If you’re a fan of the sitcom New Girl, you’re probably a fan of the cat Ferguson. Even if you’ve never seen the show, he’s worth checking out—he’s adorable. If you’re looking to find out what breed he is, you’re in the right place.
Ferguson, the cat from New Girl, is an Exotic Shorthair. These are fantastic apartment cats if you can handle a little neediness. Let’s learn more about the Exotic Shorthair breed and some fun facts about Ferguson.
The Exotic Shorthair
History
When considering the history of cat breeds, Exotic Shorthairs haven’t been around for very long. They were bred by accident in the 1960s from Persians and American Shorthairs. They more closely resembled the former and were originally silver. This lovely color was so beautiful that they almost named this breed the Sterling Shorthair, but luckily, they went with exotic. We say “luckily” because the name wouldn’t be accurate now as they are now bred in several colors, including tabby, like Ferguson.
Appearance
These teddy-bear cats have solid, compactly-built bodies under their squishy faces. They are bred in several colors—the original was silver, but there are now red tabby, brown tabby, and bicolor cats. The Exotic Shorthair is a very nice-looking cat with its distinct, flat face. Garfield, Ferguson, and many other famous cats have frequently been Exotic Shorthairs or their close relative, Persians, because of their recognizable facial features.
Personality
They don’t tend to be the chattiest cats in the world, but they are incredibly loyal and affectionate. Exotic Shorthairs mostly want to sit in your lap and be loved all day. They have a lovely, docile temperament, although Ferguson was a notoriously moody individual—more on that below. This cat breed is known for being very playful and remaining that way well into their adult years.
Grooming
As the name clearly states, the Exotic Shorthair is a cat with a short coat. The nice thing about this is they don’t require quite as much attention in the grooming department as their long-haired cousins. In fact, they’ve been dubbed “The Lazy Man’s Persian.”
Fun Ferguson Facts
As we mentioned, Ferguson was a notoriously moody cat, even though that is not necessarily typical of the breed. Maybe it’s a Hollywood thing—we wouldn’t understand the trials and rigors that come with fame and the spotlight—so who are we to judge! Ferguson was quite demanding, and there were several times the production crew had to shift the film schedule to accommodate him. It’s a little bewildering to think about how much money would be involved in a production of that scale that they could bend to the will of this cat.
Another fun fact about Ferguson is that his name is Ferguson in real life.
Lamorne Morris, the actor who plays Ferguson’s owner in the show, is actually allergic to cats—talk about occupational hazards!
Conclusion
If you’re a fan of the show New Girl, you’re probably already familiar with Ferguson and can spot an Exotic Shorthair from a mile away. However, Ferguson doesn’t accurately represent this breed’s temperament at all. Sure, cats are individuals with their own personalities, but these cats are loving, gentle animals that prefer to spend the day by your side.
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Featured Image Credit: Characters by Elizabeth Meriwether Pictures, 20th Television, property of The Walt Disney Company. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.
