.

Here's an example from Messybeast of a bluepoint cat that was shaved for surgery. You can see how the hair grew in blue, like the point color. Eventually it will shed out, and the new hair will come in lighter, like the rest of the body color.

 

[Jackmcbob]

Thank you, it will be interesting to see how it grows back them. Also many Persians I have seen there face is more doll face or even other less squished. My neighbour has a Persian and there me looked say the cat snowbell out of Stuart little (if you know that cat)... that’s what I assumed a Persian was so why does he look so different to say for example them kind of cats?

 

[lutece]

He looks different because he's a show-type, flat-faced cat. Both Persians and Exotics are bred for this type of head structure.
Here's the CFA Persian breed council web site, so you can read more about Persians:

Persian Breed Council - Home Page, About the Breed Council

The Persian Breed Council Website, including history of the breed, breed profile, breed standard, top scoring cats, top Distinguished Merit cats, color charts, and articles relating to the breed

www.persianbc.org

Exotic Shorthairs and Longhairs are essentially bred to the same standard as the Persian cat, with the exception that the Exotic Shorthair is short haired. You can see some of the top Exotics in CFA here, both longhaired and shorthaired:

Exotic Top Cats – The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc

cfa.org

Do you know anything about where your cat came from? It might be interesting to ask the former owner about his breeder and pedigree. He may have some show winners in his ancestry.

 

[Jackmcbob]

Ah that’s interesting to know, all I know is she actually bred him herself and that his parents are both registered as exotic shorthairs and so is he. I’m not sure of much more than this and I don’t want to ask too much as she was physically very upset about the situation she was left in she had a day to rehome them all. I just know she bred them.

So he looks different because he’s a show face type rather than just pet or regular, but essentially there all the same just some are bread more so to look like this for shows?

 

[lutece]

That's too bad that she had only a day to rehome them, I can imagine how that could be an upsetting situation. I hope they all found good homes... maybe it will help to reassure her that your cat has a loving and appreciative home.

So he looks different because he’s a show face type rather than just pet or regular, but essentially there all the same just some are bread more so to look like this for shows?

Yes, that's right. All Persians and Exotics have broad faces with short noses compared to the average cat, but different bloodlines can have head types that vary between moderate "doll faced" and more extreme flat-faced cats. It took many generations for breeders to create the modern show type Persian head through selective breeding... more than 100 years of breeding has gone into this head type, and breeders still must work to maintain it. Even show breeders can have some pet quality kittens in their litters that aren't as flat-faced as other kittens.

 

[Jackmcbob]

Okay well that’s interesting to know. I’d definitely like to try and find out more about his background so maybe I’ll ask her for some more details in a few weeks. He’s not fixed yet which surprised me so I’m planning that but if he has a good ancestry as you mentioned is it worth keeping him not fixed so he can be a stud for another cat, as he’s indoors only and my other cats all now all fixed that won’t be an issue. Or do you think it’s still best just getting him fixed as planned?

 

[lutece]

Okay well that’s interesting to know. I’d definitely like to try and find out more about his background so maybe I’ll ask her for some more details in a few weeks. He’s not fixed yet which surprised me so I’m planning that but if he has a good ancestry as you mentioned is it worth keeping him not fixed so he can be a stud for another cat, as he’s indoors only and my other cats all now all fixed that won’t be an issue. Or do you think it’s still best just getting him fixed as planned?

You could contact the former owner and ask. I am not a Persian / Exotic breeder, so I can't advise you on his quality, or the value of his pedigree to the breed. Since this is not a rare breed, it's unlikely that a lot of genetic diversity would be lost by having him neutered, but it's possible he may represent an uncommon bloodline, I don't know. We do have a Persian breeder on this site, posiepurrs and perhaps she would have input on this question.

 

[Jackmcbob]

Yes I will definitely ask her once things have settled. I yes it would be good to hear if posiepurrs has any input.

 

[posiepurrs]

You have a very handsome boy! First, CFA is backward in the registering of exotics and long haired exotics. As far as I know it is the only association in the world that separates them into a breed other than Persian. It is politics. Secondly, I would go ahead and neuter him for several reasons. The first being the smell of a whole, sexually active male cat is NOT pleasant and your entire house would smell. The other reason in my experience, is studding a cat is not normally done unless you are working closely with another breeder. There are lots of health issues that can come up sharing cats. I do know of some catteries that share cats, but they work very closely together and have a ton of experience. Breeding the Persian breed can be difficult. I would suggest instead trying to show him if you have the registration papers. If not then show as a Household Pet. That way you can share his beauty.

 

[lutece]

I would suggest instead trying to show him if you have the registration papers.

Thanks posiepurrs! Do you think he looks like a good premiership prospect?