Did You Know?
Orientals come in every point color imaginable. The reason may be attributed to the crossbreeding of different breeds and their litter with the Siamese.
Size
Oriental shorthairs are generally medium-sized cats, weighing 5-10 pounds.
Coat
Short, fine
Color
The cat breed is crossbred in multiple colors.
Life Span
10-15 years
A beautiful, long, and slender cat, the Oriental is a talkative and intelligent kitty, who is attached to her humans. They are a dedicated cat breed if you seek a devoted companion and an interactive and amusing pet. A natural athlete, they live up to 10-15 years.
Physical Characteristics of Oriental Cat
An elegant cat of extremes, the Oriental has a large body, with a long neck, tail, nose, and legs. The medium-sized cat is beautiful but muscular, with a triangular head flowing into her tall flaring ears. Their almond-shaped bright green or blue eyes compliment their triangular head and long and straight nose. A study in sleek design, the cat has long, slender legs, with a long tail tapering to a point.
Their short and glossy coat lies close to their svelte, tubular body. They are muscular but weigh heavy, so their weight should not come as a surprise. You will not find one Oriental who is fragile or frail. There are more than 600 colors and pattern to choose from. Their coat length combinations may leave you surprised but you are certain to find a cat of this breed lively enough to steal your heart in an instant.
The Oriental shorthairs and longhairs may be categorized as Oriental Tabbies and Oriental Selfs and Non-Selfs. While single color cats fall under the Oriental Selfs category, Oriental Non-Selfs come in a range of colors. They are neither self-colored nor tabbies. Oriental Tabbies comprise four patterns of Tabby. Recently, the Oriental Bicolour has come up. This is a colored cat that includes white.
Oriental Cat Pictures
Personality and Temperament
An intelligent and affectionate companion, the Oriental is easy to train, but that does not mean you can train her to do everything you might want her to do. Orientals have their own desires. They love their human parents and expect them to love them in return. As an Oriental parent, you must be affectionate to her and spend time in her company. She will love you back more for spending time playing with her.
She is beautiful, lively, and elegant and loves to lie in your lap. Do not be surprised if she always wants to sleep next to you in bed.
Fetching is their favorite activity and they can amuse themselves relentlessly for hours. Many of them are talkative cats and can keep you busy with their nonstop blabbering, informing you about how they spent their entire day.
The cat remains a kitten all her life for her sheer love to play. They are highly active, inquisitive, and high-jumping cats who continue to exhibit their athletic skills by jumping over shelves and cupboards. So never leave an Oriental alone at home without entertainment. Keep her brain active with retrievers, puzzle toys, or interactive fun.
You may feel it’s slender, bony appearance a sign of weakness. However, the cat has a strong and distinctive personality.
A sociable cat breed, Orientals do well with children, cat-friendly pets, and other cats and love to engage in lots of activity and commotion. They love the attention given to them by children, who treat them with respect.
Health and Care of Oriental Cat
Like any longhaired cat, this cat breed requires regular grooming of their silky, thin, and fine coat. The Oriental suffers from flat-chested kitten syndrome. Another disorder commonly reported in the cat breed is the progressive retinal atrophy. The condition may progress to complete blindness.
Hepatic amyloidosis is another disorder reported in the Oriental. The condition involves the accumulation of amyloid in the liver.
They have a life expectancy of 12-15 years.
History and Background
The man-made cat breed originated in England in the 1950s. They were the result of crossbreeding between the Siamese and several other cat breeds. The process continued with the resulting litter being crossed to the Siamese. Many cats were indistinguishable from the Siamese. The non-pointed cats are possibly the ancestors of the Orientals.
While each color got a separate breed initially, it later became apparent that it would not make sense to have different breeds for the numerous color possibilities. It was decided to categorize so all the non-pointed cats as the Oriental.
