Oriental History
  • The breed's beginnings can be traced back to a baroness named von Ullman of Roofspringer Cattery in England. In 1950, she crossed a seal point Siamese with a Russian Blue. Several generations later produced the Oriental, a new breed with a Siamese body, but sporting a solid, rich, chestnut color.
  • In the United States, this breed was originally called the Foreign Shorthair. The name was changed to Oriental Shorthair at a meeting of breeders in New York City in the early 1970s.
  • Earned championship status by the Cat Fanciers Association in 1977.
Oriental Behavior Concerns
  • Smart and social cats who enjoy close friendships with their favorite people.
  • Extremely outgoing, a feline extrovert.
  • Makes no apologies for being active or even rowdy.
  • Highly talkative and demanding.
  • Enjoys perching on high places, even on top of refrigerators or doors.
  • Benefits by being paired with another Oriental or breed equal in energy and intelligence.
  • Needs regular exercise to prevent from becoming bored and destructive.
Look of Orientals
  • Identified by its triangle-shaped head, almond-shaped, expressive eyes that slant upward, a sleek, tubular body and whippy tail.
  • Eye colors can be green, blue, or even odd (one blue and one green).
  • Resemble a feline version of a Greyhound or Chihuahua in color.
  • Comes in short and long length coats.
  • Short coat lies close to the body and feels silky to the touch.
  • Features a full color palette, the Oriental comes in more than 300 colors and patterns.
Grooming Oriental Cats
  • Easy-to-care-for coat can be kept looking its best by occasionally running a rubber cat brush through it.
Suggested Nutritional Needs for Oriental
  • Usually can be free fed because they are so active and burn off excess calories.
  • Rarely at risk for being overweight.
Fun Facts of Orientals
  • By definition, Oriental Longhair is due to the presence of a pair of recessive longhair genes.
  • Orientals are deceptively muscular and they appear lighter than they actually are.

Oriental

Oriental cat breed picture
Lifespan
15 - 20 years
Height
Weight
7 - 12 pounds
Oriental Traits
  • Lap Cat
    2 out of 5
  • Intelligence
    5 out of 5
  • Ease Of Training
    4 out of 5
  • Grooming Requirements
    1 out of 5
  • Shedding
    2 out of 5
  • Good With Children
    4 out of 5
  • Good With Dogs
    4 out of 5
  • Chattiness
    5 out of 5