In the 60s some American breeders sought to add to the American Shorthair cat (American Shorthair) the silver coat color of the Persians, however, hybrids inherited the short hair of the American but the appearance was that of a Persian. Thus arose a new breed called Sterling for its silver color. Other breeders crossed it with other breeds such as Burmese to add a compact body or Russian Blue (RussianBlue) for the dense double coat and short hair. The new generation of cats that had other colors was named Exotic Shorthair (shorthaired exotic) and then worked with Persian cats to fix its type.

Exotics have the same characteristics of the Persians: large round heads, with small ears, and large round eyes, short nose positioned between their eyes. The compact body, muscular and strong bones, legs and tail short. Their hair is plush, dense, about 3-4 cm long, similar to the texture of a teddy bear. These cats can interbreed with both Persian and Himalayan cats, so all the colors of these two breeds are accepted.

This "short-haired Persian" is an affectionate cat, with peaceful habits, but they are more lively and curious by their genetic ancestry of shorthaired breeds.