Exotic Shorthair nutrition: flat face, PKD and weight

An Exotic Shorthair is built exactly like a Persian, so it shares the Persian's flat face and its risk of inherited kidney cysts, and those two facts shape how it should be fed. According to the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), the breed came from crosses between Persians and American Shorthairs in the 1950s and was recognized in 1966. It is judged to the same standard as the Persian except for the coat, which is dense, plush and of medium length with a thick undercoat. The CFA describes Exotics as quiet and easygoing, and a calm indoor cat is easy to overfeed.

Feeding a flat-faced cat

In a brachycephalic cat the facial bones are shortened and rotated upwards, and the jaws do not meet the way they do in a cat with a longer face. Many Exotics push kibble around the bowl, eat slowly, or leave food at the edges they cannot reach. In an online survey of owners of flat-faced cats, mostly Persians and Exotics, most were unaware of how common breed-related disorders are, and respiratory disease was the main health problem reported.

A few practical changes help most cats:

• A wide, shallow dish or a flat plate, so the face does not press against the rim.
• Wet food, especially smooth pâté, which is easier to lap up than dry pieces and adds water to the diet.
• A slightly raised bowl for cats that crouch awkwardly or drop food.
• Trial and error with kibble shape and size if dry food is fed. Some brands sell shapes designed for flat-faced breeds; there is little independent evidence comparing them, so watch what the cat actually manages to eat.

A cat that eats noisily, stops mid-meal to breathe, gags or vomits whole pieces regularly should be checked by a vet. Narrow nostrils and a crowded airway can make eating and breathing at the same time harder, and a vet can assess whether the nostrils are narrow enough to need treatment.

Polycystic kidney disease and diet

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) causes fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys over years, gradually replacing working tissue. In Persians and related breeds it is caused by a single dominant mutation in the PKD1 gene, so a cat with one copy of the variant develops cysts. When the mutation was first identified in 2004, PKD was estimated to affect about 38 percent of Persians worldwide. Genetic testing may have changed that picture where breeders use it. A Brazilian screening study of more than 600 cats found the variant in only about 5 percent of Persians, and the authors suggested the low figure may reflect breeders selecting PKD-free cats. Rates in untested populations can still be far higher.

Before buying a kitten, ask for PKD1 DNA results on both parents. A cat of unknown background can be tested by cheek swab, and an ultrasound will show cysts that are already present. Many affected cats show no signs for years.

No diet prevents cysts from forming. What feeding can do is protect water intake and avoid adding strain:

• Water. Wet food adds a lot of water to the diet, and many cats drink more from a fountain or wide bowls placed away from the food.
• Protein. A healthy adult cat should not be put on a low-protein diet as a precaution. Cats have high protein needs, and restricting protein too early can cost muscle.
• Renal diets. Once blood or urine tests show declining kidney function, a vet will usually recommend a veterinary kidney diet with restricted phosphorus. The timing is a clinical decision based on those results.

Weight loss, drinking and urinating more, a poor appetite or vomiting in an Exotic of any age are reasons for kidney blood tests and a urine sample.

Weight and daily calories

Many Exotics are easygoing indoor cats, and an indoor life and neutering both push energy needs down. The Merck Veterinary Manual estimates a cat's resting energy requirement as 70 × body weight in kg to the power 0.75, then multiplies it by 1.2 for a neutered adult, 1.4 for an intact adult and 1.0 for a cat prone to obesity. The table applies those figures.

These are starting points. Individual cats vary a good deal, so adjust the portion to body condition rather than trusting the number. The dense coat hides fat well, so feel for the ribs and look for a waist from above rather than judging by eye. Extra weight adds to the work of breathing in a cat whose airway is already narrow. A cat that needs to lose more than a small amount should do so slowly and under veterinary guidance, because rapid weight loss in cats can cause fatty liver disease.

Tear staining and teeth

Tear staining in Exotics is mainly a problem of plumbing. A CT study of flat-faced and normal-faced cats found that the more extreme the flat face, the more the upper canine teeth and facial bones are rotated, forcing the tear drainage duct into a steep, bent course in which drainage seems inefficient. Tears then spill onto the face. The authors advised breeders to favor cats with longer facial bones.

Diet claims for tear staining, such as avoiding colorings or adding probiotics, rest on anecdote rather than evidence. Wipe the corners of the eyes daily with a soft cloth and water. Thick, yellow or green discharge, squinting, a cloudy eye or a sudden increase in tearing need a vet, because flat-faced cats are prone to eye surface problems as well as blocked ducts.

Skull rotation affects the teeth too. They sit crowded and at odd angles in a short jaw. Plaque builds up where teeth overlap. Brushing with a cat toothpaste, started early, does more than any food. Dental diets and treats can help alongside brushing but do not replace it. Bad breath, drooling, dropping food or chewing on one side need a dental check.

Coat and hairballs

The CFA describes Exotics as mostly seasonal shedders. Weekly combing with a steel comb is usually enough, with a bath sometimes needed during a heavy shed. Combing matters for hairballs because hair is made of keratin, which cats cannot digest, and every loose hair removed with a comb is one the cat does not swallow.

The Cornell Feline Health Center considers a hairball every week or two normal for many cats and warns against using laxatives or hairball diets without veterinary advice. Repeated retching without producing anything, repeated vomiting, lethargy, or refusing food for more than a day or two can mean a hairball has blocked the intestine. That needs a vet the same day.

For more on the breed Exotics were built from, see the Persian cat nutrition guide.

Sources

1. Exotic. The Cat Fanciers' Association.
2. Flat-faced or non-flat-faced cats? That is the question. Animals, 2023.
3. Feline polycystic kidney disease mutation identified in PKD1. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2004.
4. Prevalence of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in Persian and Persian-related cats in Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Biology, 2021.
5. Nutritional requirements of small animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.
6. Brachycephalic feline noses: CT and anatomical study of the relationship between head conformation and the nasolacrimal drainage system. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2009.
7. The danger of hairballs. Cornell Feline Health Center.