Cat Breeds: Oriental Shorthair

Oriental Shorthair

 The Oriental is really a Siamese with a different colour coat and green eyes (except in the case of the Foreign White which has the classic blue eyes). The shape and temperament are exactly the same as the Siamese. The Oriental is a created breed bred from Siamese origins but crossed with other breeds to produce the different colours. Black ‘Siamese’ had been in existence for a long time but it wasn’t until the 1950’s that serious efforts were made to breed different colours. The Havana was the first Oriental to be given Championship status at cat shows and they resulted from crossing a seal point Siamese with a half-bred Siamese. The result was a self-chocolate cat and repeated matings produced more of the same. The breed was developed by mating back to the Siamese. Originally called the Chestnut Brown Foreign their name was changed to the Havana in 1970. A side product of the Havana breeding programme were the lilac, black and blue Orientals and these achieved recognition in the 1970’s. Selective breeding by dedicated breeders produced many more colours and coat patterns and there is now a huge range to choose from.

The standard for the Orientals is exactly the same as that for the Siamese whatever the coat colour or pattern. The Orientals are medium in size but feel heavier than they look.

Like the Siamese the Oriental is an intelligent, curious cat that makes its presence known. They love to talk to their human companions and expect a reply. They want to be part of the family and enjoy playing games like fetch with a ball of scrunched up paper. Orientals need to be kept amused with toys and do not like to be left alone so if you are out at work all day another Oriental is probably a good idea. As they are such curious creatures it is not ideal to allow them to roam outside as their curiosity can get them into trouble but they are often happy to be indoor cats as long as they have plenty of company.
 
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 *This information was gathered from Purina.com