Oriental Shorthair
Meoww!!
The Oriental Shorthair sheds little and requires only minimal grooming; once a week or so, groom your cat lightly with your bare hands to remove excess hair.
In 5 Words
- Lively
- Intelligent
- Sociable
- Love
- Playful
Snapshot
WEIGHT RANGE:
Male: medium: 8-12 lbs.
Female: small: <8 lbs.
EYE COLOR:
Blue, Green, Odd-eyed
EXPECTATIONS:
Longevity Range: 8-12 yrs.
Social/Attention Needs: Moderate
Tendency to Shed: Moderate, High
COAT:
Length: Medium
Characteristics: Smooth, Straight
Colors: White, Blue, Ebony, Cream, Red, Brown, Frost, Platinum, Fawn, Chocolate, Chestnut, Cinnamon, Lavender, Champagne, Seal
Pattern: Solid Color, Tortoiseshell, Bicolor, Tricolor/Calico, Tabby, Ticking, Smoke, Shaded, Points
Less Allergenic: No
Overall Grooming Needs: Moderate, High
CLUB RECOGNITION:
Cat Association Recognition:
CFA, ACFA , FIFe, TICA
Prevalence: Rare
Characteristics
Learn About the Oriental Shorthair
The Oriental Shorthair is a breed of domestic cat, combining the Siamese body type with a diversity of coat colors and patterns. The breed is recognized as such (since 1977) by the United States-based but internationally open Cat Fanciers’ Association and (since 1997) the United Kingdom-based Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), and various other cat breeding organizations. While the breed’s genetic roots are ultimately in Thailand, the breed was formally developed principally in the US. The breed is among the most popular among CFA members.
Although the Oriental Shorthair wasn’t developed until the 1950s, its parent breed, the Siamese, has been around for centuries. In the past, blue-eyed, pointed-pattern cats were owned by religious leaders and royalty and were kept in Siam’s temples and Royal Palace.
One such breed is the Oriental Shorthair/Longhair. Russian Blues, British Shorthairs, Abyssinians, and regular domestic cats were crossed to Siamese. The resulting cats were not pointed and were crossed back to Siamese. In surprisingly few generations, there were cats that were indistinguishable from Siamese in all ways except color.
The Oriental is a member of the Siamese breed group and comes in two coat lengths: the Oriental Shorthair and the Oriental Longhair. Like all of the group members (Siamese, Balinese, Oriental Shorthairs and Oriental Longhairs), Orientals are long, slender, stylized cats.
Like the Siamese, the Oriental Shorthair personality is an outgoing and people-oriented. They are talkative, playful, acrobatic, and energetic. They do not like being left alone for long periods of time and should not be an “only child”
The Oriental Shorthair has the same elegant build, sleek coat and chatty personality as the Siamese, but unlike the Siamese, comes in just about any color of the rainbow. Understandably popular, the Oriental Shorthair appeals to the cat lover who wants an elegant Siamese-type cat but prefers a pet with new-and-improved, distinctive colorations.
This cat should have a very exotic look, very slender and long with a unique head shape and an active, outgoing personality.
Orientals, like the entire Siamese breed group, are lively, intelligent, sociable cats who love to play. Many of them are fetchers, returning their favorite fetch toy tirelessly to the hands of their human.
The breed standard for the Siamese group is one of extremes. The overall impression of these cats is that they are elegant, slender, and graceful. Like all the members of the group, Orientals are long and lean, and yet, they are natural athletes with a surprising weight of muscle on their narrow frame.
Be forewarned though– Orientals crave companionship, and if you ignore yours or take it for granted, it will let you know its displeasure. The Oriental will remain loyal throughout its life and deserves no less from its human companion.
The Oriental is also an inquisitive creature, joining you in all your daily activities. It may be more soft spoken than the Siamese, but this cat loves to chat and is never too tired to strike up a “conversation.”
The Oriental Shorthair is generally a healthy, sturdy breed with few genetic problems. Selecting a qualified breeder or buying from a reputable pet store will help ensure that your Oriental Shorthair will be free of hereditary purebred ailments. It is advisable to have annual health checks from about the age eight to check liver and kidney function and to have the teeth cleaned.
The Oriental Shorthair sheds little and requires only minimal grooming; once a week or so, groom your cat lightly with your bare hands to remove excess hair. Otherwise, this breed never needs bathing – unless it’s managed to overturn a jar of paint or decided to help you give your car an oil change, that is.
