I took little cat to the vet this morning to get a thorough vet check
(although I didn't bother with blood tests and suchlike).

The news is generally good.  He is definitely a pure-bred exotic
short-hair, neutered male (although the vet has as much trouble
checking his gender as I did - it's all black and fluffy down there
and it's difficult to see anything!).  He's had his vaccinations too
(gave them this morning), so won't need any more for another 12
months).

The good news:

His teeth are in generally good condition.  He weighs 4kg (what's
that, about 9 pounds in imperial?), which is on the light side, but
I'm sure that will change with the amount he's been eating!  His eyes
are fine.  He has a small scar on one cornea from an earlier injury,
but that is unlikely to cause him problems.  He is approximately one
year old.  He is, in every way, a nice cat.

The less good news:

Not precisely bad news - just things to be aware of and keep an eye
on.  
He has one luxating patella (wobbly knee-cap) on his right (?) hind
leg.  This does not cause him any pain or limit the action of his leg
at present, but it does mean that he is likely to get arthritis in
that knee when he is old.  It is caused by in-breeding (it is a
genetic defect) and is very common in pure-bred cats and dogs.  
The hip opposite his wobbly knee has compromised flexibility. Like the
knee, this does not currently cause him pain, but will mean that he'll
get arthritis there when he's older.  No idea of the cause of this,
but again, it may be a breeding thing.
The third thing is his heart. He doesn't have a heart murmur, but he
has an irregular heart beat.  He should be fine, especially once he's
settled into Dad's quiet, predictable life, but it is something to
mention to the vet should he find himself in medical trouble (I'm
guessing it might be an issue if he needs to have anaesthetic).
Again, nothing to be overly concerned about, but just to be aware of.

The groomer wasn't able to take him today, but I've booked him in for
next Thursday morning.  She knows the breed very well and was very
enthusiastic about them.  She says that they are generally very
laid-back and sociable.  The main problem in the breed is the
bracycephaly (short head) which means that breathing is compromised
and snuffly.  This little guy makes all sorts of strange noises when
he's purring, eating and grooming himself.  

The thick, plush coat means that the breed suffers in hot weather,
particularly black ones.  She strongly recommends having his belly
shaved by a professional groomer about once every 3 months.  This will
go a long way to helping him keep cool and also keeping his belly-fur
free of burrs.  I've asked her to shave him next week.

She went on, at some length, about what a wonderful breed these are
and what wonderful little personalities they have.

Now all I have to do (after he is groomed next week) is deliver him to
Dad!

Tish